# Unusual insects



## Dark Raptor

Do you have any unusual insects in your collections?
This is part of my collection (mostly beetles)  

Cetonia aurata (Scarabaeidae)
Protaetia cuprea (Scarabaeidae)
Rhagium mordax (Cerambycidae)
Anthrenus picturatus makolskii (Dermestidae) - only in Warsaw!
Diaperis boleti (Tenebrionidae)


----------



## Dark Raptor

*More insects*

And more:
Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa
Myrmyleon formicarius
Nicrophorus vespillo


----------



## galeogirl

Awesome pics!

I'm just rebuilding my collection of inverts and I love insects.  I'm a big fan of assassin bugs, mantids, and roaches.  I keep hoping that a giant waterbug will find its way into my collection sooner or later, too.

Where did you get your beetles?  I'm always looking for sources for interesting insects, but it seems that there are a lot of complications about shipping many of them across state lines.


----------



## Dark Raptor

From central Poland. They are very common here, but I love them. Especially family Tenebrionidae and Silphidae


----------



## edesign

great pictures! i always have liked irridescent colors...there's a beetle here that is irridescent like the ones you photographed. And last week a coworker brought me a spider that he said was on his neck and asked me what kind it was. It was a small jumping spider, black with some white markings but what really struck me was the fact that the chelicarae were irridescent! Never noticed that on any i've seen before...or i wasn't looking correctly lol

is the first insect in the second set of pictures a kind of ant lion?


----------



## Alex S.

Excellent pictures!

Alex S.


----------



## Wade

*This might be gross for some people*

I love the Silphidae too. Here's some pics of Necrophila americana that I'm breeding:

Sorry if these are too disgusting!


----------



## roach dude

wow great pics!!!!!  awsome!!


----------



## WYSIWYG

Hi Wade,

Why so many dead pinkies there?  Do they eat THAT much?  

Looks like a roach and a roly-poly to me.   What are they?  Just roaches at different
life stages?

Wysi


----------



## Wade

Dawn-

Actually, they're beetles, not roaches. The roly-poly things are the larvae. Carrion beetles feed on dead animal matter. Although they will eat things like dog food in captivity, they seem to need some sort of animal flesh to reproduce. The adults burrow beneath the carcass and lay eggs, which hatch within a couple of days and begin feeding on the meat. Since I also keep snakes, frozen/thawed rodents are usually available, although lately I've been using beefheart. There's dozens of beetles and larvae in the cage at any given time, so the pinkie mice don't last long. Usually, they'll be reduced to a tiny skull and spinal colomn in a matter of days.

Wade


----------



## Dark Raptor

edesign said:
			
		

> is the first insect in the second set of pictures a kind of ant lion?


Yes. This is common in Poland _Myrmyleon formicarius_. They are wonderful predators.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Wade these beeteles are great   

I love one american silphid - _Nicrophorus americanus_, but this one is very rare and under protection.


----------



## WYSIWYG

Thanks Wade.

I guess I thought it looked like a roach because the head of it somewhat
resembles the head on my death head roaches.  

Do you have a pix of it in its entirety?  Kinda hard to see what it really
looks like from that angle, especially to someone like me who knows nothing
about them!  

Wysi



			
				Wade said:
			
		

> Dawn-
> 
> Actually, they're beetles, not roaches. The roly-poly things are the larvae. Carrion beetles feed on dead animal matter. Although they will eat things like dog food in captivity, they seem to need some sort of animal flesh to reproduce. The adults burrow beneath the carcass and lay eggs, which hatch within a couple of days and begin feeding on the meat. Since I also keep snakes, frozen/thawed rodents are usually available, although lately I've been using beefheart. There's dozens of beetles and larvae in the cage at any given time, so the pinkie mice don't last long. Usually, they'll be reduced to a tiny skull and spinal colomn in a matter of days.
> 
> Wade


----------



## Dark Raptor

Here is another european silphid beetle - Oiceoptoma (Silpha) thoracica. I've got them now only int that form 
This one is very similar to Wade's Necrophila americana.


----------



## Wade

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Wade these beeteles are great
> 
> I love one american silphid - _Nicrophorus americanus_, but this one is very rare and under protection.



Yes, they are extremely rare, but big beasts, 2"! Other members of the genus are mor common. Not easy to rear either, the genus as a whole do poorly at temps above 70 f.

Dawn-

Here's a couple more pics of the adults:

Wade


----------



## galeogirl

Wade,

How do you deal with the smell from the Necrophila beetles' food?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Wade said:
			
		

> Not easy to rear either, the genus as a whole do poorly at temps above 70 f.


I've reared some european species of that genus:
Nicrophorus humator
Nicrophorus vespillo
Nicrophorus vespilloides

I've build some small metal cages outside my cottage house. I put there carrion and pairs of Nicrophorus beetels. This method have two advantages: -you rear insects in "natural conditions"
-there is no "bad smell" in your haouse 
I love silphid beetles becouse of their morphology, ecology, their sexual behaviour (especially male/female fights, funny sounds) and parental care (rare in order Coleoptera).

galeogirl- They agregation pheromones also smells very bad. This is a reason, why I don't keep them in my flat


----------



## Wade

galeogirl said:
			
		

> Wade,
> 
> How do you deal with the smell from the Necrophila beetles' food?


The key is to use small pieces of meat/rodents. The cage does smell bad if you put your nose over it and take a big wiff, but it's not very noticable otherwise. I wait for the previous meat to be used up before I introduce more.

Wade


----------



## galeogirl

Sensible.  I don't think I'd want to keep them in a small two-room apartment, though.


----------



## Wade

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> I've reared some european species of that genus:
> Nicrophorus humator
> Nicrophorus vespillo
> Nicrophorus vespilloides
> 
> I've build some small metal cages outside my cottage house. I put there carrion and pairs of Nicrophorus beetels. This method have two advantages: -you rear insects in "natural conditions"
> -there is no "bad smell" in your haouse
> I love silphid beetles becouse of their morphology, ecology, their sexual behaviour (especially male/female fights, funny sounds) and parental care (rare in order Coleoptera).


That's a great idea, I may try something like that if I ever try to rear them, as I come accross them every now and then. The parental care aspect would be heartwarming if it didn't involve rolling up a rotten mouse and burrying it!

I can certainly understand why someone in an apartment wouldn't want them! In my basement, it's only one more smell among many.

Wade


----------



## roach dude

i thought thouse last ones looked like deaths head cockroaches .but there not...


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. More to go.
Common Central European species of carabid beetles:
Carabus auronitens and Carabus cancellatus.


----------



## Steven

I love those carabid beetles    :} 
great pictures !!!  :clap: 
Only our local groundbeetles are protected,...
i don't know about Poland ?  :? 


I only have Teflus and Mantichora right now,... hoping to get Megacephala spec. soon   :drool:


----------



## Dark Raptor

Yes. In Poland genus Carabus and Calosoma are also under protection (but some species are very common and they are probably protected only because their similarity to some rarer species).
These beetles were reared from the wood that was taken during my research (they spend winter in rotten wood).


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. So if you like very rare species (especially in Western Europe) look at them (this specimens were also captured during my fieldworks).

Osmoderma eremita:











Protaetia lugubris:






You can find more photos at my webpage:
www.owadyinietylko.prv.pl
but this site is in Polish, sorry. If you know insects latin names, it will be much easier to find them.


----------



## MrMatt

Wade said:
			
		

> Yes, they are extremely rare, but big beasts, 2"! Other members of the genus are mor common. Not easy to rear either, the genus as a whole do poorly at temps above 70 f.
> 
> Dawn-
> 
> Here's a couple more pics of the adults:
> 
> Wade


Wade,

Are you sure those are Nicrophorus americanus? They don't look like them to me. They look more like Silpha americana. Not that I'm an expert by any means. They are still very nice looking insects. Good luck with breeding.  Where do you collect them?

Matt

EDIT... Sorry I noticed in your original post they are Necrophila americana thats what I get for reading carefully  :8o .


----------



## thedreadedone

ive been trying to get antlions in the UK, but have had no luck
any ideas?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Try in coniferous forests. They prefer dry and warm sandy roads, clearings etc. This is their favourite habitat in Poland.


----------



## thedreadedone

im pretty sure there are some on Jersey - channel islands UK (where I used to live), but i could never find them
found bloody-nosed beetles though!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. 3 more (If you like them).

Family _Lucanidae_:
_Dorcus parallelipipedus_ (1 male and 2 females - easy to recognize), very rare, in Polish Red Data Book of Animals (I relesed them after taking that photo).






_Sinodendron cylindricum_ (male and female - and little fly between them ) not so rare:






Family _Cerambycidae_:
_Leptura rubra_ - female, very common






I reared these species from wood collected during my fieldworks.


----------



## looseyfur

what about dermestid (spelling!) beatles? dont they primarily act the same way in regards to cleaning a corpse to its bones... is it true or myth that they in fact are used by musems for cleaning tissue from bones, I seem to remember ( though I dont remember much ) in highschool that a earth science unit focused on them and other insects who bio-degrade road kill and the like. 

and where the heck is Orin (mantidassassins) all my email to him gets bounced back! :? 
over  and out-
loosey to the fur.


----------



## Elytra and Antenna

Angelfire e-mail shut down May 2004. I just updated my arachnoboard info with my new e-mail so it should work now.

Dermestids are tiny little bugs. They used to be used for bone cleaning though I don't know if they're still used for that or if anything 'modern' has replaced them. I use orange heads when I need to clean something (generally just dumping still living mismolts which isn't the same) since they look neat and are 1,000 times the size of a dermestid. The Cincinnatti Zoo in Ohio has a dermestid display (complete with bones) in it's INSECT WORLD building.


----------



## WYSIWYG

Wade said:
			
		

> That's a great idea, I may try something like that if I ever try to rear them, as I come accross them every now and then. The parental care aspect would be heartwarming if it didn't involve rolling up a rotten mouse and burrying it!
> 
> I can certainly understand why someone in an apartment wouldn't want them! In my basement, it's only one more smell among many.
> 
> Wade


Wade, are you trying to sell you have a particularly "smelly" house?  

Wysi


----------



## WYSIWYG

That metallic green one with the red legs is just SOOOOOO cool!!!!  Nice pix!   Same to you, Wade.  Now that I've seen the pix, I can see QUITE a difference between a roach and one of your "smelly" beetles!  

Wysi


----------



## Dark Raptor

looseyfur said:
			
		

> what about dermestid (spelling!) beatles? dont they primarily act the same way in regards to cleaning a corpse to its bones... is it true or myth that they in fact are used by musems for cleaning tissue from bones, I seem to remember ( though I dont remember much ) in highschool that a earth science unit focused on them and other insects who bio-degrade road kill and the like.


Yes, dermestid beetles are used im museums to clean skeletons. As I know, the most popular is genus _Dermestes_ (like _Dermestes vulpinus, D. carnivorus, D. murinus_). Another genus - _Anthrenus_, is known as the worse "destroyer" in museums - in. egz. _Anthrenus museorum_.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. 3 more (I've got some more ).

Here is my favourite cricket - _Gryllus campestris_. I keep them since 1988!

Male






Female






And one Hymenoptera species, that lives in larch wood - _Urocerus gigas_, male.


----------



## Jakob

Not sure what this is, but it's neat!






Later,

Jake


----------



## Jakob

More...

















































Later,

Jake


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ha  Great pics! :clap:
This first beetle belongs, I think, to subfamiliy _Trichinae_ (_Scarabaeidae_) it looks like european _Osmoderma eremita_.

I don't know the rest (I don't work on _Hemiptera_), except for hornet. I had the same hive on window... it is nice to look how they work and feed their larvae.


----------



## Wade

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Ha  Great pics! :clap:
> This first beetle belongs, I think, to subfamiliy _Trichinae_ (_Scarabaeidae_) it looks like european _Osmoderma eremita_.


I believe Jake's beetle is O. eremicola, obviously a close relatve!

Wade


----------



## Wade

WYSIWYG said:
			
		

> Wade, are you trying to sell you have a particularly "smelly" house?
> 
> Wysi


Ha! No, it's just that I keep a lot of animals and the very small amount of rotten meat in the carrion beetle tank is hardly noticeble among the smells of the turtle tanks, python cages, rotting wood and leaves in beetle and millipede cages, cockroach and cricket bins etc. 

Wade


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. If you are not bored to that moment by this stuff... more insects from my collection 

Prionus coriarius (Cerambycidae) - As I remember I reared it from rottened oak wood
Lamia textor (Cerambycidae) - Reared from rottened willow wood
Geotrupes stercorosus (Geotrupidae) - this one is very easy to breed (on fruits, fertilizer and carcass), but watch out for the mites! (these are predators not parasites).

Heh... we have in Poland more than 26.000 insect species, so be prepared for more 
I don't know why I love them so much


----------



## Spiderling LT

yes nice photo you hawe
and intresting bugs
in Lithuanian Prionus coriarius L. - Pjūklaūsis kelmagraužis


----------



## Spiderling LT

male of Lucanus cervus L,  one wery rare beetle of Lithuania coleoptera.


----------



## Elizabeth

I don't quite understand this part, DarkRaptor:

"Geotrupes stercorosus (Geotrupidae) - this one is very easy to breed (on fruits, fertilizer and carcass), but watch out for the mites! (these are predators not parasites)."



The little creatures taking a ride on the back of that beetle in your pics, are those parasites? It looks like you are saying they are predators, not parasites.  If that is so, what do you mean by that? Surely they aren't attacking that big beetle!  Do they hitch a ride until something they would like to attack appears?  And there are so many on the beetle.  I find the quantity on one beetle astonishing! Is that normal?

Thanks for any more info you can give.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Elizabeth said:
			
		

> The little creatures taking a ride on the back of that beetle in your pics, are those parasites? It looks like you are saying they are predators, not parasites.  If that is so, what do you mean by that? Surely they aren't attacking that big beetle!  Do they hitch a ride until something they would like to attack appears?  And there are so many on the beetle.  I find the quantity on one beetle astonishing! Is that normal?
> 
> Thanks for any more info you can give.


Yes... my english is sometimes terrible.
These mites are predators. They attack small invertebrates (diptera and other beetle larvae, smaller mites ect.) that lives on carrion or dungs that is visited by Geotrupes beetle. They use him as a "free transport".
The number of mites on that poor fellow is larger than normal. This is the reason, why I took this photo 

Spiderling LT, my congratulations. I've never seen living specimen of that lucanid beetle. In Poland they are more common than in Lithuania (but of course very rare, not as in Bulgaria), so you are 2 times more lucky than me  :clap:

Oh, yes... in polish Prionus coriarius is Dyląż garbarz (I don't know if you will be able to see polish letters).


----------



## Elizabeth

Well, your English was fine! I just couldn't believe it!  Thanks for the picture and the info.  What an unusual treat!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. Now some _Hymenoptera_, and one _Coleoptera_ (but dead).

_Rhyssa sp._ - male. Nice parasitoid. Females attack _Cerambycidae_ larvae.






_Bombus sp._ - female... 






"Non Hercules contra plures"    This _Carabus coriaceus_ was very unlucky. That was his last fight with _Formica rufa_.


----------



## thedreadedone

this is a nice species that i've been working with


----------



## Dark Raptor

This one is great. Is it some kind of _Prionotheca_?


----------



## thedreadedone

It is _Polposipus herculeanus_


----------



## BakuBak

nice :] 

U have to send me some of campestris amd gryllotalpas :] :] 

last summer i have tried to get some campestris but they wear some kind infected :[


----------



## Dark Raptor

BakuBak said:
			
		

> U have to send me some of campestris amd gryllotalpas :] :]


I will be able to get more _Gryllus campestris_ in the spring (April, May).

And here, leaf beetles (_Chrysomelidae_), they've got weird colours.

I didn't ID that one. On the left, you can see _Alosterna tabacicolor_ (_Cerambycidae_).






_Chrysomela populi_ - this one is easy to get and breed in Poland.






_Lilioceris lilii_ - they are able to make sounds (something very rare in this family).






And _Acanthoscelides obtectus_, (former family: _Bruchidae_) - bean pest. Good food for small spiders and other insects.


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Jaws!!!*

_Cychrus caraboides_






_Ocypus melanarius_






_Xyleborus monographus_ (?)


----------



## thedreadedone

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> _Cychrus caraboides_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Ocypus melanarius_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> WOW - great pics
Click to expand...


----------



## Dark Raptor

*European elephant and another small thing... *

_Curculio glandium_ 






This one is really small. This is _Scydmenus sp._. Red lines shows lenght of 5 mm.





...and after magnification (80x)...


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Vespa crabro *

Another beautiful insect.










































Be careful with that thing


----------



## Alex S.

Great pictures, Dark Raptor. _Cychrus caraboides_ is a beautiful species. Its awesome how the labrum branches over the mandibles in many species of the tribe _Cychrini_.

Alex S.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks!

Ok. Some new pics.

_Geotrupes stercorosus_ - _Geotrupidae_











_Carabus hortensis_ - _Carabidae_






_Protaetia lugubris_ - _Scarabaeidae_






...and tell me if you are bored. We've got more than 26.000 insect species in Poland. Expect more pics in the future.


----------



## Raqua

*Cool*

Hey DarkRaptor how do you keep those Grylotalpa and Cerambridae spp. ?? I was once interested in those, but couldn't find anything about them ... It was before internet was really widespread .... haven't been looking recently, but I'm a bit qurious


----------



## Raqua

I always adored predator bugs of genus Carabidae ... They were quite easy to keep, although I never tried to breed them.
Do any of you have any Manticora spp. ?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hi!

I keep Cerambycidae in the same wood in which I've found their larvae. It is very difficult to breed them. I was only successful with genus: _Rhagium_, _Tetropium_, _Hylotrupes_ and _Corymbia_. I also reared some _Lamia_, _Leptura_ and some other species. But I was able to have only imagines, they never breed in tanks. I've heard that some _Cerambyx_ species can be feed on carrots mixed with rottened oak wood. Before pupation you should prepare them special "pupation cells" (glass pipes ect.) They've got very long larval developement: 1 - 5 years. Some _Hylotrupes_ larvae, can spend in wood more than 16 years.

I keep my Gryllotalpa in large tank (80x30x25 cm). At the beggining I've been using sand as substrate (as you see on photos), but I realized that humid soli is much better. They eat almost everything: fruits, vegetables, meat. They spend almost all their life underground, but when thwy are mature, you can hear them.
One female produce more than 100 eggs. She feeds newly hatched larvae and protect them. This is very nice part of their life


----------



## Dark Raptor

Raqua said:
			
		

> I always adored predator bugs of genus Carabidae ... They were quite easy to keep, although I never tried to breed them.
> Do any of you have any Manticora spp. ?


No. I keep only native species.


----------



## Raqua

Darkraptor: thanks, interesting ...


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Armed and dangerous...*

Ok. Two more.
This is BB'gun not real gun, so I believe I can show this stuff here (I don't know US law).

Here are my hissers and S. gastrica. They are armed and dangerous  ;P 












Enjoy!


----------



## roach dude

boom  cool pics lol


----------



## reptillian

cool pics a bit grosse


----------



## Wade

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Ok. Two more.
> This is BB'gun not real gun, so I believe I can show this stuff here (I don't know US law).


Don't worry about it, gun ownership is practically required by our constitution.

BB guns are fine for hissers, but American cockroaches prefer 9mm's. Takes like a 1,000 of them to even aim it at you, however, so it's not usually a problem. They're all talk. 

Wade


----------



## looseyfur

I must say this thread is excellent and I have really enjoyed it so far. 

Definate thumbs up for dark raptors photos as well.




thanks for sharing-

loosey :worship:


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks! 

As a reward  I will show you some european _Hemiptera_ species.
I don't work on them, so I didn't ID them.

Newly hatched larvae.





These were captured _in flagranti_





"Hunter"





This is _Gerris sp._ - I know only this one


----------



## Spiderling LT

these are mine photos  












Sorry for bad qality


----------



## Dark Raptor

Nice pics.

I know and like this one. It is _Pyrrhocoris apterus_. They are very social and you can keep them in terrarium if you want.


----------



## Dark Raptor

*More insects from Poland *

_Dytiscus marginalis_ (_Dytiscidae_). Males use this sucker during underwater copulation. Keeping them is sometimes very difficult. They are predators, so water in their aquarium quickly turns into sewage 






_Forficula auricularia_ (_Dermaptera_) - mature female. I've kept them for few months. In Europe, you can find them everywhere (they like dark, humid places).






_Cicindela hybrida_ (_Carabidae_) - the most comon species of that genus in Poland. They love sandy roads, but you don't see that in that picture ). Difficult to breed (I had too many problems with that beetle).






_Trichodes apiarius_ (_Cleridae_) - larvae of that beetle is bee parasite. Mature insects feed on flowers.


----------



## Nikos

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Nice pics.
> 
> I know and like this one. It is _Pyrrhocoris apterus_. They are very social and you can keep them in terrarium if you want.


 nice bugs. what do you feed them in captivity?


----------



## Dark Raptor

I've been collecting and giviving them lime seeds. They also eat other plant seeds, bodies of dead insects, and living mealworm larvae.


----------



## packer43064

This is the best thread ever. I just love insects, i'm going to try raising some beetles this summer. What's a good species to raise. And what they should be in and what they eat.  Thanx in advance.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

This is very "wide range" question :?  . We have more than 400.000 beetle species, they live almost everywhere and eat almost everything.

I think you should try to breed some Scarab beetles. They are beautiful and they have very interesting biology.
Check this pages:
http://www.naturalworlds.org/goliathus/index.htm
http://www.coleoptera-xxl.de/
http://www.flower-beetles.com/

And of course, if you want to keep some native species, it is good to ID them, and check info in the Internet or in books, about their biology, habitat ect.
Place where you find these beetles, plants they are eating, are also helpful if you want prepare tank for them and provide correct food. It is very important for weevils, leaf beetles and long horned beetles.

And of course I know only small part of european fauna. There are too many insect species (just kidding ).


----------



## vipvenom

Here are some pics of some insects I found in Costa Rica. Can anyone Identify the moth? It is about 2inches long. Also the other pics are of a random gold looking ant and a group of leaf cutters.


----------



## packer43064

I don't live in europe though. It all says it cost blank euros. I don't have euros. I'll try catching some around my house in the summer, are their any ways of catching beetles. I don't really care what kind of beetles I catch it'll be cool anyways, what ever I get. Do beetles live in wood, because there is a big tree that has fallen down awhile ago. COuld there be beetles in there that I could find, in the summer though.


----------



## Alex S.

Hey Dark Raptor, awesome photo of the _Dytiscus_ suction pads.

In reference to your problem with the sanitation in the dytiscid aquarium; if you have the extra money and plan on maintaining the aquarium for a long period of time I suggest using an actual power filter used in fish aquariums. They are very efficient in keeping the aquarium water circulated, clean, clear, and absent of harmful substances. I use filters and heating systems in all of my nepomorph (aquatic _Heteroptera_) aquariums and it has always worked great.

Alex S.


----------



## Scythemantis

I think my favorite photo here is that of _Cychrus caraboides_. I've never seen eyes like that on a beetle before...they look like a fish! It certainly has character. I find it fascinating that they specialize in predation of slugs.

Geotrupes' predatory mites aren't just freeloading hitchhikers, though. The secretions of maggots are toxic to Geotrupes, so it arrives early to corpses and relies on its mites to eat any fly eggs in the way!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

-vipvenom
I love _Attinae_ ants. I know that some people have them (or their close relatives) even in Poland. I can't ID this moth. I don't work on _Lepidoptera_.

-packer43064
Yes, dead wood is the best place to find some large and beautiful beetles. I'm just writing my master's thesis about saproxylic beetles. During my field works, I've found more than 200 beetle species. Some of them, like scarab and lucanid beetles, can be breed in terrariums.

-Alex S.
Yes, I've been using that equipement, but it wasn't working well (I was giving my dytiscid beetles fresh meat). I've been cleaning aquariums every 3 days, so with some more work I was able to provide them clean water.
I don't have them now, because after every succesful breeding, I release my beetles in the place where I captured them. I do this with almost every native insect species I have.

-Scythemantis
Yes. I will remember about that. Thanks for the info.


----------



## Alex S.

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> -Alex S.
> Yes, I've been using that equipement, but it wasn't working well (I was giving my dytiscid beetles fresh meat). I've been cleaning aquariums every 3 days, so with some more work I was able to provide them clean water.
> I don't have them now, because after every succesful breeding, I release my beetles in the place where I captured them. I do this with almost every native insect species I have.


Hey Dark Raptor, have you tried using crickets by dropping them on the water's surface? This is what I have fed my dytiscids and hydrophilids in the past and they are absolutely voracious towards small insects considering this is what makes up the bulk of dytiscid diets in the wild. Dead insects dont seem to pollute the water as much as meat. This especially works well with aquatic hemipterans as the dead body of the prey insect is still intact after feeding and can be removed from the aquarium very easily.

Alex S.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks again for this info.

Yes, I will be able now to give them crickets, my colony is large enough to feed my T's and other invertebrates. I've was giving my dytiscid larvae smaller arthropods, like: _Asellus aquaticus_ and _Zygoptera_ larvae.

Meat is really bad if you wanna feed predatory beetles. I'd like to give my _Carabus cancellatus_ and _C. auronitens_ living preys, but in winter it is hard to find caterpillars and earthworms (and they don't want to eat mealworms).

In the nearest future, I will try to breed some _Hydrophilidae_ beetles. But the problem is that the moust interesting species like _Hydrous piceus_ is now protected in Poland. The funniest thing is that 10 years ago, when rivers were more poluted, it was very common water beetle.


----------



## Wade

Although I feed dytiscids crickets from time to time, I find they love ordinary fish food flakes just as much. TetraMin doesn't cloud the water at all. Actuall, what they REALLY love is Reptamin turtle sticks! 

Wade


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Diptera*

Ok. Now some _Diptera_ species

I didn't ID that specimen:






_Hippoboscidae_ They are ectoparasites of the large mammals (sometimes they try to attack humans).






Copulating _Syrphidae_ flies. Soon I will be banned for showing too many _in flagranti_ pics


----------



## Black Hawk

i always enjoy seeing your beautiful pix raptor, keep it up


----------



## Scythemantis

Ooh!!! Awesome photo of a "lousefly"...is that your hand? They are such obscure creatures very seldom photographed or even talked about, and my favorite group of flies (along with the so-called "sheep ticks" which are really flies)


----------



## Dark Raptor

hmmmmm... I don't know common english names, so I can't tell you if it is a "lousefly".
_Hippoboscidae_ flies are very irritating. They can land on you, and you don't know anything about that. They are very flat, so it is very difficult to find them and kill them. After landing, they also loose their wings.

My favourite diptera families are _Syrphidae_ and _Bombylidae_.


----------



## Alex S.

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Thanks again for this info.
> 
> Yes, I will be able now to give them crickets, my colony is large enough to feed my T's and other invertebrates. I've was giving my dytiscid larvae smaller arthropods, like: _Asellus aquaticus_ and _Zygoptera_ larvae.
> 
> Meat is really bad if you wanna feed predatory beetles. I'd like to give my _Carabus cancellatus_ and _C. auronitens_ living preys, but in winter it is hard to find caterpillars and earthworms (and they don't want to eat mealworms).
> 
> In the nearest future, I will try to breed some _Hydrophilidae_ beetles. But the problem is that the moust interesting species like _Hydrous piceus_ is now protected in Poland. The funniest thing is that 10 years ago, when rivers were more poluted, it was very common water beetle.


That would be great if you started a breeding project with _H. piceus_. Hydrophilid aquariums are just awesome to observe. Here in California a similar species, _Hydrophilus triangularis_ (as well as _H. insularis_), can be quite common during the summer months.

Alex S.


----------



## Dark Raptor

I like genus _Hydrous_, these specimens are much larger than _Dytiscus_ beetles - with one exception, _Dytiscus latissimus_, but this one has extinct in almost all Europe (and we don't know why). It is also very difficult to find now large _Hydrophilidae_ species, they are now very rare and some of them are protected by law (since 2003, I think).
If we are talking about water beetles, I also like family _Gyrinidae_. They've got very interesting behaviour (just look how they are moving in the water, when there are hundrets of them).


----------



## Alex S.

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> I like genus _Hydrous_, these specimens are much larger than _Dytiscus_ beetles - with one exception, _Dytiscus latissimus_, but this one has extinct in almost all Europe (and we don't know why). It is also very difficult to find now large _Hydrophilidae_ species, they are now very rare and some of them are protected by law (since 2003, I think).
> If we are talking about water beetles, I also like family _Gyrinidae_. They've got very interesting behaviour (just look how they are moving in the water, when there are hundrets of them).


That is very unfortunate that _Dytiscus latissimus_, a beautiful species, as well as some hydrophilids are becoming rare to find in Poland.

The _Gyrinidae_ are a very unique family. Its incredible how fluently they move across the water's surface and never collide with each other. One of the most amazing things about gyrinids, though, is how each compound eye has been modified into two, a ventral portion for looking into the water and a dorsal portion for looking into the air.

Alex S.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Alex S. said:
			
		

> One of the most amazing things about gyrinids, though, is how each compound eye has been modified into two, a ventral portion for looking into the water and a dorsal portion for looking into the air.


Yes. It looks incredible, especially if you look on them under microscope. In the nearest future, I will try to take some photos of specimens from my collection.

Just now, you can look here:
http://www.waterbugkey.vcsu.edu/image_uploads/gyrinidae-2-eye_kgr1_15.jpg


----------



## Alex S.

That would be awesome, Dark Raptor. I'll look forward to the photos.

Alex S.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok, some of that pics below are not very good (I had problems with digital camera), but enjoy   

I didn't ID that specimen (family _Gyrinidae_)
















And I know that all of you love tiger beetles, so here it comes... THE ALIEN!











Ok, ok, it is _Cicindela hybrida_


----------



## Alex S.

The second photo shows the gyrinid "double-eye" perfectly and _C. hybrida_ pretty much speaks for itself like all cicindelids (beautiful insect). Great photos as usual, Dark Raptor. 

Alex S.


----------



## Letsgochopping

Dammit, coolest thread ever! This is so much more fun than paying attention to class.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. I've got more pics from my last photo session.

_Prionus coriarius_ - _Cerambycidae_ (I like them)






_Melolontha melolontha_ - now _Melolonthidae_






_Dermestes lardarius_ - _Dermestidae_ (who like them?)






Not identified leaf beetle (_Chrysomelidae_)






_Micropeplus sp._ - _Staphylinidae_






_Onthophagus_ - _Scarabaeidae_


----------



## Beardo

WOW! Those are some AMAZING pics! I really enjoyed this thread.


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Who wants to take a closer look *

I love to watch them closer and closer and closer...


----------



## meatbeef

Awesome pics guys, thanks!


----------



## Dark Raptor

This time only one "beast". _Schizotus pectinicornis_ larvae - beetle family (_Pyrochroidae_).


----------



## Spiderling LT

nice photos like all yours photos Dark Raptor


----------



## Tony

Thread like this should be a sticky...


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Some new stuff!*

Hah... I'm very busy this days (I'm preparing to my master's thesis exams), so I'm here, on AB, very rarely.

I post here some new pics:

_Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa_ - nice "legs" 






_Oiceoptoma (Silpha) thoracica_ - silphid beetle. They love snail's carrion.






Pupating antlions (_Myrmeleon formicarius_) - I used scaner here 






...and effect


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Family Elateridae*

Some click-beetles species.

_Agrypnus murinus_ - very common in Europe, larvae developes in soil. Predator/Phitophagous











_Elater ferrugineus_ - very, very, very rare specie. Only in few places in Europe. It developes in old hollow oaks. Xylophagous.






_Ampedus sp._ - common. It developes in rotten, humid wood. Predator.






_Cardiophorus gramineus_ - in forest soil. Saprophagous.






_Selatosomus cruciatus_ - in forest soil. Saprophagous.


----------



## dtknow

Maybe I missed it, but how do you guys breed/raise diving beetles in aquaria? I hear they insert eggs into aquatic plants?

Also, has anyone bred water striders? I've kept them for short periods of time(they are very entertaining) but never had 2 at one time to breed with.


----------



## Dark Raptor

dtknow said:
			
		

> Maybe I missed it, but how do you guys breed/raise diving beetles in aquaria? I hear they insert eggs into aquatic plants?


Yes, you are right. So if you want to breed them, put some plants to their aquarium. _Dytiscus spp._ always lay their eggs into aquatic plant tissues. Other _Dytiscidae_ species lay their eggs on the surface of these plants. The most interesting, _Acilius spp._, lay their eggs on land, in humid places. Generally under bark of fallen trees, near water.



			
				dtknow said:
			
		

> Also, has anyone bred water striders? I've kept them for short periods of time(they are very entertaining) but never had 2 at one time to breed with.


They are easy to breed, but you should have a very large aquarium (they need a lot of space). It is bad idea to keep them captive. I've build small pond near my cotage house. Every year I've got hundreds of them.


----------



## Dark Raptor

My Cicindela hybrida and Rhagium mordax 

C. hybrida


























R. mordax
















...and Opatrum sabulosum


----------



## orcrist

That's a nice tiger. THe only kind I see often are the blue-green-purple ones.


----------



## dtknow

Also(noticed a photo of these in the thread) hasd anyone tried to get antlions to reproduce in captivity? That seems like it would be pretty tough.

How large of an aquarium are we talking about for waterstriders? When I kept one it had the surface of a ten gallon to itself and that seemed like a good amount of room. With more you would probably need a large tank so they can stay away from each other. Also perhaps a piece of floating wood for eggs.

Also, how do you guys catch the large adult diving beetles? I don't see them very often.


----------



## Dark Raptor

dtknow said:
			
		

> Also(noticed a photo of these in the thread) hasd anyone tried to get antlions to reproduce in captivity? That seems like it would be pretty tough.


Keeping antlions is very easy. For larvae you need only small boxes 5x5x7 cm with dry sand (you can moist it, but most of water they get from their preys). For adults, you need larger tank. I've been keeping them in faunaboxes 20 x 10 x 15 cm. You should remember, just before pupation, to increase humidity and give them something that they can climb on to dry their wings.



			
				dtknow said:
			
		

> Also, how do you guys catch the large adult diving beetles? I don't see them very often.


I use special net (for fishing). During day, you should check underwater plants, where they are hiding. In the evening/night they are more active. You can collect them from water or capture them when they are flying (they also fly to light, so lamp can be very helpful).


----------



## Dark Raptor

*More insects!*

Ok. Some new stuff I collected last week in north-western Poland.

First - Hippoboscidae fly. They love blood (I know something about that   )











Ant that I didn't ID (I don't work on Hymenoptera)











New Ampedus specie (Elateridae)






This is fantastic histerid beetle Hololepta plana (this is real photo, not a fake). They live under bark of trees.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Family Scarabaeidae

Valgus hemipterus






Onthophagus sp.











Larvae of Osmoderma eremita. Tree in which they were living was cut and burned. I think more than one hundred larvae were lost  :evil: 






Family Trogidae - Trox sp. They live on dry carrion and excrements  :}


----------



## Dark Raptor

Family Cerambycidae

Molorchus sp.






Acanthocinus aedilis











Family Tenebrionidae

Finally... I've got them!     Blaps lethifera!






Uloma culinaris






Family Buprestidae
Chalcophora mariana


----------



## Fluid Filter

What the heck is this thing?


----------



## Alex S.

The insect is a hemipteran of the family _Coreidae_, commonly known as leaf-footed bugs or squash bugs. The specimen pictured is most likely of the genus _Leptoglossus_. Members of this family are mainly phytophagous, but some are predacious.

Alex S.


----------



## Fluid Filter

Too bad i let it wander off. i didnt fully appreciate its wierdness until i looked at the pictures i took of it. it looks as though it has some kind of needle or straw-like gizmo folded up underneath it.


----------



## Alex S.

The proboscis, or rostrum (needle-like feeding structure), is a major identifying characteristic for and in the order _Hemiptera_. In _Coreidae_ the proboscis has 4 segments. The _Coreidae_ is really an awesome family, containing the giant mesquite bugs (genus: _Thasus_), which are some of the largest North American hemipterans.

Alex S.


----------



## Fluid Filter

Probably common but i felt like taking a picture. After all, everybody loves pictures. i think...


----------



## dtknow

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Keeping antlions is very easy. For larvae you need only small boxes 5x5x7 cm with dry sand (you can moist it, but most of water they get from their preys). For adults, you need larger tank. I've been keeping them in faunaboxes 20 x 10 x 15 cm. You should remember, just before pupation, to increase humidity and give them something that they can climb on to dry their wings.
> .


Do you/what do you feed the adults? I'm keeping one larvae right now(and praying it doesn't decide to pupate until I can get another). Also, left to themselves the adults will mate and lay eggs in the sand? Do they need anything to hold onto like mesh netting or branches?

Thanks!


----------



## Dark Raptor

dtknow said:
			
		

> Do you/what do you feed the adults? I'm keeping one larvae right now(and praying it doesn't decide to pupate until I can get another). Also, left to themselves the adults will mate and lay eggs in the sand? Do they need anything to hold onto like mesh netting or branches?


My adults were eating small mealworm larvea and fresh meat.
Last week I've found place where I saw more than 200 larvae (on 2 square meters).
Yes, my adults produced some eggs and left them in the sand. I don't know how important is humidity, I didn't checked this.
Branches are very important for freshly pupated adults. I've lost two of them (they pupated very early) because their wings didn't develope correctly. And remember that they are flying, so some kind of net is also important.


----------



## Dark Raptor

I'm so happy 

Finally... Cicindela hybrida offspring. I don't know how many of them I should expect in the nearest future.







(sorry for bad pic, but I used scaner here)


----------



## Fluid Filter

A bug kickn it just outside my window.


----------



## luther

My Wandering Violin from last year.  Freakiest insect I ever owned.


----------



## Dark Raptor

*I'm so happy!!!!!*

Ok. I haven't got digital camera, so I have to use computer scanner... damn 

But look at this beautiful beetle... Osmoderma eremita. I get her from the tree that was cut down and taken to sawmill (and probably burned).



























I expect more of them really soon    ...and in June or July I will release them... because they are protected in all Europe.


----------



## Spiderling LT

nice picture


----------



## Phalagorn

>>Dark Raptor

I´l just love your pictures, very nice specimens you have there in Poland, some of them can bee found in Sweden to...

And here´s some insects (and some spiders) from Sweden!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Phalagorn, your pictures are amazing!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap: ...as usually  I love your's P. metallica pics (in the far future maybe I will be able to get one   )

In the first picture I see _Chrysomelidae_ specie (I don't work on them, so I can't ID it).

That green one it is _Cicindela campestris campestris (Carabidae)_. Beautifull beetle (I keep and succesfully breed _C. hybrida_).

Next "green" it is _Cetonia aurata (Cetonidae)_ (I also keep them now). These flies belongs to _Syrphidae_ family.

I won't ID these Arachnids... but the last one looks like _Atypus_. It is strange, because they live in warmer climate (we've got only few places in south Poland where they live).


----------



## Phalagorn

The last one is _Atypus affinis_, When it´s warmer I will go out and photograph lots of insects for you!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Phalagorn said:
			
		

> The last one is _Atypus affinis_, When it´s warmer I will go out and photograph lots of insects for you!


Thanks! I hope I will be able to get that digital camera again soon.
I think that insects hate my scanner


----------



## Dark Raptor

Now, pictures taken by my friend (special thanks) during our fieldworks.

Epicometis hirta (Scarabaeidae)






Crioceris asparagi (Chrysomelidae)






Meloe proscarabeus (Meloidae)






Mting Cicindela hybrida (Carabidae)






Rhagium inquisitor (Cerambycidae)






Osmoderma eremita (Scarabaeidae)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Cossus cossus






That's me... collecting saproxylic beetles in hollow oak 






...again... with window-trap.






Collecting Osmoderma eremita larvae from stump (trees were cut 1 - 2 days earlier).






Most of them were dead  :evil:  ... and this specie is protected in all Europe.






The largest rhinoceros beetle I've ever captured... or was captured by 






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Underwater predators *

Not identified dragonfly:

Larvae






Molt






Imago
















Dytiscus marginalis larvae:































Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Blaps lethifera
















Extatosoma tiaratum.






Aretaon asperrimus.






Epicometis hirta i Cetonia aurata.






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Blaberus sp. "giganteus" 






Blaptica dubia (larvae, female, male)
















Gryllus campestris - female






Hylobius abietis - Curculionidae






Epicometis hirta - Cetonidae






Cetonia aurata and Protaetia cuprea - Cetonidae






Xylotrupes gideon (L2) - Scarabaeidae






Still don't know what will emerge from this pupation chambers.






Stephanorrhina princeps bamptoni - Cetonidae


----------



## Dark Raptor

*No comment *


----------



## nomad85

that was cool.


----------



## Fluid Filter

Death Valley, CA


----------



## Fluid Filter

Washington State
Not sure of the species. It had long long antenna and sounded like a helocopter when it flew.


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Guess what's that? *

















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Nice pics Fluid Filter 

I don't know american species, but first shows _Meloidae_ beetle. Next one is a moth (family _Sphingidae_) the last one is _Cerambycidae_ beetle.


----------



## odwan

nice pix. If you press 'page down' quick enough at the 'dragonfly molting' post, it becomes animation lol.


----------



## Dark Raptor

odwan said:
			
		

> nice pix. If you press 'page down' quick enough at the 'dragonfly molting' post, it becomes animation lol.


Check this thread   

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=47279


----------



## Dark Raptor

*Protaetia lugubris*

_Protaetia lugubris_, emerged from cocolit (pupation chamber) this night 







This is very rare european specie, living in hollows of 'ancient' decidious trees. Coexisting there with _Osmoderma eremita_ and hundrets of other species.


----------



## jw73

Nice photos. Have you any photos of our most impressive beetle Lucanus cervus ?


----------



## jw73

or Cerambyx cerdo L. and Oryctes nasicornis ?


----------



## Dark Raptor

I've seen all of them but I've got only few picures of dead _Cerambyx cerdo_ specimen.












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

*More of Osmoderma eremita*

Ok. This is probably my most favourite specie... except Nicrophorus species  ;P 




































...and I believe you know what's that.





They love to make mess... and don't use toilet paper 

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## jw73

I saw Cerambyx cerdo alive few years ago.


----------



## cloud711

wicked inverts. cool pics. im just curious what is the life span of a beetle?


----------



## Dark Raptor

cloud711 said:
			
		

> wicked inverts. cool pics. im just curious what is the life span of a beetle?


Thanks.

If we are talking about mature insects: few days to 17 years (or more). Different species have different life span (even in the same family). I keep now _Blaps lethifera_ (_Tenebrionidae_), they can live for more than 10 years. My _Cetonidae_ species live for only few months.


----------



## dtknow

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> My adults were eating small mealworm larvea and fresh meat.
> Last week I've found place where I saw more than 200 larvae (on 2 square meters).
> Yes, my adults produced some eggs and left them in the sand. I don't know how important is humidity, I didn't checked this.
> Branches are very important for freshly pupated adults. I've lost two of them (they pupated very early) because their wings didn't develope correctly. And remember that they are flying, so some kind of net is also important.


Did the eggs ever hatch? I'm assuming you did not see them mating.

Got one cocoon now and another antlion which appears to be ready to pupate.


----------



## Dark Raptor

dtknow said:
			
		

> Did the eggs ever hatch? I'm assuming you did not see them mating.
> 
> Got one cocoon now and another antlion which appears to be ready to pupate.


I've never seen them mating (probably they were copuliting during night). Yes, more than 30% of eggs hatched. I don't know why it was so small number. I believe it was caused by a very low humidity or eggs weren't fertilized.


----------



## Empi

Nice pics! :clap: I was to busy looking at the pics to read anything.


----------



## Scythemantis

> http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/7008/larva27sk.jpg


Okay, I MUST know what these guys are. Fantastic eyes, if those are indeed the eyes. They're larva? Or adults? What do they do in those burrows?

What beetles other than _Tenebrionidae_ live for over 10 years? And what species lives 17? I've not heard of that, that's amazing!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Scythemantis said:
			
		

> Okay, I MUST know what these guys are. Fantastic eyes, if those are indeed the eyes. They're larva? Or adults? What do they do in those burrows?


This is larvae of tiger beetle - _Cicindela hybrida_. They hunt almost like antlions.



			
				Scythemantis said:
			
		

> What beetles other than _Tenebrionidae_ live for over 10 years? And what species lives 17? I've not heard of that, that's amazing!


_Eleodes sp._ can live up to 18 years (info from Wade). I know that _Blaps_ species can live for almost 11 years (problably more is also possible). Both belongs to _Tenebrionidae_ family.
I've heard about larvae of _Hylotrupes bajulus_ (_Cerambycidae_) developing in hard, dry wood for almost 20 years. Adult beetles die after few weeks.


----------



## Randolph XX()

wow, i didn't know adult beetles can live that long. So again, 18 yr is for mature Eleodes sp. ?
the longest living adult beetle i've heard of is a 10 yr old Docus curvidens spp


----------



## Dark Raptor

Check this thread:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=41082

In another one Wade said something about 18 years, but +/- 1 year is nothing when we look at this specie 

I've got a good data about _Blaps mortisag_a specimen that was kept by Prof. Burakowski for 10 and a half years (from the moment he capture them, so who knows how long they werer living there).
I've got now _Blaps lethifera_. I'll try to check how long they live as adults.


----------



## Farom

Ok...here are a few of my pics. 

White Spot assassin laying eggs:












White spot eggs:






Katydid:






Katydid laying eggs:






And an unidentified spider that I found in southern CA:






  Thanks,
Andrew


----------



## Dark Raptor

Nice pics, especially assassins. I like their small head with large, brown eyes.

This katydid looks like some _Tettigonidae_ specie to me (and not laying eggs but cleaning its ovipositor). They belong to different orders (if common english names means something different).

The last picture shows not a spider but _Opiliones_ (daddy-longlegs).


----------



## Farom

Thanks for the help!  The katydid did lay eggs in the leaf, which is why I had assumed that was what it was doing in the picture.  I thought it was chewing the leaf "open" in order to stick its ovipositor in there and lay its eggs.  
Do you know if the eggs of this specie need a cooling period in order to hatch?

  Thanks,
Andrew


----------



## Dark Raptor

Yes. I guess it can be also possible. I forgot that in Europe there are also _Tettigonioidea_ species that can lay their eggs on plants (like _Meconema sp._).
I don't know biology of that specie. In Europe most species belonging to that group survive winter as eggs.


----------



## Black Hawk

hey andrew would u mind tellin me what ur feedin ur katydids, i caught a couple and wanna raise em but i need to know what they eat, how to give them water, and any other info. also breeding info could be useful


----------



## Scythemantis

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> This is larvae of tiger beetle - _Cicindela hybrida_. They hunt almost like antlions.


I thought that's what they might be, but I've never seen them up-close. Or even in photos...I've only seen drawings. They have awesome faces.


Daddy longlegs are arachnids but they're nothing like spiders. They have no silk, no venom, and their body has only one fused segment like a mite. They are also omnivorous.


----------



## Farom

Black Hawk said:
			
		

> hey andrew would u mind tellin me what ur feedin ur katydids, i caught a couple and wanna raise em but i need to know what they eat, how to give them water, and any other info. also breeding info could be useful


I feed mine lettuce, but im sure they will probably eat potatoes, carrots, etc.  My female mated before I caught her, so I cant give any breeding info, although I think that just keeping a healthy adult male and female together will result in breedings. 

Make sure you give them nice big, thick leaves for them to lay their eggs in.  I find that grapefruit leaves work especially well.

  Thanks,
Andrew


----------



## Black Hawk

thx for the info Andrew, i just put some greens in for them and they went right at it  also the assasin i caught i feed for the first time tonight, very cool to watch. i want some more of these little predators now


----------



## Dark Raptor

This time pictures taken with Canon Power Shot A60 digital camera. This stuff is a terrible choice if you wanna take a good macro pic... but check the results 

Cetonia aurata (Scarabaeidae)






Gerris sp. (Heteroptera)











Exorista sp. (Diptera)






Oedipoda (Orthoptera)






Acridoidea sp. (Orthoptera)






Dragonfly belonging to suborder Zygoptera (in copulo).






Lepidoptera larvae (family Psychidae)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hierodula mambranacea


----------



## Dark Raptor

My Tenebrio molitor colony:






"Doggy style" 






Nauphoeta cinerea colony:






Freshly "born" N. cinerea larvae:






Blaps lethifera:











Blaberus sp. "giganteus"


----------



## Dark Raptor

True bugs (Hemiptera)









































Aphidoidea






Nepa cinerea


----------



## Dark Raptor

Musca sp.
















Asilus crabroniformis











Lepidoptera


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ips typhographus


















Thanassimus formicarius






Cicindela hybrida - larvae


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Not an insects... but arachnids - Pseudoscorpion












...and Acari












And insects again...

Oryctes nasicornis (Scarabaeidae) female






Protaetia lugubris (Cetoniidae)






Cetonia aurata (Cetoniidae)


















Ips typographus (Curculionidae)







Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Collembola


















Carabid beetles captured in pitfall trap







Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Blaps lethifera.






Eudicella smithi (The funniest thing was that I wasn't keeping that specie. Somebody probably added larvae to my Xylotrupes gideon tank).






Blaberus sp. "giganteus"






Gromphadorhina portentosa. My "Supermale" and standard male.






"Czarnobylec" (roach from Chernobyl)






Oryctes nasicornis - 3 females






My crickets.






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## juggernaut

*can you get those in human. that would be eye popping!*

________________________________________________________________

Day in day out, when r things gonna change


----------



## Dark Raptor

juggernaut said:
			
		

> can you get those in human. that would be eye popping!


No 

...but I've got some Blaberus molting pics 





































...and Carabus hortensis again...






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

This time only one living beetle... Carabus auronitens.






...and as I've promised in another thread some pics of beetle collection. Here they are:






Mostly Buprestidae












Ontophagus sp.






Curculionidae






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## jw73

You have gathered superb collection of beetles. I envy a little.


----------



## Dark Raptor

jw73 said:
			
		

> You have gathered superb collection of beetles. I envy a little.


You don't need to worry. This collection belongs to my friend


----------



## Dark Raptor

...few invertebrates. Some of them very old 
Blaptica dubia






Blaberus sp. "giganteus" - terrarium






Amonita


















Trilobita


















Echinoidea


----------



## Dark Raptor

Parasitic Hymenoptera on Quercus robur






Geotrupes stercorosus (picture taken by my girlfriend)






Not ID Heteroptera






Another parasitic Hymenoptera (picture is very weak, it was really dark there)






Moth in torch light






Diptera






My favourite fly (Lucilia caesar)











Wood attacked by Cerambycidae larvae











Musca domestica killed by parasitic fungus (Entomophthorales)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carabus auronitens - feeding time!


















Protaetia lugubris






And some darkling beetles:
...and succesfully breed - Blaps lethifera






On the left - B. lethifera, on the right Tenebrio molitor






Opatrum sabulosum






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Stylopidae

Dark Raptor: What are some large carabids that I could find in the midwestern US?

Or be able to attain in the US at all?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Dark Raptor: What are some large carabids that I could find in the midwestern US?
> 
> Or be able to attain in the US at all?


I'm sorry I'm not 'specialized' in american Coleoptera species  
I think you should ask Wade.


----------



## jw73

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Carabus auronitens - feeding time!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow. I didn't know that these beetles are so brave. I consider them rather shy.


----------



## Dark Raptor

jw73 said:
			
		

> Wow. I didn't know that these beetles are so brave. I consider them rather shy.


This one was really hungry.

Ok. More pics coming... (as I remember jw73, you wanted Lucanus cervus pics).

Lucanus cervus





















Eblaberus distanti






Hierodula mambranacea - "musician" 






Nauphoeta cinerea - they are breeding so fast!!!!






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## jw73

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> This one was really hungry.
> 
> Ok. More pics coming... (as I remember jw73, you wanted Lucanus cervus pics).
> 
> [/URL]


I don't but I like them.
Your recent pics have some artistic aspects.


----------



## Fluid Filter

Here's a funny one.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Probably Curculio sp. I don't know american species.

Nice picture.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Extatosoma tiaratum











Carabidae sp.











Lucilia caesar











Lampyridae sp.






New roach specie in my collection - Pycnoscelus surinamensis.






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Few minutes with Adobe Photoshop  Enjoy...

























Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## luna

*cute cat!*

Your photos are always awesome but the cutest one I have seen so far is your cat.  You should sumit it to kittenwars.com   Think you have a winner there.  Cheri


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thank you.

No, I think that this is the best place for "her"... among invertebrates


----------



## Dark Raptor

Protaetia lugubris and Cetonia aurata (Cetonidae)






Opatrum sabulosum (Tenebrionidae)






Zophobas morio (Tenebrionidae)
...a long french kiss 












and ladies and gentelmens... LUCANUS CERVUS!!!! (Lucanidae)


----------



## jw73

Wow. At last LUCANUS CERVUS.


----------



## Dark Raptor

My "experimental" G.portentosa/Blaberus/Blaptica colony.












Thanasimus formicarius (Cleridae) - larva and imago attacking Ips typhographus (Curculionidae).












Cardisoma armatum - pics taken in Warsaw Zoo












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

At least... new pics with new camera 

Blaps lethifera (Tenebrionidae)


















Tenebrio molitor (Tenebrionidae)












Eurycantha calcarata - larva L1












Opatrum sabulosum (Tenebrionidae)












Protaetia lugubris (Cetoniidae) - finally mating (this two specimens for more than 7 hours!)












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Pycnoscelus surinamensis






Gromphadorhina portentosa


















Eublaberus distanti i P. surinamensis






Protaetia lugubris






Carabus auronitens












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

I think I should finish this thread... it is too monotone, isn't it?


----------



## Ecilious

'Saw this and thought of you...'





_ Staphylinus olens_, aka Devils Coach Horse. Not a great photo I know, lifted up a large log in the woods whilst collecting brambles and only had my phone to take a picture.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ecilious said:
			
		

> 'Saw this and thought of you...'
> _ Staphylinus olens_, aka Devils Coach Horse. Not a great photo I know, lifted up a large log in the woods whilst collecting brambles and only had my phone to take a picture.


Thanks. Staphylinus is my favourite genus in Staphylinidae family. As soon as there will be normal temperatures in Poland I'll try to get some pics of S. cesareus or Emus hirtus.


----------



## Dark Raptor

I've check one thing. I think correct name of that rove beetle should be Ocypus olens. This specie is also very common in Poland.

One of my friends has just get one:

http://leoo.asternet.pl/CRW_5690.JPG

I love watching their 'defensive' position.


----------



## danread

Hi Dark Raptor,

those are some really superb photos, thanks for sharing them. What photo setup are you using? Are you using a flash or natural light?

Cheers,


----------



## Dark Raptor

danread said:
			
		

> Hi Dark Raptor,
> 
> those are some really supurb photos, thanks for sharing them. What photo setup are you using? Are you using a flash or natural light?
> 
> Cheers,


Thanks 

Almost all pictures were taken with Nikon Coolpix 5000, last pictures with my new camera - Nikon D70s with Nikkor micro 105/2.8 and Kenko MC7x2 teleconverter.
I always try to use natural light, especially when making pics in nature. Because I work for the whole day, I can photograph only in the evening. It's too dark and I'm using lamps. It was enough for the Coolpix, but with the new equipment it is very hard to make really sharp picture. Now I'm using flash, but I try to lower its power (I reduce it by using white sheet of paper ect.).


----------



## Ganoderma

nice pictures dark raptor.   you seem to have very good photo talent.  heres me with a similar camera...haha.

gasshopers...no idea what but they are pretty big.  spines on the legs drew blood.


----------



## danread

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Thanks
> 
> Almost all pictures were taken with Nikon Coolpix 5000, last pictures with my new camera - Nikon D70s with Nikkor micro 105/2.8 and Kenko MC7x2 teleconverter.
> I always try to use natural light, especially when making pics in nature. Because I work for the whole day, I can photograph only in the evening. It's too dark and I'm using lamps. It was enough for the Coolpix, but with the new equipment it is very hard to make really sharp picture. Now I'm using flesh, but I try to lower its power (I reduce it by using white sheet of paper ect.).


Thanks for the information. I'm having much the same problem, i rarely get the chance to use natural light in my photos. I've recently started using a tip i read in John Shaws "Closeups in nature" which involves placing a white plastic mixing bowl over the subject. I photograph through a hole in the bowl, and use my external flash over the top, which gives a pretty nice even light. it's not as good as natural light, but much better than using a desk lamp.

Cheers,


----------



## Ganoderma

im pretty camera retarded.  im trying to learn how to take better photos and seeing darkraptors i know my camera is capable.  could you possibly explain that procedure again.  sorry i dont really get how it works


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thank you guys.

I'm planning to buy SB-600, so it should be much easier to get correct lighting. I'll also get MC-DC1 'cable' next week. My pics should be sharper than now (it will reduce shakes).

Nice grasshopers  Our largest _Acridoidea_ specie it is _Locusta migratoria_, only some _Tettigonidae_ species are larger than this one.

PS. I like your nickname Ganoderma. It reminds me Ganoderma applanatum, very interesting fungus, rich in mycophagous fauna. 

And more pics.

























...and _Osmoderma eremita_ (_Cetoniidae_). She has emerged today from pupation chamber.






























She's got some mites...






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Here is the lense I'm using now (with my 'analog' Nikon F60):












And nice addition made many years ago in Soviet Union. With this device I'll be able to get incredible magnifications. But it will be possible only with very good lighting. I'll be able to take pics in 'full manual' mode. Here with my old Nikon F2.













Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## danread

Wow, with a bellows unit that long you should be able to get some great closeups, but as you said, the lighting must get quite difficult at that level of extension. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos with the new flash, i can;t imagine how they can get much better thought, they are some excellent photos. I'm thinking of investing in my first dSLR soon, and probably with the sigma 105mm macro lens, it seems to be a good macro 'allrounder'. I'll post some pics when i get it.

Cheers,


----------



## Ganoderma

wow.....big camera haha.  no idea what it is but its pictures are very impressive!  if possible do you have any suggestions on taking photos in teh feild?  i have the CP5400 (very similar to your cp5000) and i cant seem to get the hang of things.  when its at my house and i have time on my side i can get decent shots, but in the feild im usually left with either crappy pics or decent ones of half an animal :wall: 

unfortunatly i dont have any $ for a new cam or lenses/adapter for this one...

think you could shed some light on anything you can?


are the grasshopers in my pics "Locusta migratoria"?  they are pretty impressive, 4 1/4" was the biggest we found.  found lots of dead ones with ants as well.  bet their tasty.

thanks for any help


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hi



			
				danread said:
			
		

> I'm thinking of investing in my first dSLR soon, and probably with the sigma 105mm macro lens, it seems to be a good macro 'allrounder'.


Yes, I know it is a very good lens. At first I was thinking about buying it, but I was able to buy cheaper Nikkor 105/2.8.



			
				danread said:
			
		

> if possible do you have any suggestions on taking photos in teh feild?


The first problem is that lens in Coolpix is rather dark (as I remember f3.5/4.5). This is problem when there is lack of light. In the field I always try to:
- use manual focus (autofocus in CP is very slow, I use it only for almost 'static' animal)
- when it is draker (clouds, evening ect.) I use highier ISO. Remember to use ISO 200 - 400, when you set it at 800 you'll get characteristic 'noises'
- if it is very dark, you can use flash. Sometimes you can put white sheet of paper between object and flashlight (you won't get too bright lights on the object)
- never use 'digital zoom', I think there should be an option "turn it off forever"  in every digital camera.
- always try to find stable base for your camera. Small tripod or another stuff like this will help you get sharp pics. You can always put your equipment on the ground.
- and when you work with insects for longer time you will learn how to draw near objects without scaring them away.

I can't ID your grasshoper. I wrote that polish largest specie it is L. migratoria, and is smaller than your insect


----------



## Dark Raptor

New insects 
Lucanus cervus












Ips typhographus


















Blatella germanica












Chalcosoma atlas












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Ecilious

Maybe it's just me, but does that L. cervus looks a bit... dead?


----------



## Malhavoc's

Looks a lil dead to me too, but then again a photo of that quality is still awesome.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Yes, you are right. But as you know it is very difficult to get living specimen in the middle of the winter, especially when it is sometimes -27 degrees C outside  ;P


----------



## Malhavoc's

Ahh well you have a point there. I guess I can 'allow' it to be dead then, none the less fine specimen.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. Now two living invertebrates and two 'zombies'   I think it's easy to guess which one belong to which group  

Osmoderma eremita (Cetoniidae)












Hymenoptera sp.






Onthophagus sp. taurus(?) - female






Lithobius forficatus






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ok. Now if you are bored by 'usual' mealworms. Here are some close relatives of Tenebrio molitor.

Tenebrio opacus (Tenebrionidae) - very, very rare in whole Europe. They live in old, hollow deciduous trees. "primeval forest relic"






Tenebrio picipes (Tenebrionidae) - also very rare. Under bark of old trees and in wood mould in hollows.






Uloma culinaris (Tenebrionidae) - common in Poland. Under bark






Scaphidema metallicum (Tenebrionidae) - common, habitat similar as U. culinaris. One of my faw species.






Opatrum sabulosum - (Tenebrionidae). Very common on warm, kserotermic meadows.






Hololepta plana (Histeridae) - my favourite histerid beetle. Mostly under bark of old Populus. Very interesting and rare predator.





















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## CustomNature

Man oh man, that camera up there looks like an anti-aircraft gun.


----------



## Dark Raptor

HoldThePickle said:
			
		

> Man oh man, that camera up there looks like an anti-aircraft gun.


Because there are attached m42 lenses, I'd call it MG42 machine gun  

I don't see any differences


----------



## Ecilious

Those histerid beetles look incredible, great little bit of design. What do they eat; do they hunt under the bark? Those look like grabbing-and-not-letting-go jaws so I'll have a guess and say they go after grubs/worms?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Ecilious said:
			
		

> Those histerid beetles look incredible, great little bit of design. What do they eat; do they hunt under the bark? Those look like grabbing-and-not-letting-go jaws so I'll have a guess and say they go after grubs/worms?


According to prof. Mazur (1981) they attack other saproxylic insects and their larvae. They feed also on Collembola. There are reports that they were found in Corvus monedula nests.

Source: Mazur S., 1981: Coleoptera: Histeridae. Fauna Polski 9. 207 pp. 590


----------



## Ecilious

Yeah, that makes sense, thanks.


----------



## Dark Raptor

More beetles 

Trox scaber (Trogidae) - on faeces and carrion. They can stridulate, sometimes very loud.






Molorchus minor (Cerambycidae) - very common on Umbelliferae flowers.






Chalcophora mariana (Buprestidae) - common in old pine forrests.






Asemum striatum (Cerambycidae) - very common, dammages pine wood






Plagionotus arcuatus (Cerambycidae) - common on old oaks











Acanthocinus aedilis (Cerambycidae) - one of my fav longhorbed beetles. Very common, on pine.





















Lepidoptera sp. (Ephestia?)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Chrysopa sp. (Neuroptera)


















Eurycantha calcarata (Phasmida) - hatched one hour before taking that pic






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## mantid

Nice, I love that phasmid.


----------



## anisomorpha

I emailed your photo of a purple moth to a friend who has an identification and wishes to use your photo on his website- but is asking for permission, could you email me and I will provide particulars?


----------



## Carlos.e

WooW
I love your Hololepta plana! I've never seen that before!
Could you tell us how do you take care of this beetles and their larvaes???

Thank you.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 



			
				Carlos.e said:
			
		

> WooW
> I love your Hololepta plana! I've never seen that before!
> Could you tell us how do you take care of this beetles and their larvaes???


I wasn't able to breed them   They are too specialized predators and it is difficult to create the best environment for them.
...so they quickly landed in 70% ethanol


----------



## Carlos.e

But you know how to take care of them? 
I also like your Cicindela hebrida, can you tell me more about this specie?
Thanks


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carlos.e said:
			
		

> But you know how to take care of them?


I believe you have to take them with their whole environment   So it means that you'll need to take large part of Poplar wood with loose bark on it. I can't tell you how much humid they need. I captured all of them on trees that were exposed to direct sunshine, but near marshy forests. I expect that the beetles will be able to catch and kill small tenebrionid larvae, Collembola ect. But as I said, I didn't keep them for a longer time.



			
				Carlos.e said:
			
		

> I also like your Cicindela hebrida, can you tell me more about this specie?


It is very common in Poland on every sandy places. I've kept them last year and left myself 20 larvae. They had grown to L3 stage, but I lost them (they probably need wintering, I'll have to test it this year).
They eat almost anything that is smaller than them. You can use humid sand as substrate for them.


----------



## Carlos.e

Thank you. The questions about Hololepta plana were only for curiosity, I can't obtain this species, because in Spain there's only on the northern part of the country, and I live in the southern-east region of Spain...

Another question is: Cicindela spp lives in sandy banks of the rivers, don't it?
Is it the same habitat that Myrmeleon formicarius?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carlos.e said:
			
		

> Another question is: Cicindela spp lives in sandy banks of the rivers, don't it?
> Is it the same habitat that Myrmeleon formicarius?


Yes. I found both species in the same habitat many times (and life/hunting strategies of their larvae are similar). _Cicindela hybrida_ can be also found on the sandy field roads, far from forrests (_M. formicarius_ can be found mostly close to border of forest and on glades).


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carabus auronitens






Nauphoeta cinerea - female with ootheca












Sciaridae fly... I know, you HATE THEM!... and I understand that  






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Carlos.e

Among flies, I really hate Hippobosca equina. They are parasites of mammals and birds, and they also sting humans. They are very hard and for this, you can't kill them like the other flies. They also fly slowly and look more heavy than other dipters.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carlos.e said:
			
		

> Among flies, I really hate Hippobosca equina. They are parasites of mammals and birds, and they also sting humans. They are very hard and for this, you can't kill them like the other flies. They also fly slowly and look more heavy than other dipters.


Yup, maybe you are right but I've never been stung by _Hippoboscidae_ flies despite I had many 'close contacts' with them. The worse are _Tabanus_ and other _Tabanidae_ species... I can't forget also about _Simulidae_ and _Culicidae_ they are really nasty ;P  Especially in northern Europe.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Another pictures of _Sciaridae_ flies. They are fast and very small but it is possible to take their pics  













And my latest addition - _Archimandrita tessellata_
























Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

The spring is coming!!!!!!
Adalia bipunctata - Coccinellidae


















...and flower power!






























Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## CustomNature

Oooooooooooooo I just realized that this thread has been running for well over a year!  Woo hoo!


----------



## Dark Raptor

HoldThePickle said:
			
		

> Oooooooooooooo I just realized that this thread has been running for well over a year!  Woo hoo!


Hmmm this is very long time. I've check this thread again and found how my photographic skills were evolving  

So... my latest pics. As you see the spring is really close.

Musca domestica
















Lucilia caesar






Lasius niger











Apis mellifera











Curculionidae
















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

...and few more 

Carabidae






Coccinella septempunctata






Homoptera











Geotrupes stercorarius






and snail with hairs 






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## juggernaut

*your photos are profound*

have any mantid dragonfly centpede or tarantula photos?


----------



## Dark Raptor

juggernaut said:
			
		

> have any mantid dragonfly centpede or tarantula photos?


Only few, old and not the best pics of my S. gastrica and H. membranacea (I think I posted them in this thread). There are also few dragonfly pics there. I didn't take any pics of centipedes, except Lithobius forficatus.
...and tarantuas? Check the link in my signature


----------



## Scorpfanatic

hi.. got boired the other day and started exploring here.. so heres a few of my pics. i dono if they really belong here, so jus trying my luck.,  ;P


----------



## prankster705

looks like mantis religiosa (I think - I'm no mantid expert though.).


----------



## Scorpfanatic

prankster705 said:
			
		

> looks like mantis religiosa (I think - I'm no mantid expert though.).


 thats the only common mantis i see ard here in my country, another one look alost the same but full brown


----------



## HuonHengChai

I donno what on earth is it but it's looks like a weird spider


----------



## Gigas

HuonHengChai said:
			
		

> I donno what on earth is it but it's looks like a weird spider


 Woah is it some kind of harvest amn or Super mite!, where does it come from???


----------



## Dark Raptor

Gigus said:
			
		

> Woah is it some kind of harvest amn or Super mite!, where does it come from???


Yup, it belongs to _Opiliones_ 

This _Gasteracantha_ spider is fantastic!


----------



## Carlos.e

Dark Raptor, how do you collect the silphid and the carabid beetles?


----------



## HuonHengChai

thank you so much for the answer. now i've learn something new.
I found it in the forest reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. 
didnt took it home, just took a picture of it.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carlos.e said:
			
		

> Dark Raptor, how do you collect the silphid and the carabid beetles?


I search for carrion.  Silphid beetles loves small mammals but you can find them on larger animals. They also fly when it gets dark.
For _Carabidae_ I use pitfall traps or look under stones, pieces of wood ect. Larger species are active during the night.



			
				HuonHengChai said:
			
		

> just took a picture of it.


I don't see the picture.


----------



## HuonHengChai

This one


----------



## Dark Raptor

HuonHengChai said:
			
		

> This one


Oups, now I got it. I didn't understand you correctly and thought that you wanted to show another picture for identification. My mistake


----------



## Carlos.e

What do you use as bait in the pitfalls for carabids?
I've heard that people uses vinager.

Thanks.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Carlos.e said:
			
		

> What do you use as bait in the pitfalls for carabids?
> I've heard that people uses vinager.


Generally I use traps without bait (I don't catch only carabid beetles, but all epigeic arthropodes). You can also use carrion, sometimes Carabidae fall there in large numbers.


----------



## Curry

Dark Raptor: AMAZING Photos!

I dont have any "live" ones but I do have quite a few that I am collecting and mounting.

























I have hundreds more that are still in my closet!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Formica rufa
Captured _Trochosa sp._ (Lycosidae) spider.












Aggressive positions.












Refueling 






Guards.






Traffic jam.






Meeting.






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Captured in wood.

Prionus coriarius (?) (Cerambycidae) larva.












Uleiota planata (Cucujidae)






Elateridae






Alleculidae (?)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Curry said:
			
		

> I dont have any "live" ones but I do have quite a few that I am collecting and mounting.
> I have hundreds more that are still in my closet!


Thanks!
Your beetles are also fantastic. I like these _Neolamprima_ stag beetles, their mandibles are extremely large.


----------



## Ganoderma

do you use dessicant for mounting beetles?  got any links for mounting softer bodied creatures?  like spiders, phasmids etc?

like the pics.


----------



## Curry

Ganoderma said:
			
		

> do you use dessicant for mounting beetles?  got any links for mounting softer bodied creatures?  like spiders, phasmids etc?
> 
> like the pics.


I mount them the same way I mount butterflies. I never used dessicant.

1. Position

2. Dry

3. Pin

For T's i'm experimenting with stuffing the abdomen, drying and then mounting. Scorps I usually will mount a few and a few I will keep in vials or small jars with alcohol sealed up and labeled with data.

I never really searched the net for info on mounting, most of it I learned on my own and from a few entomology books on my shelf. The stuffing idea just came to me one day, but I've heard of people using it and having success with it.

Try these links: (I will be writing my own very soon, I'll be sure to link you to it once its complete!)

http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/projects/pinning-insects.doc

http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is655.htm

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/pinning2.html

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?docid=10141&page=1 (good resource)

http://www.nfi.org.za/inverts/Collect/preserving.html

Hope this helps!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Bombus sp.






Chrysopidae (Neuroptera)






Margarinotus bipustulatus (Histeridae)






Meloe violaceus (Meloidae)


















..and not insects...
Acari






Tegenaria sp.






Collembola, in Poland we call this specie "water flea".






Lacerta agilis






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## T.Raab

Hi,

fantastic shots as always. 

Here are some pix of my break two days ago (KoMi Dynax 5D with Sigma DG EX 50/2.8 Macro):


----------



## Dark Raptor

Very, very nice!
I like especially this _Bombyliidae_ fly. I hope I'll be able to catch it during flight.

I'm starting my fieldworks on saproxylic beetles tomorrow, so expect more pics after 8th of May.


----------



## Scolopendra55

Yo, Dark Raptor you are BOMB at taking pics!!! Keep up the good work home fry. There I've filled me gangster talk quota for the month  But seriously you are REALLY good at taking pics


----------



## T.Raab

HI,

today in my break:


----------



## Dark Raptor

Very beautifull Pieris sp. (brassicae ?).

I've returned earlier and prepare for a next trip next week. Here are couple pics I took in Siekierki. It is very close to german border.

Ampedus sp. (Elateridae)






Typhoeus typhoeus (Scarabaeidae) attacked by Formica rufa






Cassidinae (Chrysomelidae)






Cerambyx cerdo (Cerambycidae)






Chalcophora mariana (Buprestidae)






Cicindela hybrida (Carabidae)












Epicometis hirta (Cetoniidae) & Meligethes sp. (Nitidulidae)






Ergates faber (Cerambycidae)


















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Formicidae sp.






Gryllus campestris






Hispella atra (Chrysomelidae)






Ixodes ricinus, larva L2... not an insect 






Probably Orgya antiqua eggs (Lepidoptera)






Diptera (Culicidae or Chironomidae)






Caterpillars...






Meligethes sp.






Parasitic wasps fighting for Lycosidae spider


















Pyrochroa coccinea (Pyrochroidae) - pupa






Pyrrhidium sanguineum (Cerambycidae)






Rhagium inquisitor (Cerambycidae)






Acridoidea sp. (Tetrix sp.?)






Reptiles
Lacerta agilis






Rana temporaria






Sunset over Odra (Oder) river. Just behind you can see Germany...












and two additional "nature" pics












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## DE3

I rarely say this, but nice pics D R !


----------



## aggie08

Awesome pics!


----------



## Kabutomushi

*Dynastes hercules ecuatorianus*

Male Dynastes hercules ecuatorianus (14.2 cm) captive breed


----------



## Gigas

Wah! 14 cm! and welcome to the Forums


----------



## Kabutomushi

*Allomyrina dichotoma*

Male Allomyrina dichotoma (captive breed)


----------



## Kabutomushi

*Allomyrina pfeifferi*

Male Allomyrina pfeifferi (captive breed) :drool:


----------



## Kabutomushi

*Chalcosoma atlas*

Wild male Chalcosoma atlas :clap:


----------



## Gigas

those are some very beautiful beetles kabutomushi


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hi!

Beautifull beetles Kabutomushi! I wish we had some of these species in Poland  

...but smaller doesn't mean worse 

Apis mellifera






Syrphidae


















Cetonia aurata












Rhyssa






Vespa crabro












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Gigas

Dark Raptor said:
			
		

> Hi!



Woah whats goin on ther????!!!! i love your pictures Dark 
Raptor, Like ppoetry


----------



## Dark Raptor

Gigus said:
			
		

> Woah whats goin on ther????!!!! i love your pictures Dark
> Raptor, Like ppoetry


Thank you. 
That was "Kamasutra" 
I'll try to take more pics with flying insects. It is a bit difficult but they look really amazing during flight.


----------



## David_F

*Calosoma scrutator (Fiery searcher)*

I found this beetle a few nights ago at work.  It was missing most of it's right, rear leg when I found it.


----------



## T.Raab

not unusual at all, but very nice:

_Araneus_ sp.:


----------



## padkison

Aaahh!  More wallpaper.  Thanks all.


----------



## Dark Raptor

More insects.

Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale (Pentatomidae, Hemiptera)












Ceruchus chrysomelinus (Lucanidae), one of the rearest polish species. They develope in red rottened spruce wood. Known from only 3 locations in Poland.


















Platycerus caraboides (Lucanidae) not very common. Found in rottened oak wood.












Sitticus sp. (Salticidae)... one of the most beautifull spiders.






Anthrenus picturatus makolskii (Dermestidae) known from the only two locations in Poland. This specimen was found in my flat.






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hemiptera






Camponotus herculeanus - queen






Diptera species


























Gryllus campestris






Phyllobius sp. (Curculionidae)






Tetrix sp.






Vespa vulgaris






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Gigas

dark raptor i think ive asked before but what camera are you using? very nice pictures


----------



## Tleilaxu

How do you keep those hornets on your hands/arms without getting stung?


----------



## Techuser

o_o
do you crop your pics raptor?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks



			
				Gigus said:
			
		

> dark raptor i think ive asked before but what camera are you using? very nice pictures


This is the question that I reply very often   Nikon D70s with Nikkor Micro 105/2.8 and sometimes with Kenko MC7 x2 Teleconverter.



			
				Tleilaxu said:
			
		

> How do you keep those hornets on your hands/arms without getting stung?


Hornets were 'stunned' by low temperature, so almost harmless. Queens are also very calm.



			
				Techuser said:
			
		

> do you crop your pics raptor?


Most of them are 'full frame'. I crop pics only when I want correct picture composition.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Molted 3 days ago...






...now its glowing like hell! (sorry for bad pic, but I wasn't able to use tripod).






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Gigas

Shiny *-* i wish i had some


----------



## Dark Raptor

I did't write that it is Lampyris noctiluca.



			
				Gigus said:
			
		

> Shiny *-* i wish i had some


They are quite common in our forests. I've got now 2 adult females. They don't eat as imago so I'll have to be quick in searching males for them.


----------



## T.Raab

Very nice pix as usual  .... hope that i can get my cam asap ... hr hr...


----------



## Dark Raptor

T.Raab said:
			
		

> Very nice pix as usual  .... hope that i can get my cam asap ... hr hr...


Thanks. I'm waiting for more of your pics... but this time with insects


----------



## T.Raab

Hi,

you mean like such things: f**** flies


----------



## cricket54

Awesome pictures!!!! Is a "Vespa cabro" one of those "Giant Hornets" we see here in the US? My daughter Laura had one of those in a plastic container yesterday and we got to observe her up close. It was just crawling on our front porch. Think she was dying of old age. She started curling her legs under and looking bad, so Laura put her in the refrigerator.

Sharon


----------



## Dark Raptor

T. Raab... nice joke!  ...and pic of course 



			
				cricket54 said:
			
		

> Is a "Vespa cabro" one of those "Giant Hornets" we see here in the US?


I don't know american insects. V. crabro is known as european hornet, so I expect that you've got another specie.


----------



## Tleilaxu

There IS a Giant hornet that has been introduced into the US from Europe. Just did a search it _IS_ Vespa crabro.


----------



## David_F

*Damselfly*

Anyone know the species?


----------



## Phalagorn

Some Swedish insects and spiders... Enjoy!  

Unknown species.






_Araniella cucurbitina_






_Atypus affinis_































Unknown species.











_Hemaris fuciformis_






_Parage aegeria tircis_











_Philudoria potatoria_






_Lasiocampa trifolii_





















_Cicindela campestris_











_Potosia cuprea_











_Cetonia aurata_


























_Melanophila cyanea_











_Pyrochroa coccinea_
















_Platypus cylindrus_


























Unknown species.











_Nepa cinerea_
















_Lysandra coridon_






Unknown species.
















_Trichius fasciatus_ 
















_Ectobius lapponicus_
















_Ectobius sylvestris_











_Ectobius sylvestris_ and _Ectobius lapponicus_






Unknown species.






_Xysticus cristatus_











_Misumena vatia_


----------



## bugmankeith

Cool! I like the blue click beetle.


----------



## Gigas

Nice pics Phalagorn, Are pursewebs as rare for you as they are in England?


----------



## Phalagorn

Gigus said:
			
		

> Nice pucs Phalagorn, Are pursewebs as rare for you as they are in England?


I think so, They can only been found in 3 places in southern Sweden.


----------



## CustomNature

*Keepin 'er goin.*

Just figured I'd keep this thread in the front of the pack with some recent pics:


Just got lucky with this shot.  Didn't ID the beetle.  All are from northeast US.







This was the end of a dragonfly.







And finally here is a Cicindela sexguttata in the process of ovipositing.


----------



## konrad16660

thats pretty sick.  proper name for that guy though.


----------



## Stylopidae

Here are some pics of wasps I'm keeping in captivity:


----------



## CustomNature

That's pretty impressive Evil.  I never even thought of the concept of keeping wasps.  I know these are pretty novice questions, but what do they eat even??  And how do you take down their next and get some adults without getting whacked by them?


----------



## Shelob

GREAT post Phalagorn!

How common are those Atypus affinis, and do you know much about them?  Such cute little guys!


----------



## Stylopidae

HoldThePickle said:
			
		

> That's pretty impressive Evil.  I never even thought of the concept of keeping wasps.  I know these are pretty novice questions, but what do they eat even??  And how do you take down their next and get some adults without getting whacked by them?



Thanks for the interest. This is kind of a new thing for the hobby, keeping wasps. I explain most of it in this thread (more pictures, too).

The adults eat anything sweet and sugary, and their larvae need a high protien diet which is fed to them by an adult. The only high protien thing I happened to have around was fish food, though.

As for taking the nest down, basically what I did was fill a super soaker with ice water and blasted away. One hit renders them unable to fly, and splatter does very much the same. After all the adults are off the nest, the larvae, eggs and pupae are quite safe to handle 

For more information, check that thread. I think you'll find it an interesting read.


----------



## Tleilaxu

HoldThePickle said:
			
		

> That's pretty impressive Evil.  I never even thought of the concept of keeping wasps.  I know these are pretty novice questions, but what do they eat even??  And how do you take down their next and get some adults without getting whacked by them?


Also the northern paper wasps are generally VERY laid back, they seem to get more aggresive the further south you go, I have no clue why this is.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Hi! I've been here a long time ago. Here are new pics taken in NE Poland.

Chrysis ignita





Dytiscus marginalis





Zygaena viciae





Diptera





Bembix rostrata










Laothoe populi





Coenagrionidae










Chironomidae






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Gigas

Those Bembix rostrata pictures are AMAZING! keep up the *Excellent* work Dark Raptor


----------



## Waspman

The Bembix picture is awesome!! Great shot!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks!

And here are another pics with that specie.

Male






Female
















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Arietans

Awesome photography


----------



## Ecilious

There's truly no greater artist than nature. Fantastic pictures, some especially nice 'action' shots.


----------



## CustomNature

Alright Raptor, I know you've answered this question a billion times, but what camera did you use for the last series of pictures?  I'm in the market for a new digital cam so I'm looking for some advice!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

As always, I use Nikon D70s with Nikkor Micro 105/2.8 lens and Kenko MC-7 x2 teleconverter. I think I should add this line to my signature 

...and now more latest pics...
Acentria ephemerella - larvae and females of that butterfly live underwater






Achatina achatina - 






Acrididae






Agapanthia villosoviridescens - (Cerambycidae)












Anomala dubia (Scarabaeidae)






Aphodius fossor (Aphodidae)






Blaps lethifera (Tenebrionidae)






Bombyliidae






Carabus sp.






Chrysididae






Chrysomelidae - pupation chambers






Clytus arietis (Cerambycidae)






Coccinellidae






Lilioceris lilii (Chrysomelidae)






Diptera






...as bonus... rain in micro scale 


















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Arietans

I shall never post pics in the same thread as you.

Very very impressive.:clap: :clap:


----------



## Gigas

those pictures of rain sent a tingle down my back, simply awesome

*edit* i just did some reading on the Acentria ephemerella pretty cool moth


----------



## jw73

Dark raptor you should publish your own foto album. You are next Włodzimierz Puchalski.


----------



## Greg Pelka

As always - great pictures Darek


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks!
I think I need to work harder to take the same pics as Puchalski   ... but I'm lucky, he was ornitologist 

Ok. Now larger part. I am posting these pictures on 3 different phorums, so I don't know where I posted some of them or where not...   

Zygoptera
























Coreus marginatus (Hemiptera)






Trichoptera






Tipulidae (Diptera)






Tabanus sp. (Diptera)






Graphosoma sp. (Hemiptera)












Spondylis buprestoides (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)












Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Sphingidae (Lepidoptera)












Rhyssa sp. (Hymenoptera)






Rhagium inquisitor (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)






Brachyacon murimus (Coleoptera, Elateridae)






Plecoptera






Phyllobius sp. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)






Opatrum sabulosum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)






Nicrophorus vespilloides (Coleoptera, Silphidae)






Chrysopa sp. (Neuroptera)






Yponameuta sp. (imago of european tent caterpillar)






Syrphus sp. (Diptera, Syrphidae) attacking aphids






...and aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidae)






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Dark Raptor

Myrmica rubra with dead Oeceoptoma thoracica (Silphidae)






Parnopa sp. (Mecoptera) - female






Lixus sp. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)












Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera) - larva






Zygaena viciae (Lepidoptera) - larva and imago












...another Zygaenidae












...and more butterflies


















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## bugmankeith

A moth that lives underwater, amazing! Is that white fly rare?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Lagria hirta (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)






Orgyia antiqua (Lepidoptera) parasited by Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera)






Hymenoptera






Hylobius abietis (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)






Gyrinus sp. (Coleoptera, Gyrinidae)






Geometridae (Lepidoptera)






Dorcus parallelopipedus (Coleoptera, Lucanidae)
male












female






Tachinidae parasite outside moth caterpillar






Succinea sp. (Gastropoda) parasited by Trematoda worms






Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

...ok. I think thats all for now. Prepare for more pics soon


----------



## LHP

Amazing photos as always!



> Parnopa sp. (Mecoptera) - female


Beautiful!

Here is a male scorpionfly I found in Central Virginia.  Sorry for the fuzziness; only got one photo before he flew off.  Always on the look out for another  one, but they are hard to come by.  Next time, I hope to find one with prey!:
http://atshq.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1011

Lindsey


----------



## Curry

Dark Raptor... Your shots are AMAZING! I'm gonna keep telling you that. Keep up the great work!!!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thank you 

LHP, you thats a wonderfull male. Probably also _Parnopa_ because they can be found in US.

And more pics if you like them 

Agapanthia villosoviridescens (Cerambycidae)






Pleuroptya ruralis






Geometridae






Hylotrupes bajulus (Cerambycidae)






Acridoidea






Pyrrhocoris apterus (Hemiptera)






Polyommatus icarus






Musca sp.






Myrmica rubra






Peltidae (Coleoptera)






Eurygaster sp.






Dolycoris baccarum






Pentatoma rufipes






Sarcophaga sp. and "1 grosz" (something like 1 cent in US)






Vespula sp.












Not an insect but my first shots with larger predators 



















Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## Ecilious

My newly matured male macleay's spectre stick insect, hatched from some eggs I bought off e-bay.


----------



## wizentrop

Anyone heard of the butterfly-back assassin bug? I guess not, because ...well, there is no such thing, but this small assassin does have something that resembles a butterfly on its back. The name is Ectomocoris melanogaster, and it belongs to the family Reduviidae, meaning it's a relative of the large assassin bugs, like Platymeris. By the way, this is an adult, so these small wings are not getting any longer...


----------



## Insecto

Here is one unusual butterfly wich pretends that he is a wasp:

And weard looking microfly:


----------



## Dark Raptor

It is time to bring some life to this topic again 

Diptera












Carabus coriaceus












Palomena prasina












Hymenoptera


















Tettigonia viridissima












Vespa crabro






Cychrus caraboides






Lepidoptera


















Nymphalis io i Vanessa atalanta


----------



## Widowman10

wonderful! just as all the pics before it!! very nice work indeed:clap:


----------



## CustomNature

Dark Raptor, good to see you back!  About a month or two ago I posted a thread asking what happened to this one (the unusual insect one).  I think it got lost in the frey of the big server change over or whatever it was.  Keep the pictures coming!


----------



## ninjitsu2007

Got Some here at the Philippines


----------



## Fince

Hi!

I just bring some pics here.

*Copris lunaris* female







*Dorcadium fulvum*













*Melolontha melolontha*


----------



## Emilyloulou

I know this is an old picture but my uni flat in nottingham is infested with these! they keep popping out from under the carpet. i dont mind, i just stick them in a pot but my flatmates are freaking out.

_Dermestes lardarius_ - _Dermestidae_ (who like them?)


----------



## lukatsi

Szép képek Fince! 

Beautiful pics, what camera and lens do you use? -- Oh, I see this was discussed before...


----------



## Fince

lukatsi said:


> Szép képek Fince!
> 
> Beautiful pics, what camera and lens do you use? -- Oh, I see this was discussed before...


Hi, 

	
	
		
		
	


	





Köszönöm! Thank you very much! Yes, i described the equipment what i using. But i describe again if you would like.

Today i took pic from other Cerambycidae.

*Mesosa nebulosa*


----------



## Truff135

These pictures are incredible!  Gives me an even bigger appreciation for our otherwise stepped-upon neighbors on this earth.  They're so beautiful but you can't tell when they're so small.  Pictures like this just make them look as incredible as they really are.  Please keep the pictures coming!!! :clap:


----------



## svamp_barn

*my first!*

Oiceoptoma thoracica! went walking in the southern swedish forests yesterday and flipped an dead toad over. found Oiceoptoma thoracica and decided to make them my pets! had som eublaberus distanti before but it just wasnt enough! ive become an bugaholic!! so any tips on how to make the Oiceoptoma thoracica thrive?? ///David


----------



## Dark Raptor

svamp_barn said:


> so any tips on how to make the Oiceoptoma thoracica thrive?? ///David


You need small terrarium with good air flow, simple soil as substrate and carrion (small rodents, snails, birds ect.). If you won't gas them, they should develope nicely.

More beetes 
Saperda scalaris












Not ID carabid beetle






Curculionid beetle






Cetonia aurata






...and other groups

Urophora cardui












Symphyta (Hymenoptera) larvae






Deilephila elpenor


----------



## Widowman10

Dark Raptor said:


>


good grief man. no way. you never fail to impress me. ever. :clap:


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

This was a good year. I've collected 20gb (or more) of invertebrate pictures, now I need weeks to work a bit on them. Here are little more:

Sinodendron cylindricum (Lucanidae)






Cossus cossus moth






Bombyliidae fly






Myrmecoris gracilis (Heteroptera: Miridae)






Monochamus sutor (Cerambycidae)






Ips typographus (Curculionidae)






Agrilus sp. (Buprestidae)






Agapanthia villosoviridescens (Cerambycidae)






Zygoptera damesfly






...and I can't forget about O. thoracica


----------



## bhoeschcod

Dark Raptor said:


> Ok. I've got more pics from my last photo session.
> 
> _Prionus coriarius_ - _Cerambycidae_ (I like them)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Melolontha melolontha_ - now _Melolonthidae_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Dermestes lardarius_ - _Dermestidae_ (who like them?)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not identified leaf beetle (_Chrysomelidae_)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Micropeplus sp._ - _Staphylinidae_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Onthophagus_ - _Scarabaeidae_


I like larder beetles!


----------



## calum

wow, you pictures are simply amazing dark raptor.


----------



## Skullptor

Excellent photography! Nice collection too.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thank you. I'm posting new stuff 

Sphecidae






Cetonia aurata






Myrmica rubra






Chrysolina coerulans 






Not ID fly






Sphinx pinastri


----------



## Matt K

These pictures are very nice, but they would be even nicer if the post told what kind of camera and what lens were used to get the macro photo....


----------



## Dark Raptor

Matt K said:


> These pictures are very nice, but they would be even nicer if the post told what kind of camera and what lens were used to get the macro photo....


Yup, you are right but I think it was mentioned few times in this thread 

Nikon D200, Nikkor Micro 105/2.8D lens and extension rings. Older pictures with Nikon D70s.


----------



## calum

wow! you must have quite a collection of beetles!


----------



## ArachnoBasement

Think it's about time to breathe new life into this thread (again).  The collecting season is pretty much over now.  Raptor, I was wondering if you had any new pictures you'd like to share from this summer???! :worship:


----------



## Dark Raptor

Funny thing, I've visited AB today, after few weeks without loging in 

Yup. This year was a bit difficult for me and my wife (who also take macrophotos). First, our prime macro lens had broken (and still needs some repairs) and we had to use old, soviet, manual lenses like Industar 50/2.8 or japanese Takumar 28/2.8. Here are the results (we've got tons of it, but not much time to upload it):

Aeschna mixta


















Vespa crabro - female






male












Ameles sp. from Bulgaria






Robber fly sucking house fly






Tettigonidae






Butterflies in the morning dew


















...another reason is simple... work. The first day in which you decide to buy a flat, means the last day of your free time :/


----------



## Dark Raptor

...and extreme magnifications with SEM microscope ;P 

_Alphitobius diaperinus_ darkling beetle. In brackets - magnification scale)

(x168), head






(x376) eye and mouth parts






(x763) eye






(x4420) ommatidia






(x1270) antennae receptors






(x1870) antennae receptors






(x4740) antennae receptors






(x813) tarsus


----------



## TalonAWD

Just Wow! So amazing!


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

Just a few months earlier...






...few days ago...






...one day before pupation...






...and finally, adult _Papilo machaon_.


----------



## Teal

*Just... wow... !!
*


----------



## Dark Raptor

Coccinella septempunctata






Myrmeleon formicarius






Pyrrhocoris apterus (molting)






Curculio glandium






Coreus marginatus






Emus hirtus vs Aphodius






Collembola






Atta sp.












And something that shows how small sometimes these animals are (and what magnification I can get with Takumar 28 and macro bellows ; ) ). No cropping, full frame. This strange object is a prinded comma sign, type: Arial size: 10.

Not identified Hymenoptera






Thysanoptera






Me, at work


----------



## Widowman10

ya, that's still awesome. as usual DR. 

now, tell me this (and pardon my lack of understanding). when taking super-detailed photos like this, it seems the focus (or depth at which it focuses) is a clear, small point or small plane. now, is it possible to take several pictures in a row that would take into focus the whole bug (like in the case of the antlion) so that the whole bug is in sharp focus like the head? i know it would be hard to get an insect to stay in the same position to do such a thing, i was just wondering if it is even possible. 

please enlighten me, as you seem to have macro photography down to an art form! best pics i've seen man, simply amazing.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Yes. Every time you are closer to the object, field of depth (area where image is sharp) is thinner and thinner. It can be solved by technique called "stacking".
Sometimes I'm using it, but it is a bit difficult when you are shooting moving specimens.

Some pictures in my jumping spider and true spider threads were taken with that technique.

Check gallery of this guy. Thomas Shahan uses it ver, very often:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/


----------



## Widowman10

ah, good explanation. "stacking" is what i was wondering about! thanks for explaining that and for the links DR.


----------



## Mack&Cass

I am absolutely in awe right now. You are definitely one of the most talented photographers I've ever seen. Stunning work! :clap:

cassandra


----------



## Teal

*I am speechless! Your work is simply amazing. *


----------



## Dom

Fantastic pics Dark Raptor:clap::clap:.


----------



## Avicularia Man

*Wow*

This thread is awesome. Here is a dragonfly I took a photo of at my girl's family reunion a few years ago.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Harmonia axyridis












Colydium elongatum












Pytho depressus












Homoptera






Pentatomidae






Not ID caterpillar






Ammophila sabulosa






Aeschna mixta






Pterophorus pentadactylus






Symphyta






Pentatomidae






Zygoptera






Lymantria dispar


----------



## pwilson5

lovin the pics.. i like the sand lions.. i used to play with thos when i was little.. thought it was cool that they would flick sand out..

also ive eaten one of the Pentatomidae before... kinda sour/bitter.. lol


----------



## xhexdx

Really great photos! :clap:

This:



Dark Raptor said:


> Symphyta


Is hilarious!


----------



## Crockmeyer

*The "NEW" 84 year old guy*

I have just joined and I have not been able to figure out how to post pictures. I have some goodies I'l like to share. Help!


----------



## Crockmeyer

*The "NEW" 84 year old guy*

I have just joined and I have not been able to figure out how to post pictures. I have some goodies I'd like to share. Help!


----------



## Widowman10

if you use a host (like photobucket) you can do it using that and linking in.

when you hit "reply," you'll see a little button above the text box that looks like a mountain. hit that button and it will bring up a prompt. put the address or url of the picture (from photobucket or the like) in that box and hit ok. when you post, the picture should show up on the forum.

and thanks for bumping this thread, this is one of my favorites.


----------



## asher

Wow, your photos are stunning!

What sort of work do you do? And are you a qualified entomologist?


----------



## Dark Raptor

Finally, after a few months I received activation e-mail from Arachnoboards and I'm "on-line" again 

Yes, I'm biologist and I'm generally interested in beetle ecology, especially saproxylic species.

So, this time another pack of shots with different insect species...

_Ips typographus_ (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Margarinotus_ sp. (Coleoptera: Histeridae)






_Pyrrhocoris apterus_ (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae)






_Centrotus cornutus_ (Hemiptera: Membracidae)






_Cionus hortulanus_ (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Cionus scrophulariae_ (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Sitona cylindricollis_ (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Formica polyctena_ (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)






_Diaperis boleti_ (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)






_Phyllobius_ sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Forficula auricularia_ (Dermaptera: Forficulidae)






_Thanasimus formicarius_ (Coleoptera: Cleridae)






...expect more soon


----------



## zonbonzovi

Your precision with DOF is incredible!  It's great to see some of the details of creatures typically unavailable to the naked eye...makeso CGI sci-fi stuff seem mundane.


----------



## Dark Raptor

Thanks 

I'm experimenting with different lenses and macro stuff like bellows and extension tubes. I get the highest magnifications with the reversed wide angle lenses and bellows. Sometimes I can get 5:1 or more.

Syrphid fly (Diptera: Syrphidae)






_Curculio glandium_ (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)






_Creobroter gemmatus_ (Dictioptera: Hymenopodidae)






_Enallagma cyathigerum_ (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)






_Sphodromantis_ sp. (Dictioptera: Mantidae)






_Harmonia axyridis_ (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)






_Evarcha arcuata_ (Araneae: Salticidae) - of course it is not an insect


----------



## JC

These images are unreal!


----------

