Resting Psyche

Here is Psyche butterfly resting during night captured using Captured using Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Butterflies don’t actually sleep. Instead they rest, or become quiescent, at night or during the day when it’s cloudy or cool. They rest with eyes open, as they don’t have … Read more

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Last year during rainy season I found this caterpillar of Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Orvasca species, Nygmiini, Lymantriinae, Erebidae). I captured it using Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds DSLR Camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens fitted with Olympus STF-8 Twin Flash. The Lymantriinae (formerly called the Lymantriidae) are … Read more

Eight-Legged Cats and How They See

Carrhotus Spider

The common name for salticids is jumping spiders and many are indeed phenomenal leapers. However, jumping alone is not what distinguishes salticids from other spiders. What makes salticids special is their unique, complex eyes and acute eyesight, not leaping prowess. Salticids have large anterior medial eyes that give them an almost catlike appearance. No other … Read more

Ant-Like Crab Spider – Amyciaea forticeps

Ant-Like Crab Spider - Amyciaea forticeps

In nature size matters. But the brain can outwit brawn. All spiders are efficient, but small predators. Spiders have evolved a range of predatory behaviours that allow them to evade and deceive several of their prey. This crab spider outwits ants by mimicking them and living amongst them so that it can feed on them. … Read more

Patterns – Ant on a Leaf

Patterns - Ant on a Leaf

Patterns exist everywhere in nature. The venation patterns of the leaf are an especially pretty interesting pattern. When I saw Common Broad Acrobat Ant (Crematogaster subnuda) on the broad leaf of one of the most widely occurring early successional woody species in my garden, Macaranga peltata, my initial instinct was to take a closeup macro. … Read more

Thorn Mimic Treehopper

Thorn Mimic Treehopper

This curious insect belongs to the group of treehoppers from family Membracidae. It is also called Thorn Mimic Treehopper as it looks like a thorn. I found this treehopper on a Smooth rattlepod, Crotalaria pallida plant. Photographed using Olympus OMD EM1 mark II with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens using Olympus STF-8 … Read more