three new insect images [View all]

[mike_c]

I haven't shared any of these for a couple of months because I was in Arizona but the specimens are in California, but I really missed getting back into the lab and took the first opportunity when I got back into town. Now the university is shutting down for the semester. I'm in my mid-sixties so I'm banned from campus anyway, but most faculty are to work from home until the end of spring semester in mid-May. So I got into the lab one day last week, set up my gear and took these three photos, and then brought most of my equipment back home. The original, full resolution images are at https://mcamann.smugmug.com/Insect-macro-photography

This is Eupeodes lapponicus, a common, widely distributed syrphid hover fly.




This is an asilid robber fly, Mallophora fautrix, the southern bee killer.




Finally, this last one is a small dung beetle about the size of my little finger nail, Onthophagus taurus. This specimen is either an adult female or a hornless male.



I hope you enjoy them! It's unlikely I'll be able to photograph any more until the COVID-19 lock down restrictions are eased.