Category: Insect

Do you think about grasshoppers in the grass?

Grasshoppers!!! Oh boy, can they be tricky to photograph? One hop and they could be more than two feet away, hidden in the tall grass, laughing at you. I don’t know, maybe I just spend too much time around insects.

This grasshopper happily let me photograph it. It could have hopped away at any time, but it didn’t. This made me happy.

Injured Grasshoppers

The grasshopper below can not hop away whenever it pleases. It can not communicate with other grasshoppers either.

As you can see from the first picture, it is missing its hind legs. These are what a grasshopper uses to jump and to communicate. A grass trimmer was most likely the cause of the injuries, as the grass appeared to have been cut recently.

This little grasshopper was very docile and, as you can see, sat quite happily in my husband’s hand, occasionally wandering around. I never usually interfere with nature when I take photographs; I don’t move them to a more photogenic environment or pose them. However, in this case, we put the grasshopper with some other grasshoppers, in the hope that it would find a way to survive.

The casualties of neatness

The grasshopper below was in a lot worse condition than our little friend above.

You can see where its leg has been torn off. When my husband picked them up, they were so docile and didn’t move. Again, we found a spot near other grasshoppers that was hidden away from predators.

I see no reason why, if we can help, we should not. A lot of the time, it is we humans who have caused the damage. True, I look back and wonder if maybe they would have been better off being put out of their misery, as it were. However, I can look back on that day, knowing that we at least tried to help.

Butterflies are so much fun to photograph, and it is wonderful when you find one that you haven’t photographed before. The painted lady butterfly in this post was the first we had encountered. It seemed very tame. It landed on my partner’s hand and a flower that he was holding.

in a world of its own

This butterfly was so tranquil and graceful in its movements. It did not flutter in haste and flower-hop, as I would usually see others doing. It seemed as if it were in a world of its own. Reminiscent of my own moments of introspection. Undisturbed by our presence, we watched as it danced whimsically in the sun. Then, without warning, it landed on my shoe.

This landing did not last long. Once the realisation dawned that there was no food, the butterfly soon went on its way.

Food for thought

You know you have spent far too much time around insects when you start narrating their thoughts. Take our little painted lady butterfly friend here. It is simply using its proboscis to feed. However, the way that the image is shot makes it appear that the butterfly is either intrigued by us or confused by us.

Holding out his hand for the butterfly to climb on willingly did not go well. My partner’s sudden attempt to pull out the daisy probably did not help. So he changed his game plan; he became, so to speak, the flower.

Interfering

I don’t enjoy staging my insect photography. I like them to be as natural as possible. There are, however, times when I must infringe on their world in order to capture their beauty and grace. Usually, this is by holding out a flower to entice them.

And we get to my favourite of the day. Capturing this image pleased and honoured me. The simple fact that it chose to trust us.

Behind the Leaf

Witnessing insects mating is an extraordinary experience. One that allows me to appreciate the intricate wonders of nature. It serves as a reminder of the hidden marvels that exist in our surroundings, often overlooked in our fast-paced lives. There is something quite amazing when you have the patience to witness some of nature’s smallest creations living their lives.

It is always best to get down to their level and photograph them straight on, rather than from above. This gets you into their world.

ladybird mating

Ladybird mating is interesting. The male can stay on the female for several hours. This is not because mating lasts that long. It is to ensure his genes get passed on. Ladybirds, in general, are easy to photograph; they don’t move too far or too fast. At least not when I have attempted to photograph them. They tend not to move at all when mating. Making this the perfect time to capture some interesting shots.

Having done some research, it appears that there are times when a male will, in fact, accidentally mount another male, awkward, but they simply scurry away.

One of my favourite photographs I captured was of two ladybirds mating, with a third on a leaf above, just casually watching. It stayed for quite some time, occasionally walking around, but mostly peering over the leaf. I assumed it was a male waiting to see if he could get in on the action.

One thing I did not realise until I started getting into insect photography was that ladybirds have a little head underneath the shell. That section that looks like it has eyes on it is, in fact, not their head.

insects mating

Damselflies are one of the hardest insects I’ve found to photograph while mating. They don’t stay still. As soon as they’re spooked, they’re gone. This is one of the first times I have managed to capture them mating.

Soldier beetles are a beautiful colour. One of my favourite ways to photograph them is perched at the edge of a leaf or stem, like a sentry. However, here I was able to capture them mating, another first for me.

This post is full of firsts. The bees’ mating was crazy. I had not even thought about seeing this happen. For some reason, I always thought this just happened in the hive. I was so grateful to have witnessed this moment.

Photographing insects is an amazing way to really learn and appreciate the tiny world that exists around us. Just make sure you don’t interfere.