Ever the opportunistic photophile, I perchanced upon these foraging major workers of the common weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, locked together in a deep kiss, though even if it does seem like the ants are passionately kissing each other, it serves a whole different purpose altogether. Ants frequently indulge in this ‘kissing’ action, which in scientific … Read more
I dreamt; and in my dream I was a butterfly. I woke; or is it simply That, weary of the sky, Some butterfly is sleeping And dreams that it is I? – Zhuangzi (369-286 BC) Butterflies are among the most conspicuous and most beautiful of all insects. Along with moths, they make up the order … Read more
I encountered this dainty little Hummingbird hawk-moth, on a morning walk while attending an amphibian workshop conducted by the inimitable Dr. K. V. Gururaja, purveyor of all things amphibian, at Karkala. Since this was an impromptu ramble, I was armed only with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens fitted on my trusty … Read more
I photographed this day flying moth when I was doing review of Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens near Mangalore. This Euchromia polymena moth is also called a wasp moth as it looks like a dangerous wasp. It utilizes this act of mimicry to put off potential predators who are familiar with the … Read more
Harsh afternoon sun light is not really a good one to photograph butterflies. I saw this Common Baron Butterfly (Euthalia aconthea) resting on the jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) leaf in my garden, as I returned home for lunch on that afternoon. Luckily it was not sitting in the bright sunlight, but under the shade of … Read more
Sometime ago, a mighty fine opportunity presented itself, as a particularly dreary post-monsoon day found me testing a Canon EF 180 mm f/3.5 L Macro USM lens, for a friend. The 180 mm macro was exceptionally sharp and a joy to use and I enjoyed immensely enjoyed every ioata of time spent with it. As … Read more