Biollantefan54's Bug-Hunt Thread (PIC HEAVY)

DaveM

ArachnoOneCanReach
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Amazing finds and stunning photography!
Also very sporting of you that you don't shy away from bugs that can hunt you back 👍
 

Biollantefan54

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WOW! How did you learn to take photos like this?
Well I’ve been taking pics for a long time so I’ve just been practicing a lot, my equipment just slowly got more and more complex and now I am able to photograph bugs I never thought I’d be able to, like mites or tiny beetles that are usually overlooked. Unfortunately all the old pics in this thread got erased but I started taking pics in 2013 ish with an old iPhone and then got my first camera in 2015. Now I have a macro rail and take 30-150 photos and combine them to get one photo. It’s a lot more work but I love seeing all the details on the smallest bugs!
 

Biollantefan54

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Here are some new pics from today, first is a snout mite, and then a super dirty oribatid mite. I usually clean them up in editing by cloning out tiny specs of dirt but I didn’t do any cleanup on this one, if I did, I don’t think anything would be left of the original lol! Lastly is a symphylan, these are a type of bug related to centipedes and millipedes D233AA66-6E26-4207-810A-9940C5E4C33E.jpeg 7C96687B-391C-4D35-B69B-0F7366D27771.jpeg C7B91449-2BCA-4449-9ED0-719C361EFA4F.jpeg
 

Biollantefan54

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Here are a few new pics. A female Entomobrya atrocincta, Chthonius tetrachelatus, a rove beetle, and a member of Scydmaeninae 70F0C456-E98C-45E9-B733-360418E55A02.jpeg 5B651C3A-1FA3-496C-801C-6B4F6450A80A.jpeg E6DC7AE3-C607-4CCE-92E9-08F7E7C9A5E6.jpeg BDE40630-A5D1-4CB3-828D-F4181680BEE5.jpeg
 

Biollantefan54

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Here is a member of Rhagidiidae. I still am trying to work out how to get the legs all extended! I am testing out a new piece of equipment which allows me to take stacks of photos vertically allowing me to submerge the subjects under water CCE801CF-3404-484E-8FCB-8C5C63595E7B.jpeg
 

Biollantefan54

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Here’s another mite and a diplura I found. My next step is getting a microscope objective when I have a spare 800$ lying around 004A7B22-3B11-48CD-BE8C-7A83CE9C7F4A.jpeg 6D73AEA1-6A2B-47F1-9DC3-629A1D3CC610.jpeg
 

jc55

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Very cool pics as always and thanks for sharing and as usual your photography skills are spot on and i always enjoy checking them out.
 

Biollantefan54

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Very cool pics as always and thanks for sharing and as usual your photography skills are spot on and i always enjoy checking them out.
Thank you! I’m glad you like the photos! I always love seeing what all there is to find
 

Biollantefan54

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Not a bug but this is a stick I found in my yard at 5x magnification. It had tons of lichen on it (all the sticks did but I was picky and chose this tiny piece). Lots of cool lichens growing in it! C8CC465A-05F4-4B60-AEFE-12B3F289546F.jpeg 3852E477-B48F-4BC7-8D16-76B324F1B1F2.jpeg 3B82C443-0A9F-4934-ADC0-5BFF608D502B.jpeg 14A654EB-BFA2-47D7-B073-B497B8FF9312.jpeg
 

Biollantefan54

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Here are two quick test with my new equipment. A winter grain mite and a Diplura. I thought it was neat that I can see the claws on the feet of both of these as well as the genital opening on the grain mite! I can’t wait to test my new objective out tomorrow 7034BAA8-8C58-4FE9-9EC2-B254341D1E1F.jpeg 0CC2C7A7-34C4-498A-AF22-9DC52AC36B66.jpeg
 

Biollantefan54

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How do you find all the these tiny bugs?
I just go out in my yard and look under bricks or in the leaf litter. That winter grain mite is everywhere right now, I could probably catch the hundreds in a few minutes. They are all over the grass this time of year, I found 6-7 in one blade of grass the other night. They are quite easy to find if you look close enough
 

Biollantefan54

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Amazing pictures as always.
Thank you :)
Here are a few more photos, the first is a stereo 3d image of lichen at 10x. Try crossing your eyes and focusing on the image that appears in the center. It’s pretty cool if you can get it right. The next two are pollen from a dead nettle flower. 3959ADFD-8BD7-4E13-B00A-FF3C66E2241A.jpeg E9FB0D22-1232-4E1B-97C8-BBD716B483D3.jpeg AB28A41D-5713-4E39-9280-217D0FF30D6C.jpeg
 
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