MICROCOSMOS – Macro Photography

The microcosmos

The first quality lens I could afford was a 100mm F2.8 macro photography lens.
A good (and somewhat affordable) choice if you are curious for the hidden world of insects and their interesting looks and behaviour. Which I had been for as long as I can remember. The way a pill-bug rolls up into a flawlessly round ball, really appealed to me as I child. And while other kids would panic at the sight of a hairy spider, I would put it on my hand, to investigate this interesting creature.

The First Cut is the Deepest

So, yeah,  the interest for creepy crawlers was present from the very first beginning.
But as soon as I set eyes on the insect world through a macro lens, a whole new, utterly fascinating world opened up for me. All these huge compound eyes, observing you just as curiously as you do them! The little miracles of creatures being reborn: caterpillars transforming right before your eyes into beautiful butterflies, while alien-like larvae pop out of their skin, to turn into the most wonderful elf like dragonflies…
Dewy cobwebs decorate trees and plants with uncountable shining dew drops, transforming my oh-so-boring everyday environment into the most beautiful early Christmas Scene….

Squirting Spiders

I could go on and on about tasty dragonflies, squirting spiders,creepy caterpillars,pink grasshoppers,hovering flies,bees on a mission, very vain banded demoiselles, mean wasps and hungry hornets and to hiding damselflies…
But as a photo says more than a thousand words, I invite you to take a look at my macro gallery and stare shamelessly at these wonderful models.
I can guarantee you: once you looked through a macro lens, the world will never be the same again. Gotta love ’em little buggers!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Sawfly (Symphyta) larva

Out of the Green II

Eating or being eaten….that’s the question. Damselfly on the carnivorous sundew plant.

Kiss of death
European beewolf/ bee-eating philanthus (Philanthus triangulum) killing a beeBijenwolf verlamt en doodt een bij

Like a rainbow – cobweb at sunrise

Poppy Love II
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)

Fading in
Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

The Great Escape
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Metamorphosis
Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

Hybrid pink grasshopper – due to erythrism

U Talkin’ To Me?
Rare Predatory Bush Cricket (Saga Hellenica)

United Colours of Autumn – Cob web in autumn colours

Star
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

The Flow
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) male on creeper

Out of the Green I

Purple Haze II
Dewy cobweb in the heather

Narcissus II
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface

Resistance is Futile
Bumblebee (Bombus sp.)

Mammoth Wasp
Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata flavifrons)

Fast Food
Hummingbird hawk-moth | hummingmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Winged Wonders

Blue
Robber fly

A Summer Romance

White Snake’s Head and a flying bumblebee
Snake’s Head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)

I’m Hiding
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Narcissus III
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface

The Hornet & The Octopus
European hornet (Vespa crabro)

Like a Rainbow
Dew-covered spiderweb at sunrise

Two can Keep a Secret

It’s Not Easy Being Pink
Rare Hybrid Pink Grasshopper

Dangling
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

Frozen

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

Narcissus II
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface

Awakening
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

Escapism
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

The pink grasshopper – a story about erythrism

Lady in Red II
The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) at sunset

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Mellow Yellow
European Peacock (Inachis io) on Rapeseed (Brassica napus)

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

Lady in Red
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Wet Feet
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) laying eggs (oviposition) in the stream

I’m Hiding Again
Damselfly hiding behind a blade of grass

Wasp on a Mission
Beewolf (Philanthus Sp.)

In a field of pink flowers, a pink version would have an advantage. Theoretically this could result in an entire pink population!

Golden Silhouette
Banded Demoiselle (calopteryx splendens) at sunset

Strike a Pose
Unknown caterpillar (Geometridae)

Natural Jewlery
European garden spider, diadem spider, cross spider, or cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus)

Strike a Pose
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Out of the Yellow
Bee (Andrena sp.)

It’s not Easy being Pink rare pink grasshopper, due to a phenomenon called erythrism

Fairy – Small Copper

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Fairy II – Small Copper

Pink grasshopper

Digger Wasp (Bembix rostrata)

Green Hawker (female) ovipostion
Green Hawker (Aeshna viridis)

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface