Sometimes it is nice to pause and look at the little creatures that inhabit the same space as us in our garden. Initially, they can be hard to see but when we slow down and take a second look at the greenery do we notice the little creature. One evening, I walked out the back door of the house in Narooma to look for those little animals and was barely noticing the steps ahead of me. There were some leaves on them, as there often were, but one brownish leaf looked different that night. I had another look and there was a small Peron’s Tree Frog, probably a juvenile, on the edge of a step. I had taken only a few paces from the back door and already nature was there. The frog was not that fussed by me and even let me take a very close front on portrait. That made my night. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
A little Yellow and Black Leafhopper (Ishidaella albomarginata) was stationary on a leaf. The insect was so small that I thought it was blemish on the leaf at first. I may have the species identification incorrect but it was such a beautiful looking insect I had to post the image. It stayed still the whole time that I was photographing it. Later in the day I went back to see if it was still there and I was surprised to find that it was mating with another of its kind. Apparently, some species of leafhoppers attract a mate by sending reverberations through the plate to any members of the opposite sex that may be on the same plant. These insects are also able to jump very well, often many times their own body length and with a rapid acceleration that leaves the observer confused as to where they went. They feed by sucking the sap from the plant, which they may be doing in the second photograph because they appear to have their mouth tube down.
Yellow and Black Leafhopper
(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 a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Yellow and Black Leafhoppers mating
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
There was a wasp on the same plant, and the wasp was equally small. I was not able to identify the species but it is one of the Australia’s native ones. The insect was very small and I was really glad that I had the Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens to bring out the detail. The white hairs contrasting with the black body gave this wasp a very chic look.
Wasp
(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 a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) are feral animals but they are accepted because of the role they have in agriculture. Both a direct role in producing commercial honey as well as pollinating commercial crops. This one was gathering pollen from a Mexican Fleabane, which is a pest plant.
Honey Bee on a Mexican fleabane
(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 a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
This small weevil was doing its best to stay where the leaf was attached to a stalk so I was not able to get a clean shot of it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the species of weevil it was
Weevil
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
There were a number of these Pittosporum beetles (Lamprolina (genus) crawling on the plant. Their polished wing coverings truly glinted when the sun caught them. I found this pair mating on a leaf. They will probably lay their eggs on this plant. These beetles are plant eaters and both the adult and larvae eat plants. The photo below is probably a Pittosporum beetle larvae. It will probably pupate in the soil beneath the plant for a few months before emerging as an adult to start the breeding cycle again.
Pittosporum Beetles mating
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Probably a Pittosporum Beetle larvae
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/16 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
One evening, I was heading out to the back yard for macrophotography and there on wooden steps up to the garden was what I thought was a strange leaf on the edge of the step. A second look showed that it was a small Peron’s Tree Frog (Litoria peronii), possibly still young. These are common frogs that can appear in a variety of colours. This one has the characteristic cross shaped eye and also the yellow in the armpits. They have adapted to human habitation, frequently hunting around lit areas of houses where insects gather because of the light. When it finally had enough of my attention, it neatly jumped onto a small branch of peach tree beside the steps. I was amazed at the dexterity of this frog to land on the small branch and balance itself before again jumping to another small branch.
Peron’s Tree Frog on our back garden step
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 640, 100mm, f/16 and 1/100 SEC] with a Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
Cabbage White Butterflies (Pieris rapae) are common visitors to gardens but they are a feral animal that accidentally arrived in Australia in the late 1920s and have spread widely. Their caterpillars feed on many types of vegetables commonly grown in gardens beyond just cabbages, which probably explains why they have done so well in Australia with the country’s plentiful veggie patches. This butterfly was on another introduced life from, a Creeping Groundsel (Senecio angulatus).
Cabbage White Butterfly on Creeping Groundsel
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Another introduced animal that has done well in Australia, and elsewhere, is the American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana). Despite the name, these cockroaches actually originated from Africa and arrived unintentionally in America aboard ships in the 1600s. This highlights the reason they are a pest, because they are so resilient and able to adapt to so many environments. Although they have wings, they prefer to run from danger, which they can do at great speeds.
American Cockroach
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/20 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
I came across this female Stiphidion spider perched on the lower part of the shed door. It was probably not more than 4 cm across. However, this spider showed one of the great joys of macrophotography, the ability to see small animals in greater detail. The spider has a blue edge to its thorax, something that I could not see with the naked eye, however, it stood out in the photograph. I haven’t seen it in other spiders and I have no idea why the spider breaks its camouflage with the stunning blue. It may be a signal for a mate or a sign to other spiders of this species. Either way, it was a small question about the natural world that I only noticed thanks to spending time doing macrophotography.
Female Stiphidion spider on a shed door
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/22 and 1/180 SEC] with a Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Lens and Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
I enjoyed the macrophotography, being able to bring the details of tiny creatures to a larger scale. The world of insects, in particular, is fascinating, especially because they have been so successful in spreading over the earth. My excitement at finding these small creatures was heightened because I was reading Alien Worlds: How insects conquered the Earth, and why their fate will determine our future by Steve Nicholls at the same time. I loved reading about the amazing world of insects and then seeing them behaving in a garden demonstrating what I had read. Macrophotography has a fantastic power to help make us aware of small but important creatures all around us.
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 south coast of New South Wales has on offer. All the best until the next post.