Sometimes home is a great place to take photographs because there is a wild jungle in the garden with all sorts of wonderful creatures contained within. Over the summer of late 2020 I found myself always taking a camera with me when I was out gardening or doing other things in the yard. I always wanted to be ready to take those fleeting shots of the amazing tiny animals that keep us company but we barely notice. Sometimes, an overturned clump of mud would come alive with life or a pruned branch would reveal an insect upon it. This led to a lot of random photographs that did not really fit in other posts so I knew that I would have to do a compilation to include them all. Over time I became fascinated with those small creatures and I find macrophotography allowed me to see them in far more detail than my eyes did. Sometimes they were not so small, like the truly amazing looking Twig-like Katydid at the top of this post. In the small ones, sometimes the shots revealed colours that we were not able to see, I became amazed at the colours in some flies. I know that insects and spiders are not everybody’s favourite subject but I find them fascinating and I hope that you like the photographs below.
I am not sure that a Threatening Jumping spider (Helpis mintabunda) is threatening but if I was a small creature I may feel different. This male was prowling along on the shady side of a brick wall, although it later went along the top, in the sun. The female looks completely different, with stumpier limbs and a different colour. Ludwig Koch named it in 1880 and gave it the Latin name meaning threatening, possibly because of its habit of looking back at observers, even appearing to rear up at them.
Jumping spider (Helps mintabunda) on a brick wall
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1250, 100mm, f/7.1 and 1/180 SEC])
Anderson’s House Jumper (Hasarius adansoni) is a very common jumper, found around the world and in most parts of Australia, except for the very cold or very dry parts. This tiny spider, less than a cm in length, was crawling along the door frame to our side door. It had no difficulty crawling under the door when it decided that it no longer wanted to be disturbed by me.
Anderson’s House Jumper crawling at the bottom of a door frame
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/5.6 and 1/125 SEC])
Jumping spider (Hypoblemum griseum), is also a very common spider. This male, which was less than a centimetre in length, was prowling around on the outside of our door frame. I thought that it would be in the light more but is was normally under mottled shadow.
Jumping spider (Hypoblemum griseum) on a window fly screen frame
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC])
This female Jumping spider (Hypoblemum griseum) was on a wall in the garden during the day.
Jumping spider (Hypoblemum griseum) female on a wall
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
This little spider, which I have seen called the Severe Jumping Spider or Wandering Jumping Spider (Cytaea severa possibly now Cytaea alburna) has a varied taxonomic record. I recorded these spiders on different trees and almost missed both because they were so small and so well camouflaged.
Severe Jumping Spider nicely camouflaged on a branch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Different Severe Jumping Spider
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This tiny little spider was a Bat-like Peacock Spider (Maratus vespertilio), one of the spiders that has beautiful flaps on the top of its abdomen that it uses to court a female. It has to be good with its moves because otherwise the female will catch and eat it. Indeed, she may eat him anyway. This sequence is shown in the captivating documentary ‘Magical Land of Oz’. This one was crawling on our drain pipe before disappearing into the external air conditioning unit.
Bat-like Peacock Spider on a drain pipe
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1250, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
The Black House Spider (Badumna insignis) is a very common species of spider around Canberra and I have posted photographs of three different individuals below. In the first shot it appeared that the spider had just finished moulting from its previous exoskeleton, which can be seen hanging beside it. Spiders will moult a number of times during their lives because that is how they physically grow. After they lose the exoskeleton their new skin is not hardened so they are very vulnerable for a while.
The next shot shows the same species on a box in my shed. Note that it only has three legs on each side.
The final shot is of a Black House Spider in its funnel-shaped web with some prey. These spiders have messy webs that tend to become very apparent around, and inside, homes.
Black House Spider after moulting
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Black House Spider, with only three legs per side, in the shed
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Black House Spider
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Lattice-web Spider is the name for the genus Badumna that includes the Black House Spider. These two spiders below were separate individuals that had made their webs on leaves but did not appear to be Black House Spiders.
Lattice-web Spider consuming a small insect
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Lattice-web Spider
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This weird looking object is actually two egg sacs of a Bird-dropping Spider (Celaenia calotoides) with the spider itself tucked up at the bottom. I had seen these spiked egg sacks hanging in a line behind a messy web and I was not sure what they were. It did not take long with searching online to find out what they were. It was only then that I realised that this very cool spider was hidden in plain sight at the bottom of the egg sacs.
These are amazing spiders, that while listed as orb weavers, actually mimic the scent of a female moth to lure infatuated male moths to their demise as food for the spider.
Bird dropping spider, abdomen pointing to the bottom left and legs resting against its head sloping up to the right, and its characteristic spiky egg-sacs
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite, nine shot focus stack)
The Wrap-around Spider (Dolophones conifera) takes camouflage to the next level the way that it wraps itself around a twig to make itself appear to be just part of that bit of wood. I must have bumped something and this spider fell on me. When I noticed what it was I grabbed the camera to setup the shots below. After taking some photographs I released it back into the garden neat to where it had fallen on me.
Wrap-around Spider on the end of a twig
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Same spider, this time on a pot
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This Longicorn Beetle (Tropis paradoxa) appeared on our side-door window. It was doing a good job of climbing the glass. I had to photograph it when I saw those magnificent antenna. There is not much information on this species since Francis P. Pascoe described it in On new genera and species of longicorn Coleoptera. Part IV. in the ‘Transactions of the Entomological Society of London’ in 1859.
Longicorn Beetle on a door window
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/5.6 and 1/125 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
There were at least three Pintails or Tumbling Flower Beetles (Mordella dumbrelli) on this dead tree and they were moving fast. Two of them came together, with one putting its head down like an angry bull and possibly pushing the other off the bark. I was really surprised at their continuous pace, they barely stopped as they roamed around the bark, making it hard to get a photograph, although they were at least moving around the tree at eye level. I was not sure what they were looking for because there were no flowers on this tree. This insect has two common names; pintail, which comes from the extended final abdomen section and Tumbling Flower Beetle, which comes from their behaviour of falling or tumbling away from a threat. So, may be I was wrong, the pintail that fell might have jumped, not pushed by the other aggressive one.
Pintail
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
Two Pintails confronting each other
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 250, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC])
This Comb-clawed Beetle (Alleculinae sp. (subfamily)) was at the tip of a leaf on our small cherry tree. It was crawling around the tip, not making any effort to either fly or retreat back down the the leaf.
This family of beetles get their name from the fine teeth, like a comb on the final segment of their rear legs, their tarsi.
Comb-clawed Beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
This little Eucalyptus Leaf Beetle (Paropsisterna m-fusca), less than a centimetre long, was a bit of a traveller. I noticed it on my car window one early morning when I was on the southern side of Lake Burley Griffin. My car was not directly under a tree or bush so I was not sure where it had come from. I carefully put the beetle in a plastic bag because I wanted to photograph its lovely colours and identify it. It was only later that I learnt what it was. I was just amazed by the vibrant colouration of this little beetle. This beetle will eat the edges of eucalyptus leaves and its larvae can eat the whole leaf, preferring new growth. In the USA these beetles are considered a pest and large infestations can threaten trees.
Eucalyptus Leaf Beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/13 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
A Dusky Pasture Scarab (Sericesthis nigrolineata), fell into our bird bath at some stage where I fished it out. I took some photographs of it walking on our wooden back deck. It was comfortable climbing over the wood and even climbed through an abandoned spider web between two wooden boards, which surprised me, because I would have thought that the beetle would have disliked the sticky nature of the web. I ended up having to pull it out of the web. I released the beetle into the garden once I had some photographs. I could not find much about this scarab, only that it is a pest in Western Australia, so I assume that it is more an eastern beetle than found across the continent. The species was described by Jean Baptise Boisduval in 1835, although it appears to have been recorded before then.
Dusky Pasture Scarab on a wooden deck
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
A Nectar Scarab (Phyllotocus kingii) was crawling over one of the Dogwood flowers, looking for pollen probably. These beetles look similar to Lycid beetles, possibly seeking to use the bad taste of those beetles as a way to ward off predators.
Nectar Scarab on a Dogwood flower
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This Long-nosed Lycid Beetle (Porrostoma rhipidius) was also enjoying the pollen on the Dogwood, with some pollen clinging to its antenna. The colour similarity between the original Lycid beetle and its mimic above is pretty obvious.
Long-nosed Lycid Beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Unfortunately I found this antlion dead when I was coiling up the garden hose. I suspect that the hose nozzle dragged it from the garden when I was pulling it along. It may have had a gritty sack associated with it, because something like that was nearby. This one looks like the type of antlion that waits buried at the bottom of a pit with its imposing set of jaws for a small insect to fall in. They will later metamorphosis into a lacewing.
Dead antlion I found when I was reeling in the garden hose
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
One of our front trees had a Green Lacewing (Family Chrysopidae) larvae crawling over it. The larvae seemed to have a preference for the underside of the leaves. These are related to the antlions above but rather than waiting for food to come to them they actively seek it out. It was great seeing this creature in the garden because they are natural pest controllers, having a particular taste for aphids. There are at least 18 species in this family.
Green Lacewing larvae with its camouflage
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
I was so happy when I found this Blue Eyes Lacewing (Nymphes myrmeleonides) in our backyard, what a stunning looking insect, with those amazing blue eyes contrasting against the vibrant yellow of its body. Despite the darkness in the shot, this was taken during the day and this lacewing was on the back of a leaf from our young cherry tree. There was a bit of breeze now and again, making the leaf move but that did not disturb this lacewing. I saw this one or a different individual a few days later on the leaf of our Rose of Sharon hibiscus, about five metres from this location.
Blue Eyes Lacewing under a Cherry Blossom Leaf
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
From the front
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
A caterpillar from the Geometrid family of moths attached itself to our back gate. It has its clasper at the end giving it a firm hold while its head is pointing down but with a silken thread holding it securely to the cross beam. It also has one pair of legs helping to support it at the rear, while its other legs are folded against itself closer to its head. These caterpillars are also called ‘inch worms’ or loopers, because they move by forming a loop by bringing their hind part up to their front part, supposedly measuring an inch as they go. Given the variety of sizes I suspect that the inch measurement may be indicative not actual. They are also called twig caterpillars because they can look like a twig, as exemplified here. This type of caterpillar may also metamorphose into a wave type of moth, as seen further below.
Geometrid caterpillar on a garden gate
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/100 SEC] three shot focus stacked)
A Long-nosed Epidesmia (Epidesmia hypenaria) flew past me while I was gardening. Fortunately, it then stayed on the plant at the bottom of a hedge so I could take some photographs. The ‘long nose’ is actually two elongated labial palps that this species probably uses for determining food.
Long-nosed Epidesmia
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Below is the adult stage of a Green Looper (Chrysodeixis eriosoma), the caterpillar being green. This adult was resting on our small greenhouse. The moth does not always have the scales behind its head raised but has done so in this case. Unsure if this is to conceal its head or to seem to be something that is it isn’t.
Green Looper Moth
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/13 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This Common Bark Moth (Ectropis excursaria) seemed to have chosen the wrong location to land, although it does somewhat match the color of the cement. The source that I have linked noted that these moths often land on areas where their camouflage doesn’t seem to work. I would love to know if the moths don’t have the sensory ability to align themselves to the best colouration or may be we have misunderstood what their pattern is for.
Common Bark Moth on a brick wall
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
The Fine-waved Bark Moth (Psilosticha absorpta) appeared to have chosen a more conducive camouflage location to the common bark moth. This was on the side of our garden shed. Although the antenna on this individual are very thin, both sexes have similar antenna so I couldn’t use that obvious trick to tell the sex.
Fine-waved Bark Moth
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite nine shot focus stacked)
Head on shot
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/10 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite two shot focus stacked)
This Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) was enjoying the sun on the lavender in our front garden. Unfortunately, I could not get a picture of the butterfly with its wings open.
Australian Painted Lady on lavender
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/10 and 1/125 SEC])
The lavender also attracts a number of Cabbage Whites (Pieris rapae) as well.
Cabbage White on lavender
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 160, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
I am not sure what these objects are but I assume they are insect-related. These were both on a dead tree in our front yard, and both were attached about eye-level facing north, towards the sun. The first three photographs show the same object photographed on 29 November, 13 December and 20 December 2020, while the last two photographs were taken on 29 November and 20 December, of a different but similar object. The tree had a number of little holes in it, that can be seen in photos 4 and 5 but I am not sure if they were associated with these objects because there are more holes than just these two objects. I only saw the first object with the silk[?] covering, not the second object. I saw pintails on the tree at the same time that these objects were on the tree and, later, I saw a brownish wasp looking at the holes. [Please note that I have posted these to Canberra Nature Map and one suggestion is that these are actually a fungus.]
While we should not have favourites, if I was going to have a favourite, this insect would be a contender. This is a Twig-like Katydid (Zaprochilus australis), yes, a katydid. My son, who often spots my best finds, saw this katydid from inside the house and asked me what it was. To which I replied that I had no idea. As soon as I said that, I was heading out the door with my camera. The first photograph shows how the insect initially was. Unfortunately, it was up towards the top of the fly screen door and in trying to get a better angle, I bumped the fly screen, disturbing the katydid, making it rise into a travelling position. I then spent a bit of time photographing this amazing looking insect from different angles. These insects hide at day on a branch, mimicking a twig jutting out. At night they go in search of flowers to get pollen from, favouring grass trees but will go to any trees. They are active from late-winter through to early-summer, but normally they are insects of the upper canopy where they can hide but eat well.
How the Twig-like Katydid first appeared, looking just like a twig - if it had been on a tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
How it looked once I accidentally bumped the fly screen while photographing it
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
I am not completely confident in this identification but I think it is a Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper (Goniaea opomaloides). I had put the BBQ away and was putting on the cover when I noticed this little one had decided that the scrunched up cover was a good place to hide. Once I had the cover on I gadded my camera to photograph it. It crawled a bit hight up the cover towards me. I eventually thought that I had enough pictures so I left it to figure out what it would do.
Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
From front on
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite, with two shot focus stack)
Because these photographs were take in November and December there were a lot of Redeye Cicadas (Psaltoda moerens) about, although perhaps not as many as last year. I was finding them in all sorts of interesting places. I found this one immediately below on our Oyster Plant, that had mysteriously started growing in our yard. I suspect that the unusual growth of small shrubs and bushes due to the unexpected Spring rains meant that the cicadas did not only have to climb tree trunks and fences to emerge from their larval stage, any plant that could support them was used to climb up. That said, I did like this cicada on the Oyster Plant, I think the mix of colours worked.
The third photograph shows an adult emerging from the its underground form. I am not sure how successful this one was at emerging because it was still in same position when I went to the backyard to hang washing, which was when the sun was truly up. It was also in the same position when I went out about 30 minutes later.
The final shot is of a stone lantern that we have in the front yard that had been used by emerging cicadas to change out of their subterranean form. I used a slow shutter speed because I wanted the grass to be wispy in the wind. I was trying to contrast the steadiness of the stone with the movement of the grass.
Redeye Cicada resting on an oyster plant in the morning after shedding its nymph skin
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
A different angle on another cicada
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 500, 100mm, f/13 and 1/100 SEC])
Redeye Cicada emerging from its nymph shell
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/11 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Cicada shells on a stone lantern among the plants being blown by the wind
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF40mm f2.8 STM [ISO 100, 40mm, f/14 and 1/8 SEC])
Redeye Cicadas are the most common species of cicada that I saw in the garden, although I did also see smaller cicada shells. One day, I was finally lucky enough to see the living cicadas that emerged from those shells, Clicking Ambertails (Yoyetta robertsonae). When I came home from a morning ride, there were still two ambertails on the shed wall. I quickly dashed inside to get a camera but by the time that I returned one had already left, or been eaten by a bird, while the other was crawling up the shed’s wooden side. The cicada’s right wing seemed to stick out an angle, different to how the left wing was. The cicada did not fly off while I was watching, it just climbed higher until it was on top of a bit of overhanging material and out of my sight.
Clicking Ambertail on the shed side
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
An infestation of Crusader Bugs (Mictis profana) appeared on an Australian native vine over this time. There were adults as well as juveniles. They were all reasonably high up on the vine. The bugs use their sucking mouth parts to directly target plants and can emit a strong smell to ward off predators. They are easily identifiable because of the cross on their back like a Medieval crusader.
Crusader Bug early instar
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Crusader Bug later-stage instar
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Sinister looking adult Crusader Bug, note the cross on its back
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
From the front
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I was super excited when I realised that this small insect buzzing around a flower was a native Halictid Bee. It was very small, less than a centimetre and landing on some small flowers that the larger European Honey Bee was not really targeting because they were still on the lavender bushes.
Halictid Bee on a small native daisy
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
For a while, there was not a day that I did not see a Slender Ringtail (Austrolestes analis) somewhere around the yard, especially in the afternoon. In fact, one day I had about five of them all on the willow tree, hanging from the ends of the branches. The willow tree was dead but the damselflies did not care. Mature males, as seen in the third photograph, are normally a blue, although the strength of the colour may vary.
Slender Ringtail I saw while cutting a dead tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
Slender Ringtail
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Probably a mature male Slender Ringtail
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Yet another Slender Ringtail, this time on a leaf, taken from below against an overcast sky
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/14 and 1/250 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
A Boatman Fly (Pogonortalis doclea) was on a brick and was not too timid. It even stayed still while I used my flash. Their name may come from the way that they seem to paddle their wings when the they walk.
Boatman Fly
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/13 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I am not sure what these next two flies were, I was just amazed at their colours and started playing around with editing to bring their colours out more.
Not sure of the species, just enjoyed playing around processing the image
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Different fly but just playing around with the processing for dramatic effect
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
This is a Pacific Reef Native Daisy (Brachyscome formosa hybrid 'Ramboreef') that I planted in my garden and I hope will attract insects as the plant develops more flowers. Then I can do more macrophotography!
Pacific Reef Native Daisy taken with natural light using a reflector
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/60 SEC] with focus stacking)
I really enjoy macrophotography and I always find subjects in my garden. Summer was a fantastic time to get out with the camera looking around for the wonderful life that exists in the ‘garden jungle’. I had a great time photographing and I was so excited by all the life that I found. I am not a great gardener but I am trying to make our garden an attractive place for insects because I know that will encourage other animals as well, hopefully making a useful urban ecosystem for some of our wonderful native fauna.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.