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!

Like a rainbow – cobweb at sunrise

Star
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Blue
Robber fly

Digger Wasp (Bembix rostrata)

I’m Hiding
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)

Frozen

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

Like a Rainbow
Dew-covered spiderweb at sunrise

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

United Colours of Autumn – Cob web in autumn colours

The Hornet & The Octopus
European hornet (Vespa crabro)

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

Awakening
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Sawfly (Symphyta) larva

Fairy – Small Copper

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

Broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)

Mammoth Wasp
Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata flavifrons)

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

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

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

Wasp on a Mission
Beewolf (Philanthus Sp.)

The Flow
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) male on creeper

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

Hybrid pink grasshopper – due to erythrism

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

It’s Not Easy Being Pink
Rare Hybrid Pink Grasshopper

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

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

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

Fairy II – Small Copper

Poppy Love II
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

A Summer Romance

Strike a Pose
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)

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

Two can Keep a Secret

Metamorphosis
Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)

Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Strike a Pose
Unknown caterpillar (Geometridae)

Pink grasshopper

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

Winged Wonders

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

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

Out of the Green II

Out of the Green I

Narcissus
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface

Purple Haze II
Dewy cobweb in the heather

Out of the Yellow
Bee (Andrena sp.)

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

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

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

Dangling
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)

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

Golden Silhouette
Banded Demoiselle (calopteryx splendens) at sunset

Resistance is Futile
Bumblebee (Bombus sp.)

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

The pink grasshopper – a story about erythrism

Fading in
Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)

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