Weird and Wonderful Insect Portraits

I spent a day at Paxton Pits with my head in the meadows and hedgerows and came away with quite a collection of portraits of the colourful, beautiful and not so beautiful inhabitants. The first fly (Phasia hemiptera) was so striking in its colours it caught my eye from a distance so quite an enlargement for this one. The last two flies are both Snail killing flies that lay their eggs on snails (the larvae consume the snails from the inside. The paired flies above these are Sicus ferrugenous and this species waits on flowerheads for a passing Bumblebee, launches itself upward, hitching a lift with the bee and at the same time laying its eggs on the bee. Two extremes of size for the spiders - the first one a Furrow orb spider had its web in the coiled top of a grass while the funnel spider is quite an impressive size for a British arachnid.

 

Multiple Exposures at Madingley

We visited Madingley American War Cemetery this morning and I spent some time trying different blends on my camera using the different modes and changing the White Balance and Film Simulations during a set of exposures. I think I will have to experiment using known light, dark and different coloured objects to get some idea what the finished image might look like. It is very hit and miss at the moment though I have found some here that I like!

 

Banded Demoiselles in Flight

I have been taking high-speed videos with my FujiX-T3 of various insects in flight - that bit is relatively easy but the processing and assembly into a short film is proving very time consuming and frustrating.
Here an offering of Banded Demoiselles from a recent trip to a small brook in Bedfordshire. This is a low resolution video - larger version on Youtube

Youtube link

Covid Creations

Everywhere in Cambridge, there are social distancing signs and people in masks. I felt that I had stepped into a science fiction drama so I tried a few multiple images to represent my feelings. 

Larks Rise Insects 1

A few insects from the trip to Lark Rise Farm. As it was fairly cool and rain threatened during the latter part of the visit, the butterflies were quite docile - here a Comma, Large Skipper, Marbled White, Green Veined White and Small White. Lots of Beetles, Flies and Lacewing

Lark Rise Farm Barton

Spent a very enjoyable morning, under glowering skies, 'bug' hunting around the hedgerows at Lark rise Farm (Countryside Restoration Trust). Delighted to find a couple of very young Wasp Spiders as well as a plethora of Flies, Shieldbugs and Frog hoppers. More insects to follow.