Biollantefan54's Bug-Hunt Thread (PIC HEAVY)

[Biollantefan54]

Some diatoms and bacteria at 1000x. The bacteria take a lot of processing to see any “detail”. Heavily cropped even at 1000x with 1.5x in camera crop, sharpened using a high pass filter and overlay blend mode in photoshop, denoised using topaz denoise, and then levels adjustments. I still enjoy taking them just because it’s the smallest thing I’m able to really resolve.

 

[Biollantefan54]

Some bacteria I photographed today

 

[Biollantefan54]

I played around with my microscope and was able to get my best images yet of bacteria. The flagella are clearly visible in many of the images!

 

[Biollantefan54]

Had to get back to the main point of the thread, bug hunting! I was outside the other day and noticed all the weeds blooming and all the flies and bees, and I got an urge to get my camera out and my twin flash attached to arms on my camera and get out and image again. I haven’t actually used this in a while, due to not being motivated and also it being winter, I’ve been focusing on astro more than macro for a while too. That said, it was really fun doing it and trying to get a good shot at 5x while trying to slow my breathing and shoot in between my heart beats lol! Here are a couple of images I’ve taken, some weevils, a rove beetle, one of my favorite bugs, a pseudoscorpion, my favorite springtail here; Vitronura giselae, and then an oribatid mite, as well as the same kind of mite but from 2016, to show my progress

 

[Biollantefan54]

was able to go out last night and get some more images. I really like how these turned out, I had a lot of time watching the little mites under the boards I looked under. I forgot how much I enjoy looking for these little bugs! Also I can’t say it enough how difficult the mites in the fourth picture are to photograph. Extremely tiny, and non stop movements

 

[Biollantefan54]

A few more from yesterday. A spider in the family Phrurolithidae, a mite in the superfamily Eupodoidea, a mystery bug, and larvae of some insect.

 

[Westicles]

A few more from yesterday. A spider in the family Phrurolithidae, a mite in the superfamily Eupodoidea, a mystery bug, and larvae of some insect. View attachment 441209 View attachment 441210 View attachment 441211 View attachment 441212 View attachment 441213

Awesome pics!

 

[herpetogeorgie]

Love your pics, had a blast going through them all!

 

[Westicles]

Love your pics, had a blast going through them all!

Same here. Those pics belong in a book!

 

[Biollantefan54]

Thank y’all!! I’m glad people enjoy seeing them as much as I love photographing them. Tonight I’ll hopefully get some more images! Here are some shots I got the last couple of days.
A baby stone centipede

a springtail underneath a leaf with little yellow fungus

an oribatid mite with a springtail hitchhiker
A termite soldier

and an iridescent springtail with more tiny fungus

 

[Biollantefan54]

Finally found something I’ve been looking for for months now!! I found… a Demodex mite. The ones that lives on everyone’s faces! I found this one by sticking a piece of tape to my forehead and then putting a hat on to keep it dark. After about 30-40 minutes I pulled it off and looked at it under the microscope. I was able to find one mite. The next part was the most difficult part of the process. I carefully used a needle to pull the mite off the tape, and then put it on a new slide. Really happy to have seen our little mite friends. Image cropped from 400x

 

[Biollantefan54]

I found a bunch of isopods with Iridovirus and made a video and CNN made a short article about it! They included two images I took as well. Watch here!

 

[Biollantefan54]

I found the coolest spider yet. I’ve been searching for these for over 6 years. First time I’ve ever seen them in the wild. Points if you recognize it!

 

[Edub]

I found the coolest spider yet. I’ve been searching for these for over 6 years. First time I’ve ever seen them in the wild. Points if you recognize it! View attachment 445293

Feel like I am blind... where's the spider?

 

[Biollantefan54]

Feel like I am blind... where's the spider?

It’s the tube web in the middle, I went back today and found more! These are purseweb spiders, most likely Sphodros rufipes. They are mygalomorphs related to trapdoor spiders and tarantulas. Super cool spiders!

 

[Edub]

Ah now I get it! Yeah we have a purseweb spider in Sweden too, Atypus affinis. Our only mygalomorph.

 

[Biollantefan54]

Here are some new images, glad to find some cool bugs outside again!
A roach I assume is native to NC
Ladybug in curled leaf
Baby camel cricket
Male mosquito
Red carpenter ant
Baby orb weaver
Baby green lynx spider
Hoverfly
Crab spider on grass

 

[Biollantefan54]

Updating this thread because it’s been a bit and I have a lot of new photos. The springtail is Vitronura giselae, I find them easily but have not had luck culturing they. If anyone knows how I’d appreciate the info!

 

[Biollantefan54]

Part 2 to this update today

 

[Biollantefan54]

Part 3 of the wildlife of my little yard