Blog Archives

Velvet Ant

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

4mm body | July 3, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Velvet ants are challenging to photograph. They always seem to know when you’re after them. They are either running so fast you can’t keep them in the frame (much less focus) or they find cover to hide under. I always just shoot like crazy and hope for the best.

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Scorpion

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

20mm body | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I spotted this scorpion on the trail just after dark. Somehow I spooked it and it ran for cover. When I removed the leaf it had hidden under, it was curled up as shown below.

Hiding under a leaf

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Bee Mimicking Assassin Bug

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

10mm body | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

For me, those wings are what really give this assassin bug in the family Reduviidae the appearance of a bee.

Dorsal view

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Waxy Planthopper Nymph

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

10mm wide | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I’ve encountered odd planthopper nymphs like this before, but this might be the first time I’ve been able to get good shots showing the nymph itself .

Dorsolateral view

Dorsal view

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Aranha Caranguejeira – Tarantula

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

15mm body | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I found this little tarantula (family Theraphosidae) under a rock. It could be full-grown, but I suspect it’s young and far from its adult size. It blends in quite well with the rocky ground.

Lateral view

Another angle

Despite its small size, it’s definitely got attitude. After some prodding, it demonstrated a classic threat display.

Don't mess with me

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Parasitised Caterpillar

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

13mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The more I observe nature, the more I realize that parasites rule.  So far this trip, I’ve accumulated dozens of photos to prove my point, including the one above.

Believe it or not, this caterpillar was still alive. The parasites, wasps presumably, are long gone.

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Marimbondo-chap̩u РHat Wasp

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The local common name for these social wasps is marimbondo-chapéu in Portuguese or hat wasp in English. The name refers to the form of the nest, seen above.

Seen from below, I’d say it looks more like a sunflower. They are really packed in there. I’d estimate there are probably a couple of hundred of them.

Sunflower?

Here’s another crop that I like of that same image.

A different crop

You’ve probably noticed by now these images were taken during the day. So what are all of them doing hanging out on the nest? Taking a siesta? I wondered the same thing. I spent around 45 minutes taking pictures and attempting to gauge just how closely I could approach without alarming them. During that whole time, not a single one flew off or arrived. read more

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Harvestman

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

7mm body | July 2, 2011 | Monte Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Here’s another crazy looking harvestman for my collection. This was a small one, found under a log. I didn’t want to risk it getting away, so I grabbed it and took those pictures at home on a piece of bark.

Aside from the horns towards the rear of the abdomen, there’s a couple that rise up between the eyes.

Lateral view

There’s also a nice collection of spurs on the hind legs. Here’s a closer look at one of those legs.

Hind leg detail

Here’s a closer look at the eyes. What I assume is a mite is sitting in front of the eyes, with a scattering of what must be eggs close by. If you look closely, you can find other mites in these photos. read more

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Beetle with Red and Black Elytra

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

25mm body | July 2, 2011 | Monte Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I spotted two of these beetles, both on tree bark at the base of trees. I don’t have any of my references with me, so I can only speculate about the family. Tenebrionidae, perhaps?

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Huntsman Spider

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

13mm body | July 2, 2011 | Monte Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I’m pretty sure this is a huntsman spider in the family Sparassidae.

Frontal view

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