Best of 2025 ✨
Here are some of our favorite shots from the year. Most critters were found in Costa Rica, with a couple from New England.
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#happynewyear❤️
#2025
#nuts_about_macro
2024 Highlights
Macro photography has always intrigued me, as it offers a novel and unfamiliar view of everyday objects which surround us everywhere we go, and insects as a subject offer endless opportunities for exploration of the unseen world due to their fractal nature and endless variations. Focus stacking is a technique that allows us to see tiny objects with unprecedented level of detail by combining the normally narrow in-focus regions of multiple images into a single crisp photograph that shows you the micro monsters as you've never seen them before. This was not possible (or was incredibly laborious) until relatively recent technological advances made this technically sophisticated method accessible to professional photographers and hobbyists alike. With the proper equipment, lots of practice and patience, luck, a dedicated bug-finder :), and ample time sacrificed to post-processing - the rewards of this hobby transcend the cost and effort required to obtain the end result, which I post here for your viewing pleasure. I truly feel privileged for being able to bring these images to your handheld devices, and sharing them with the world is my payment for the opportunity and support that allow me to continue to enjoy this amazing hobby.
#omsystemcameras #ak_diffuser #passion_in_macro #bugsarecool #macrohighlight
Psylla
The name comes from the Greek word psulla, which means "flea". This is not a flea, however, although it does feed by sucking sap out of tree leaves. So you could say it's a tree flea.
I found a cohort of these miniscule (2-3mm) insects shedding their nymph exoskeletons (empty one can be seen in one of the images) and turning into adults, I think. The reason I'm not sure is because apparently the nymphs molt 5 times before taking on their final form, and perhaps this is just another nymphal instar. But I'm also not sure if nymphs have wings. If you can elucidate this mystery, please comment below!
The exoskeleton has a fur tail which helps protect the nymphs from predators. They share this defense mechanism with some of the leaf hopper species, of which you can find a couple examples in my gallery.
Diopsida
🪰
Stalk-eyed flies are on the more bizzare side of insect variations. Apparently they start off with more or less normal looking eyes, and elongate them as they get older by pumping liqiuid into the stalks. The purpose and benefits might not be obvious, but improved depth perception is a given.
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#canyouseemenow
#weirdbug
Pretzel Bug
🥨🍺
I wanted to save this crispy little fellow for Oktoberfest, but he would probably have gotten a bit stale by then. Jokes aside, this appears to be a variety of Lace bug. The structure on his thorax sure looks like it could hold liquid. German pretzel makers should be furiously taking notes, as this might be the next best thing since sliced bread.
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#makeithappen
#pretzelsandbeer
Old Man of the Jungle
🕷️
Locally known as the Huntsman, this viking-looking spider comes in various shades of grey, green, and brown. Perfectly blending in with the tree bark on which it awaits unsuspecting passersby, whether they're a bug, or a macro photographer. Stay tuned for the eventual showcasing of the different varieties this species morphs into.
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Despite being quite common, I couldn't find a visual match trying to ID this spider. Let me know if you know!
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#spiders with #beards
Lantern Bugs
🏮 🦗
These colorful inhabitants of the rain forest are actually treehoppers. They are quite large, measuring about 2 inches in length, feed on tree sap, and seem to be found in groups. They hatch together, but prefer not to disperse - perhaps using their numbers and bright coloration to ward off any potential predators.
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#bigbugs
#lanternbugs
#mantab
Sleeping Tiger
🐅🪲
Found this Tiger Beetle holding on for dear life while trying to sleep on a blade of grass on windy night near the beach. Imagine settling down for a nap atop a swinging tree during a category 4 hurricane. It's an entirely different world if you're a little bug.
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#tigerbeetle
#pranuka
Geometric Hopper
🟩
Have I ever mentioned that one of my favorite things about hoppers is that they come in all sorts of shapes and colors? Well, this one is kind of rectangular.
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#weirdbugs
#shapelyhopper
#borneo
Derbid Planthopper
🌼
Despite sounding like a descriptor, the family name of this bug comes from its genus Derbe. This name was given to it by earlier entomologists, and appears to have Greek roots. It does not, however, have an agreed to meaning. The Greek root refers to hide, skin, or being covered.
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I'd call him "Bug-eyed planthopper," which seems more apt and actually descriptive 🤪
