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Blog Archives
Mystery Larvae
July 3, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
These mysterious larvae were found underneath a piece of wood. At first I didn’t notice them as my eyes fixed on other more obvious things. Then I spotted one or two and thought perhaps they were some sort of plant tubers as they didn’t move at all. Even after picking up a few and examining them I still wasn’t convinced it was animal and not vegetable. In the hand, they felt stout and unyielding. After some test shots so I could zoom in for a closer look I still wasn’t sure. In the end I gathered some together for the shot above.
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Only Termites Shall Pass
July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
A phalanx of termite soldiers forms a first line of defense in front of foraging workers (not shown). I accidentally breathed on them shortly after this shot and they all quickly retreated.
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Coreid Flashback
15mm body | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I’ve seen this coreid here before.
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Chrysalis Surprise
10mm | July 4, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I collected this little chrysalis while I was in the field the day before I took this photo. I didn’t think I’d be able to get a good photo at the time, and I was curious to see what might emerge. Strangely, looking at this with my own eye, it appears opaque with a silvery and gold surface. With the camera and flash, it appears as above, somewhat transparent and showing what looks like a wing inside. I figured it would only be a short time to see the butterfly that might emerge. Well, I was half right.
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Burrowing Bug Nymph
8mm body | July 3, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This immature burrowing bug in the family Cydnidae was under a log. I gently held it to get a better view of those fossorial legs and its beak (rostrum).
Underside
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Velvet Ant
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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Bee Mimicking Assassin Bug
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
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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Parasitised Caterpillar
13mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
The more I observe nature, the more I realize that parasites rule. Â 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
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.
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