NEW SPECIES! Sphodropoda quinquedens

[OctoberRainne]

Why so purple? lol That one is pretty gorgeous,looks like a pretty species no doubt

 

[jrh3]

sweet seems to be alot hatched, maybe there will be a small dieoff and you can get them into culture, again good luck.

 

[Precarious]

sweet seems to be alot hatched, maybe there will be a small dieoff and you can get them into culture, again good luck.

Didn't get an accurate count but looks like around 100 or more. Next ooth should hatch pretty soon.

 

[Precarious]

Why so purple? lol

Purple is the new peach.

 

[Bug Trader]

Really cool species, and congrats on the hatches and successes but until I have them in hand I just can't say if its the mantis or your photography I like best.

Michael

 

[bobericc]

They are beautiful, purple mandibles!

How large are they finishing

 

[OctoberRainne]

I like the purple,hope you will let some babies go,they seem really nice

 

[Mime454]

They're kind of ugly at L1. I won't hold that against them though. Awesome that they hatched!

 

[brancsikia339]

Awesome hatch! Thats a LOT of babies!

 

[AxolotlsAreCoolToo]

Wow you really did it again this time Henry great work. The golden nymphs are truly beautiful. I wish you good luck but i know you wont be needing that

 

[Digger]

Canon T2i

EF 100mm 1:2.8 USM

MP-E 65mm

Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX

The only real trick to getting shots like this is to put the money up and get real equipment, then shoot every day until you get it right. The flash is vitally important to macro so invest in one made specifically for the job. That will allow you to shoot free hand at ISO 100, 1/200. You want to keep as many points of interest within the narrow focal plane as possible. The best way to do that is to have the freedom to constantly change angle of approach as the subject moves. Getting the right flash makes that possible. If you are tied to a tripod you really limit the possibilities.

Also REALLY helps to have good proficiency at working in RAW mode and Photoshop.

I should also point out that because macro requires manual focus you have to have good eyesight. There is no fixing bad focus and auto focus is not an option.

I use my camera every day. No joke. Taking photos is the fun part. The work comes in when preparing the final images. I spend no less than 20 minutes on each image and many times twice as long. That I do just because it's necessary. You will never get images that look like this directly off any camera, but the closer you come, by having proper lighting and framing, the easier it becomes to get the results you want.

The algorithms in the camera just guess at the best settings and they don't do well with macro because most use cameras for normal photos.

Here's an example of before and after processing...

Henry -- you are the Master. Perhaps it varies with the particular shot you're composing --- what apertures do you commonly use? Do you stop down a lot to extend FOV?

Digger

 

[Precarious]

They are beautiful, purple mandibles!

How large are they finishing

Females are 3". Males are the same counting the wings.

I like the purple,hope you will let some babies go,they seem really nice

Already have more nymphs than I can keep! Second ooth will put it over the top. I just hope people aren't expecting a new species to culture to sell for $5 each. I put a lot into getting these and starting the culture. I hope to spread enough around so the culture keeps going. I did that years ago with Pseudoharpax virescens but people didn't keep them going. Let's hope it goes better this time.

They're kind of ugly at L1. I won't hold that against them though. Awesome that they hatched!

At L1 they actually look pretty similar to Oxyopsis gracilis with different leg structure. I'm really looking forward to watching them develop since I started this culture off with pre-subs.

Henry -- you are the Master. Perhaps it varies with the particular shot you're composing --- what apertures do you commonly use? Do you stop down a lot to extend FOV?

Believe it or not I use pretty much the same settings for all shots, although I do adjust the flash positioning when I'm going in closer than 2x. I always shoot at ISO 100, 1/200. For the 100mm lens I shoot at f18 which gives good DoF but still crisp detail and defocused background. The 65mm tops out at f16 and looks pretty fuzzy at that setting so I bump it to f13 which is a fair compromise.

 

[Precarious]

L2

L3

 

[Scruffy Aphid Herder]

L2

L3

Hit me with a price ;]

 

[Precarious]

Hit me with a price ;]

Still debating if I will sell publicly or just to people I can trust to keep them in culture.

 

[Bug Trader]

Their a nice species, I think you will find atleast a few people dedicated to breeding them. Its the 3rd generation I would worry about.

 

[ShieldMantid1997]

Still debating if I will sell publicly or just to people I can trust to keep them in culture.

Do I fall under that umbrella? But seriously, congrats on bringing such a magnificent species into culture.

 

[Precarious]

I think I forgot to post some of these...

Female

Male

Pair

 

[mantid_mike]

amazing shots, henry..

that orange/purple L2 nymph is awesome.

 

[Mime454]

I like the side of the male's wings.