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WilliamFisherPhotography

Small Wonders

Insects and spiders (+ some other critters) close up
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Redbud leaffolder larva on a redbud leaf. The larva made an enclosure in which to live by folding the leaf in half (I pulled the enclosure apart to take the picture). Folding begins as the larva spins silk bundles at the base of the leaf to draw the two sides together. Each of these bundles consists of hundreds or thousands of individual silk threads making them very strong and securely attached to the leaf surface. To complete closing the structure, the larva spins smaller silk bundles along the perimeter of the leaf (top of image) to "seal up" the structure. Inside, protected from predators and adverse weather, the larva feeds on the softer leaf tissue while leaving many of the veins uneaten. The remaining vein complex gives the appearance that the leaf has been "skeletonized". If the leaf enclosure is opened, the striking black and white larva (top, center) writhes around so quickly and violently that it would scare most predators away (I know it startled me!). check
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Redbud leaffolder larva on a redbud leaf. The larva made an enclosure in which to live by folding the leaf in half (I pulled the enclosure apart to take the picture). Folding begins as the larva spins silk bundles at the base of the leaf to draw the two sides together. Each of these bundles consists of hundreds or thousands of individual silk threads making them very strong and securely attached to the leaf surface. To complete closing the structure, the larva spins smaller silk bundles along the perimeter of the leaf (top of image) to "seal up" the structure. Inside, protected from predators and adverse weather, the larva feeds on the softer leaf tissue while leaving many of the veins uneaten. The remaining vein complex gives the appearance that the leaf has been "skeletonized". If the leaf enclosure is opened, the striking black and white larva (top, center) writhes around so quickly and violently that it would scare most predators away (I know it startled me!). check

LepidopteraGelechiidaeFascista cercerisellaredbud leaffolderlarvasilk

  • 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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  • 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.
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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 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
  • 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.
  • Antenna detail of an adult carrion beetle. The adults and larvae feed on decaying flesh. This species can be used by forensics entomologists to help determine the time of death of an individual. The age of the larvae at the time the body is found plus the temperature for previous days can be used to determine how long the larve have been the body, and thus the approximate time of death. check
  • Redbud leaffolder larva on a redbud leaf. The larva made an enclosure in which to live by folding the leaf in half (I pulled the enclosure apart to take the picture). Folding begins as the larva spins silk bundles at the base of the leaf to draw the two sides together. Each of these bundles consists of hundreds or thousands of individual silk threads making them very strong and securely attached to the leaf surface. To complete closing the structure, the larva spins smaller silk bundles along the perimeter of the leaf (top of image) to "seal up" the structure. Inside, protected from predators and adverse weather, the larva feeds on the softer leaf tissue while leaving many of the veins uneaten. The remaining vein complex gives the appearance that the leaf has been "skeletonized". If the leaf enclosure is opened, the striking black and white larva (top, center) writhes around so quickly and violently that it would scare most predators away (I know it startled me!). check
  • Bagworm moth larva (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) from previous image, showing the larva feeding on the leaf while enjoying full protection from the bag it prepared of silk and leaves (the entire structure to the right of the larva's head). The bag is attached to the leaf with silk but can easily be moved as the larva crawls to another location. If the larva detects danger it immediately disappears into the bag and closes the top. check
  • Bagworm moth larva on an ornamental bush. The larva prepared the bag out of silk and bits of leaf that it feeds on. The worm inside the case is secured on the lower surface of a leaf by silk and pokes its head out to feed and continually renew the case, creating the holes in the leaf seen here. This species takes full advantage of the resources available to it - for nutrition and protection against enemies. There is a small hole in the bottom of the case to allow frass (excrement) to fall out so it doesn't foul the larva's home. check
  • Moth that resembles a bird dropping. This protects the moth from predators that preceive it as an inanimate object, and not something to eat. The resemblance is uncanny - real droppings have a darker solid end while the opposite end tends to be white and more of a liquid. The fine white hairs at the anterior end of the moth represent this liquid perfectly. It's important that the moth remain motionless while sitting on a substrate, or it will blow the disguise. check
  • Mouth parts of a horsefly. Note the flat, amber, blade-like structures (upper right) that are used like scissors to penetrate and cut the skin to produce a pool of blood. The blood is then brought into the insect via the small parallel capillary channels located on the large yellow structure. The bite of a horsefly is usually more painful than a mosquito because more extensive skin damage is created by the fly compared to the more simple puncture of the small round mouthparts of a mosquito
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