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!

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

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

Fairy – Small Copper

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

Frozen

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

Hybrid pink grasshopper – due to erythrism

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

Dangling
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

Like a Rainbow
Dew-covered spiderweb at sunrise

Fairy II – Small Copper

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

Resistance is Futile
Bumblebee (Bombus sp.)

The Hornet & The Octopus
European hornet (Vespa crabro)

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

The Flow
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) male on creeper

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

Golden Silhouette
Banded Demoiselle (calopteryx splendens) at sunset

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

Fading in
Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)

Two can Keep a Secret

Awakening
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

Purple Haze II
Dewy cobweb in the heather

Digger Wasp (Bembix rostrata)

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

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Sawfly (Symphyta) larva

Strike a Pose
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

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

Out of the Yellow
Bee (Andrena sp.)

Pink grasshopper

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

Winged Wonders

The pink grasshopper – a story about erythrism

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

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

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

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

United Colours of Autumn – Cob web in autumn colours

Poppy Love II
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Like a rainbow – cobweb at sunrise

Metamorphosis
Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

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

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

It’s Not Easy Being Pink
Rare Hybrid Pink Grasshopper

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

Strike a Pose
Unknown caterpillar (Geometridae)

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

Out of the Green I

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

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

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

Blue
Robber fly

A Summer Romance

Wasp on a Mission
Beewolf (Philanthus Sp.)

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

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Out of the Green II

Star
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

I’m Hiding
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Mammoth Wasp
Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata flavifrons)