Bug Close-ups

[Pepperhead]

I'm loving the pics y'all send in here, so I thought I would add some of my favs here. I have a blast with this macro lens attachment for my cellphone, and plan to buy a more powerful one soon.

Here is an ant caught in the act of tending to these aphids for some sugary aphid droppings. All were promptly evicted.

A few random spiders. The little guy is about 1mm long.

I'm about to try to ID this guy, but for now I call him Aphid Hunter, as I caught him dragging one away, then found a clean shot today.

Last ones are what I believe to be ladybug larvae, aphids, a dragonfly that was kind enough to let me get within an inch of it's face, and some strange bugs I found last year under a Goji berry leaf.

If you like this stuff, there is a fantastic documentary called Life in the Undergrowth with David Attenborough that is all about this.

 

[Chuck]

great pics

 

[Pepperhead]

Thanks. I pulled a few from two years ago that I relay enjoy. Apparently my old phone had a much better camera.

The mosquito on that hornworm made my day.

 

[Marck]

This is a wonderful photo-collection of arthropods, etc., photographed mostly on different crops in the Nightshade family (Solanaceae).
I made a start on identifying some of the insects, but more work is needed.

First post
First pic: Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta, Formicidae, Hymenoptera) on Pepper blossom (Capsicum annuum)
Second pic: Spider (Araneae, Arachnida)
Third pic: Jumping Spider (Salticidae, Araneae, Arachnida)
Fourth & Fifth pics: Spined Assassin Bug nymph (Sinea sp., Reduviidae, Hemiptera)
Sixth pic: Lady Beetle pupa (Coccinellidae, Coleoptera), possibly the Asian Lady beetle (Harmonia axyidis)
Seventh pic: Coleoptera or Hemiptera? on Pepper blossom (Capsicum annuum); not Aphids
Eight pic: Robber Fly (Asilidae, Diptera); not a Dragonfly
Ninth pic: Two different kinds of larvae? on Goji Berry (Lycium sp.)

Third Post
First pic: Hornworm/Sphinx moth larvae (Manduca sp.) on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum),
probably the Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata), though the diagnostic white chevron stripes are very reduced.
Second pic: ?
Third pic: Fly (Diptera)
Fourth pic: Orange slime-mold (Trichia sp.), Pepper blossom (Capsicum annuum) in foreground.