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WilliamFisherPhotography

Small Wonders

Insects and spiders (+ some other critters) close up
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Exoskeleton of a last instar leafhopper on the underside of an oak leaf. Similar to other exmples in this gallery, the mouthparts are imbedded into the main vein to anchor the insect to the leaf. In addition, the six legs are grasping the sides of the vein to further improve attachment to the leaf. This makes it easier for the adult to separate from the old skeleton. The split along the head and thorax is where the adult literally walked out of its' own skin. The oval structure lateral on the thorax contained the folded-up wings. The new adult was white, soft, and vulnerable until the body shell hardened and the wings were completely unfolded and ready to support flight. check
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Exoskeleton of a last instar leafhopper on the underside of an oak leaf. Similar to other exmples in this gallery, the mouthparts are imbedded into the main vein to anchor the insect to the leaf. In addition, the six legs are grasping the sides of the vein to further improve attachment to the leaf. This makes it easier for the adult to separate from the old skeleton. The split along the head and thorax is where the adult literally walked out of its' own skin. The oval structure lateral on the thorax contained the folded-up wings. The new adult was white, soft, and vulnerable until the body shell hardened and the wings were completely unfolded and ready to support flight. check

HemipteraAuchenorrhynchaCicadellidaeleafhopperexuviaoak

  • Recently molted immature bug standing over the exuvia of its' smaller self. When frightened by the camera, the bug did not run and hide under the leaf as I expected. Rather it remained close to, and nearly on top of, the cast skin. Did this behavior make the insect appear larger than it actually was in the face of danger, something that might scare off a potential predator? The fine, white, thread-like structures coming out of the cast skin are tracheae, part of the system that supplies oxygen to the insect. New ones are formed when the insect molts. check
  • Exoskeleton of a last instar leafhopper on the underside of an oak leaf. Similar to other exmples in this gallery, the mouthparts are imbedded into the main vein to anchor the insect to the leaf. In addition, the six legs are grasping the sides of the vein to further improve attachment to the leaf. This makes it easier for the adult to separate from the old skeleton. The split along the head and thorax is where the adult literally walked out of its' own skin. The oval structure lateral on the thorax contained the folded-up wings. The new adult was white, soft, and vulnerable until the body shell hardened and the wings were completely unfolded and ready to support flight. check
  • 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
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