A walk in the woods...

[Precarious]

You were a busy boy on May 11th. I see what you mean about the lighting. It's really pretty perfect with no shadows or hot spots.

Thanks. I'm finally catching on to lighting. I feel like before I was working really hard to save photos taken with bad lighting. I barely even had to bump the color in these so no over-saturation (I hope).

So is most of this free hand, with no tripod? Good stuff regardless as always!

No tripod. All freehand. Honestly, I don't know how anyone can use a tripod for insects. As it is they are usually gone before I can set up a shot. I would be lucky to get 1/10th of these with a tripod.

 

[mkayum]

Very nice photos! ....

Igot chills when you posted pics of big red velvet mites... i never knew they would be that big! Yikes!

Ever took pics of beetle larvae? I took a few photos of tiny ants attacking them. They were under the large decorative rock. Me and my dad pryed it off to move it another place. I guess we disturbed their nest. The ants were swarming and started to dig out the poor larvaes and began attacking them. I thought it was interesting so i snapped some pics. I'll post them soon. as after that happened some larves survived by crawling away from the nest. I had seen ants carrying pieces of the larves...

it was interesting to watch how ants would be capable to dig and attack the larves that had been living peacefully with the ant's nest

 

[zack4211]

That's a Mexican Red-Kneed Velvet Mantis. Very rare, and deadly poisonous!

Actually it's an adult female Oxyopsis gracilis. Coincidentally, also very rare, and deadly poisonous! :helpsmilie:

More here:

Oxyopsis gracilis adults

why are they so poisonous? this is the first i'm learning of this species.

 

[Precarious]

why are they so poisonous? this is the first i'm learning of this species.

I was joking. No more poisonous than any other mantis, but twice as colorful.

 

[Peter Clausen]

OMG...too many great photos to even begin commenting on. I need to watch this thread so I can keep up. It's a whole 'nother world, looking through your lens! We would have a lot of fun hiking together because my idea of a hike means spending ridiculous amounts of time in a ten foot transect, looking for everything large and small! My wife doesn't even wait for me anymore. She wants to see what the world looks like over the next ridge and I just think she's flattening worlds beneath her feet each time she takes another step.

 

[Precarious]

OMG...too many great photos to even begin commenting on. I need to watch this thread so I can keep up. It's a whole 'nother world, looking through your lens! We would have a lot of fun hiking together because my idea of a hike means spending ridiculous amounts of time in a ten foot transect, looking for everything large and small! My wife doesn't even wait for me anymore. She wants to see what the world looks like over the next ridge and I just think she's flattening worlds beneath her feet each time she takes another step.

I'm up for that!. I'll be in OR again later this year. I'll be in touch.

 

[Precarious]

Found her walking across the patio in the dark. Had a friend hold a flashlight so I could focus.

Wolf Spider with young

 

[agent A]

aww so cute :wub:

there r tons of wolf spiders here

they babies look like they r suckin blood from her :chef:

 

[Precarious]

From the back yard this morning...

 

[derryjellybies]

Amazing photography, Precarious!

 

[Peter Clausen]

Ah, Letter T moths I always called them when I was a kid! Plume moths is the more official name I think. And that is by far the most detailed photo I have ever seen of a baby-laden wolf spider. Let me know when you're coming out this way.