I don’t know how many different species of insects and spiders inhabit the tiny bit of nature that we cultivate in our garden but they are a constant source of amazement to me. I sometimes wonder, when I watch them go about their lives, if they register that our garden seems different to the expansive bush not far away. Do they even notice or do they see the red bricks of our house the same as sandstone rocks out in the scrub. I feel frustrated when they flee from my lens, don’t they understand that I mean them no harm, indeed I just want to photographically capture their stunning life form to display to anybody who will look. But I console myself that they can’t understand that a hulking shape getting nearer is no threat to them because even a herbivorous animal can still accidentally tread on a fragile, tiny creature ending its life right there. Occasionally, I am lucky because these tiny animals go about their business oblivious to the whir of my camera drive snapping their private moments. That was the case with the two Greenish Grass-darts that top this post. I was able to lie headfirst in one of our lavender plants, using a reflector to light the engrossed insects while I snapped away happily. They were not the only beautiful creatures that I came across earlier this year. With the aid of my macro lens I have been fortunate enough to peer closely at the co-inhabitants of the area that we live on, seeing the stunning detail that they have evolved to live their lives. That is one of the reasons that I love macrophotography, a true portal to a different world. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
I have wanted to photograph mating butterflies for a long time but I have never been able to find a pair until one morning when I should have been gardening. At the time I was in our front yard doing some weeding, and as normal now, with a camera nearby. I noticed several Greenish Grass-darts (Ocybadistes walkeri) flitting across the subdued purple of the early autumn lavender. I also noticed a pair that were in the act of mating. Luckily they landed on a lavender stem that had a bit of clearance around it so I was able to get in between the multiple lavender bushes that mark our front garden. I ended up lying down in the dirt, my head inside a lavender bush while I quietly tried to get an angle without disturbing the amorous couple. The sun was rising behind them but I did not want to use flash so I carefully unfolded a reflector to illuminate their natural golden yellow with the lovely rays of the morning sun.
This is a small but rapid moving skipper that travels normally low to the ground. Their larval stage tends to feed on grasses, which is where the female adult will lay the eggs to give the caterpillar the best chance in life. The caterpillar will roll the sides of the grass over the length of its body during the day as protection before it emerges to eat at night.
I was thrilled with finally getting a chance to record this part of the butterfly life cycle and I was equally thrilled with the way that the natural light showed their colours off so well.
A different angle on the mating Greenish Grass-darts
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 300, 100mm, f/14 and 1/200 SEC])
Again, while gardening, I was somewhat distracted by an insect, a female False Garden Mantis (Pseudomantis albofimbriata) . I found her on the back fence where I was trying to remove some ivy. I am not exactly sure where she came from because I only became aware of her when I noticed a bit of green foliage that appeared to be climbing methodically up my arm. I grabbed my camera to move around to the front of the house where I could place this very cool insect on a more natural setting for photography. I started with a pot plant before taking her to a small shrub. While photographing her, I noticed that she looked to have a wound on her that she would tend to occasionally. Her movements were slow, but measured as she slowly explored the plants I placed her on. With her false pupils it made it look like she was as intent in her observation of me as I was with her.
I believed that she was a female because females don’t have wings to speak of, as can be seen in the photograph of her whole body. The male is smaller than the female but has wings and may not have to be fearful of being eaten when mating with the much larger female.
False Garden Mantis
(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)
Appears to be looking at me while she tends to an injury
(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)
There always seem to be Wingless Grasshoppers (Phaulacridium vittatum) in our garden. Their large eyes always regard me suspiciously, especially before they jump to a plant where they are harder to photograph. However, their heads and bodies seem to be encased in knightly armour with a fantasy colour pattern to help conceal them. The agricultural industry considers them a pest because in numbers they will wreak havoc on crops and even trees. They never get to large numbers in our garden, which is there to attract animals anyway, so I am always happy to see these insects grazing through our plants.
Wingless Grasshopper
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
Head detail of a Wingless Grasshopper
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
At the other end of the insect spectrum the agricultural industry is more favourably disposed to the Red and Blue Pollen Beetle (Dicranolaius bellulus) because it eats those plant-munching insects like aphids that cause issues for farmers. These brightly coloured minuscule carnivores prowl for even smaller insects, clearing those tiny herbivores from precious plants. This little creature is an ally in the garden to help maintain balance between sprouting plants and vegetation loving creatures. The larvae live in soil until they emerge in spring when these beautifully coloured animals commence the quest to eat and mate.
Red and Blue Pollen Beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 800, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
I was very surprised when I was able to see this small moth (Nyctereutica sp. (genus)), that initially I thought was a wood chip. I had to take a photograph of it so that I could zoom in digitally on the image to see what the object actually was. There was a little bit of wind that day that was blowing the moth’s wing up in a strange way. I suppose being small, even a light breeze impacts it more.
Small moth (Nyctereutica sp. (genus))
(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 Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
While the moth above seemed shy and retiring this Boisduval's Autumn Moth (Oenosandra boisduvalii) reminded me of an old style glam rocker in a shiny cape fringed with fur that somehow melded into the rich locks of the star’s flamboyant hair. This moth almost called out for attention with its beautiful colours and furry appearance. Those hairs or setae help the moth sense its environment, so they are a part of the sensory system. This particular moth was a male, given its sparkling silver wings wth flecks of yellow and black. It was quietly resting on the orange bricks around our house, that did not seem to provide the best way to camouflage its presence.
Boisduval's Autumn Moth looking like some glam rocker from the 1970s
(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)
Again, another moth that seemed to have found itself in a bad choice for its camouflage was this Cream Wave (Scopula perlata). This is a geometrid moth, meaning its caterpillar is the classic ‘inch worm’ that seems to be measuring the world as it pulls one part of its body up to meet the other part. The caterpillar pupates in the leaf litter before emerging as an adult, such as seen in the photograph below.
Cream Wave
(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)
One of my favourite insects from this period was this Bark Cockroach that was resting on our wooden side fence. The insect may have been sick or having other issues because it was initially not moving too well but it eventually picked up speed a little later. The reflection showing the texture of the armour as well as the long eye really gave this insect an alien appearance. I suspected that this was an instar or juvenile because it has not got that trilobite shape of an adult.
Bark Cockroach moving along our wooden fence
(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)
A European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) was on our gate post one night, looking ferocious trying to scare me away with a display of its rear pincers. This shot marked a slight change for me because I stopped using the Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite in favour of the Canon 430EX III-RT flash with a fabric defuser. I wanted this setup because I figured that as I did more hiking and kayaking, I would rather carry a single flash, withe the Canon being more flexible in that I could use it for macro as well as long distance shooting. I had also grown tired of the Yongnuo. After just over a year the main control unit would sometimes slip backwards on the hot shoe if I was pointing the camera up thus stopping the flash functioning. After about 18 months the flash stopped providing consistent results and the battery cover would not close properly. In summary, I found it a pain to use. From the start, using the speed light and cloth defuser, I was impressed with the shots and this setup has now become my go to macro lighting solution.
European Earwig on our gate post
(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)
Later I used my new set-up to photograph this Soldier Fly. These are good flies to have around because their larvae help with decomposing fallen plant matter. I was really happy with this shot because of the hint of green shown on the abdomen of this insect. I think this photograph helps show one of the things that I like about macrophotography, how it adds so much detail to the small creatures that exist around us, yet we barely notice as anything more than the dominant colour.
Soldier Fly
(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)
Again, staying true to a theme in this post, I noticed this Tasmanicosa Wolf Spider (Tasmanicosa godeffroyi) with an egg sac one Sunday morning while I was gardening. She was carrying her egg sac beneath her abdomen, a white ball of silk containing hundreds of growing spiders that she would protect until they were a few days out of the sac. She could still move quickly over the ground with her precious package, making it a challenge to photograph her. Whenever I garden I know that I will come across these spiders, which I always guide back into the leaf litter. I have seen them since I was a kid living in my parent’s place in Sydney, so in a strange way, there is something comforting knowing that these arachnids are still prowling around me, connecting me back to a far younger age.
Tasmanicosa Wolf Spider with her egg sac
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC])
One day, I also came across a different species of wolf spider wedging itself under the eaves of our house. In this case, a Grey Wolf Spider (Portacosa cinerea) was high up on the brick wall where I tend to find interesting subjects to photograph. I photographed this spider during the day, where it was probably hoping to go unnoticed. Even though I also took some shots from the front with a flash, this eight-legged creature stayed still. Its ‘fur’ caught my attention. The fur were of course setae but they gave this animal a distinctive sheen. Interestingly, although this spider was high up on the brick wall, it actually lives in a burrow with a lid, much like a trapdoor spider.
Grey Wolf Spider
(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)
I think that this Beautiful Badge Huntsman (Neosparrasus calligaster) was so aptly named with its spots and colours. The first spider below, the one on the brick work, was actually found by my wife, who definitely does not like spiders. She found this spider in a most unfortunate way, when she went to put up an umbrella that she had left at our front door. Fortunately for both parties, the spider had crawled into one of the folds that opened outwards, rather than lodging itself on the inside of the umbrella. While I would have found the inside funnier, thinking of my wife looking up to this spider gazing back down at her, I am glad that it was on the outside of the umbrella. I found out about the spider when I arrived home and my wife asked if I wanted to photograph a ‘huge’ spider. Because I have not included a ruler in the photographs below I will add that this spider was probably more moderately sized than truly huge, but I did appreciate that my wife told me about it. The spider had moved from the umbrella, which had probably turned out to be less secure than the spider wanted, but had lodged itself behind a small fake plant the we had at the front door. Carefully moving the plant away I was able to shoot a nice front-on picture, highlighting the spots down the underside of the legs as well as the reddish setae around the fangs. I also took a top down shot before I returned the plant to its original place to provide some concealment for this awesome looking spider.
The bottom two photographs were of at least a pair of this species, although there could have been a third, that I disturbed one afternoon. I was cleaning my mountain bike when I placed the dripping hose into a large native orchard so as not to waste the water before I needed the hose again. A few moments later, when I went to reach for the hose, I was surprised and happy to see these spiders crawling up the plant’s fronds. I quickly shut off the water while also grabbing my camera with the attached flash. One of the spiders only had two leg on its left side, possibly a vicim of a lizard. The injured spider took up a position spanning two fronds, which allowed me to shoot its underside, partially showing why they are called badge huntsman due to the triangle of colour on the underside of their abdomen.
Front view of a Beautiful Badge Huntsman
(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)
Top view of a Beautiful Badge Huntsman
(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)
Beautiful Badge Huntsman with water droplets from the hose and missing two legs on its left-side
(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 Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Underside of a Beautiful Badge Huntsman
(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 Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
The little creatures, like I have shown above, make any trip to the garden an exciting proposition because I am not sure what I will find. Spending time gardening is not just about weeding or tidying up, it is about observing the ground and surrounding plants intently because I never know what I will find. It could be a tiny pollen beetle trying to span the massive gap between two leaves or a Beautiful Badge Huntsman trying to rest during the day before it commences a night of prowling. I always feel really fortunate when I see these little animals conducting their business around me.
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.