Show us your worldwide arachnids and insects.

[kittykat23uk]

This is a type of thorn spider, which dropped in over lunch in Madagascar:

 

thorn spider2 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[Game Warden]

Macro is amazing for highlighting the eye detail: fantastic shots and classic against a dark background Rob!

[graynomad]

Interesting spider Kittykat.

 

Yes Matt that's one reason I like macro, you get to see a lot of stuff you wouldn't otherwise see.

[graynomad]

That's one ugly critter there dikdik, most of my mates are better looking although some are almost as bad. I've not seen one of them yet, hopefully one day.

[TZBirder]

Those are fantastic shots! I've nothing even nearly as good to share, but I want to see some more good ones so thought I'd add a few of mine that are already uploaded on my blog (usually with some stories to go with them, whilch I'll link in case anyone wants more information...)

Butterflies are certainly insects, so should be permissable here - I'm sure others will have lots of lovely shots? This is Pardaleodes incerta in Amani NR, East Usambara (no common name I know of I'm afraid). And who can't go to tropical Africa and not see an African Monarch:

 

This one is one of my favourites - Golden-banded Forester. Again from Amani NR this time, but common on the coast.

 

I've loads more butterflies too (these are all from a post on butterfly familes here), but let's move on. How about a proper arachnid from Mwiba ranch - a place my kids know as "The scorpion place" (Don't think that's on the marketing...):

And though the picture has no artistic merit scorpion flourescence is just so cool!

 

 

Back to insects, and these guys really scare me: hope none of you have had any nasty experience of them?

 

Weaver ants are pretty interesting things too:

 

And millipede sex is just odd:

 

There must be others with nice dragonfly pictures around too? This is a Jaunty Dropwing.

Anyway, that will do for now! Hope to see more minibeasts soon

[kittykat23uk]

Interesting spider Kittykat.

 

Yes Matt that's one reason I like macro, you get to see a lot of stuff you wouldn't otherwise see.

Thanks, it's a screen grab off my video. Here's another weird Madagascar critter.

 

PA276194 Rainbow Bush Locust by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PA286884 Flatid Leaf Bug by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[graynomad]

@Kittykat

Those last bugs look like they have that insect-eating fungus.

 

@TZbirder
Nice shots and it's good to have some background as well. Your weaver ants looks and act exactly the same as our green tree ants.


Green tree ants making a nest, Tyrconnell gold mine, near Dimbulah, QLD

Canon EOS 10D, 100macro, off-camera flash, 1/180s, f11


Green tree ants making a nest, Tyrconnell gold mine, near Dimbulah, QLD

Canon EOS 10D, 100macro, off-camera flash, 1/180s, f16


One green tree ant carrying another, Tyrconnell gold mine, near Dimbulah, QLD

Canon EOS 10D, 100macro, off-camera flash, 1/180s, f16

Any idea why it is carrying its mate? I doubt they are interested in helping an injured ant, maybe it's dead and becomes food for the nest.


Green tree ants making nest, Tyrconnell gold mine, near Dimbulah, QLD

Canon EOS 10D, 100macro, off-camera flash, 1/90s, f16


Green tree ant, Walsh Point, Port Warrender, Kimberley, WA

Canon EOS 10D, 100macro, off-camera flash, 1/60s, f16

Hard to get a sideways shot of them because they are really agro and arc up at anything, therefore they are normally facing the camera. Check the entrails.

[graynomad]

@TZbirder (again)

 

I just spent quite a lot of time reading your blog, really interesting stuff. Now I know why you are so worried about those Nairobi bugs.

 

I agree about the lunacy of introducing elephants to Oz, but man I'd love to have them here all the same

[TZBirder]

Thanks! The similarities are because they are indeed very closely related, both Oecophylla ants. And your pictures where just the sort of set I was hoping to prompt! Kowing how fast they move, that's a truly amazing set...

[kittykat23uk]

@Kittykat

Those last bugs look like they have that insect-eating fungus.

 

.

Thanks, that is how they naturally look in their nymph stage. Then they transform inton these weird red things

 

PA276313 Flatid leaf bugs by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PA297436 Flatid Leaf bugs by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Others are more peachy coloured.

[kittykat23uk]

Then there was this critter, a lantern bug I think

 

PA297161 Pyrops madagascariensis I think- A Lantern Bug by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[TonyQ]

@@graynomad

Stunning shots - great pictures!

[marg]

these photos are just fabulous!

[TonyQ]

Caterpillars! (Peru, amazon, August 2007)

Sorry I don't know what they are but I found them fascinating.

[Treepol]

Fruit chaffers, Tarangire NP, June 2008

 

 

 

Neo-tropical Amazonian spider, Tambopata, Peru August 2013

 

[graynomad]

@@Treepol @@TonyQ Interesting bugs guys. Do you use flash? It looks like it.

[TonyQ]

@@graynomad

The caterpillars were taken with the built-in pop up flash

[Treepol]

@@graynomad the spider was taken with a pop-up flash on my P&S

[Game Warden]

Who has more insect and arachnid photos to upload?

[Game Warden]

Let's see some more close ups...

[offshorebirder]

Aye, aye @@Game Warden.

 

@@graynomad has set the bar exceedingly high with his outstanding images, but I will paddle along in his wake:

 

 

Scarlet-Bodied Wasp Moth (Cosmosoma myrodora) nectaring at African Blue Basil. This moth is a wasp mimic, which helps protect it against predators.

 

Cow Fly (one of the giant Tabanus species) at Santee National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina. This huge relative of Horse Flies is not one you want to bite you!

 

Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida) - male

 

Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida) - female

 

Orange Holomelina. This moth species has the most unusual eyes of any moth I have ever encountered:

 

Bee Fly (Xenon tigrinus) family Bombyliidae. A Carpenter Bee predator.

 

Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) in a Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) tree, its host plant.

 

Centipede species, Santee National Wildlife Refuge.

 

Hentz's Orbweaver (Neoscona crucifera). This charming nocturnal spider comes out and spins a web each evening and then eats the web and retreats into a hiding place at dawn.

 

Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis) - largest wolf spider in North America.

 

Carolina Mantis (a young one / early instar):

 

Mournful Sphinx (Enyo lugubris) nectaring at Mexican Bush Sage just before sunrise.

 

Pink-spotted hawkmoths (Agrius cingulata)

These last images were taken at night a few years ago with a Canon point-and-shoot (A630) so the quality is not the best. But it gives an idea how long their proboscis is!

 

[offshorebirder]

A friend at work just came and got me to show me this marvelous scarab beetle he saw in the wooded patch behind our building - it is a male Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus). It is huge! I used an iPhone to take the photo, so the image quality is not the best...

 

In doing some online research, I learned that well-fed individuals are a darker color than this one, and that adults feed on fruit (especially rotten fruit). So I took an aged banana out and smeared a little on the tree bark above the beetle so he could feed if he wanted to. I will keep an eye on it in case the banana attracts ants - but the beetle can fly, drop to the ground, etc. if it needs to, so I figured it was a good move to offer it some food.

 

Edited June 24, 2015 by offshorebirder

[Tom Kellie]

A friend at work just came and got me to show me this marvelous scarab beetle he saw in the wooded patch behind our building - it is a male Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus). It is huge! I used an iPhone to take the photo, so the image quality is not the best...

 

In doing some online research, I learned that well-fed individuals are a darker color than this one, and that adults feed on fruit (especially rotten fruit). So I took an aged banana out and smeared a little on the tree bark above the beetle so he could feed if he wanted to. I will keep an eye on it in case the banana attracts ants - but the beetle can fly, drop to the ground, etc. if it needs to, so I figured it was a good move to offer it some food.

 

~ @@offshorebirder

 

SUPER!

Both the beetle and the photos!

There are such large beetle species in North America?

Didn't know that but delighted to learn about them.

Thank you for posting the images and information.

Tom K.