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WilliamFisherPhotography

Small Wonders

Insects and spiders (+ some other critters) close up
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A hornworm that has been parasitized by a wasp, which laid eggs in the host. The eggs hatch into wormlike larvae that feed internally on the host tissues. When they finish feeding, they chew a hole in the integument of the host and crawl outside to construct a cocoon. Some worms (center and lower right) were caught by the camera in the process of crawling through the integument, while others that crawled out earlier have already started constructing cocoons in which to pupate. The cocoons will remain on the outside of the host until the adult wasps emerge.
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A hornworm that has been parasitized by a wasp, which laid eggs in the host. The eggs hatch into wormlike larvae that feed internally on the host tissues. When they finish feeding, they chew a hole in the integument of the host and crawl outside to construct a cocoon. Some worms (center and lower right) were caught by the camera in the process of crawling through the integument, while others that crawled out earlier have already started constructing cocoons in which to pupate. The cocoons will remain on the outside of the host until the adult wasps emerge.

LepidopteraSphingidaehornwormlarvaHymenopterawaspparasitoidcocoonsSmugMug collection

  • Frontal view of the head of a white-banded beetle. It belongs to the weevil family whose members often feed on fungi. In this image, you can see the mandibles at the bottom of the broad snout and the antennae coming out of the middle. I call this a "steer-head beetle" because this view resembles a Guernsey cow.
  • Simple eyes located on top of this wasp's head, between the multi-faceted compound eyes. The next image shows their location a bit more clearly. The simple eyes cannot focus but do detect changes in light intensity, as occurs during sundown and sunup. This triggers the insect's activity patterns - eg some insects are active at night, while others, during the day.
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  • Side view of a carpenter ant. One good way to differentiate an ant from a termite is to look at the antennae. If they are "elbowed" or bent in the middle, as in this image, it's an ant. If you have something that looks like an ant but has straight antennae, more likely it's a termite.
  • The ridges on the claw help increase the strength of the structure while giving more "gripping" power to the insect, much as the texture of our finger prints does for us.
  • A scarab beetle in the subfamily Dynastinae, which contains some of the largest beetles in the world. This group includes the rhinocerus beetle as well as the hercules and elephant beetles.
  • Ventral view of a scarab beetle showing the lamellate or plate-like antenna, and the compound eye. The white particles on the eye are grains of pollen. Pollen was found on all parts of the insect.
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  • Midge showing plumose antennae characteristic of the male. The feathery antennae provide a tremendous surface area for sensors that are able to detect minute amounts of chemicals produced by the females. Apparently there also are sensors that can detect vibrations in the air produced from wing movements of the female. Both are critical to finding a mating partner. This specimen is about 7 mm long. Midges resemble mosquitoes but do not bite. Midge larvae are similar to mosquito larvae and form an important part of the aquatic food chain.
  • This large larva is usually green but often turns brown prior to pupation. check
  • This small, 1-1.5 mm-long insect has unique wings, shown here folded back over the body, that look like feathers. They don't provide for strong flight but do get the insect into the air where it can "ride the wind" to move more efficiently from one area to another. The wing design also allows thrips to get into minute cracks in greenhouses where they can significantly damage a wide variety of plants. These pests often occur on houseplants where they scrape away plant cells and suck up the juices. The feeding causes silver-looking spots on the leaves. check
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  • Immature looper feeding on a daisy and attaching bits of the flower, including petals and reproductive structures, on its' body to provide an effective camouflage against predators. The posterior end of the larva is attached to the top of the stem by the two pair of prolegs while the head curls around to meet these legs, forming an adorned structure in which the larva is very difficult to see. check
  • Spines! A Chinese mantis showing off the many spines that cover its body. The most impressive are those pin-sharp spikes on the front legs that are used to grasp and hold prey.
  • A hornworm that has been parasitized by a wasp, which laid eggs in the host. The eggs hatch into wormlike larvae that feed internally on the host tissues. When they finish feeding, they chew a hole in the integument of the host and crawl outside to construct a cocoon. Some worms (center and lower right) were caught by the camera in the process of crawling through the integument, while others that crawled out earlier have already started constructing cocoons in which to pupate. The cocoons will remain on the outside of the host until the adult wasps emerge.
  • The banded tussock moth that feeds on a wide variety of hardwood trees and shrubs. The long lashes especially at the anterior end make this larva a striking specimen. check
  • Platter-full of freshly cooked giant water bugs for sale in an outdoor stall in Bangkok, Thailand, where they are considered a crunchy delicacy. Often they are crushed and added to spices to make a hot, spicy dippin' sauce for other foods like rice. These bugs are also known as "toe biters" as swimmers in ponds and lakes know all too painfully. In some species the female deposits her eggs on the back of the male, who carries them around until they hatch. Some of these bugs are 4 inches long. check
  • Larva preparing for pupation. This larva is a bird-dropping mimic and does not appear to predators as a food source. This genus contains three very closely related species that are nearly identical and the larvae look just as unappetizing as this one: the viceory, white admiral, and the red-spotted purple. check
  • Parasitoid that just emerged from one of the cocoons constructed on the outside of a hornworm host. Many parasitoid larvae fed inside the worm, exited the body through the integument, and spun cylindrical silken cocoons in which they pupated. Interestingly, most of the adult parasitoids emerge about the same time. The adults chew a ring around the top of the cocoon forming a loose cap that allows them to crawl out. Note the three cocoons with wasps just starting to emerge. These wasps are excellent biological control agents and can be purchased from insectaries that raise them by the millions.
  • Broad-winged damselfly sitting on the tip of a fern leaf. This also is called an ebony jewelwing because of the bright metallic blue-green body parts. This is a female as indicated by the light brown wings and the white spots (stigmata) near their distal ends. The males have solid, black wings.
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