Field Guide – Linda & Robert Scarth

We have found tiny copper colored insect eggs in the past. Today we got to see some hatch. Last year we did a post about some tiny red kidney-shaped eggs and the little Box Elder Bugs that hatched. We do not know what these are. Hope to keep them long enough to find out.

The tiny insects start to darken very soon after hatching. These two prodded and poked at one another for a few seconds and then started checking out the rest of the leaf. The darker one had explored a bit and then came back to the eggs where it encountered the freshly hatched red one.

This single insect provides a clearer view as it was darkening. The very long antenna are also beginning to be visible (top image) as the eggs were hatching. They were the first parts to emerge from the eggs.

A ring-flash set a 1:2 ratio brought out more detail on this very tiny, very bristly insect in the bottom image. The top two images were made in our light tent with photographic daylight compact fluorescent bulbs placed to control shadows and modeling on the eggs and insects.

The background is the same out-of-focus vegetation (flowera and leaves) image hung in the back of the light tent. The colors vary because the subject is so tiny and very small camera position changes bring another small section of color into view. The depth of field around the insect is so shallow that the out-of-focus background becomes even more out-of-focus.

Last evening there was a call from a young engineer we know who raises moths, especially the giant silkmoths when he finds eggs, larva, or cocoons. Two of his Cecropia Moth (Hyalophoro cecropia) cocoons hatched in the afternoon and he invited us to come make some images before he turned them loose.

The Cecropia is an insect that is hard to fit in the frame when working in a small space with a 180mm and even a 100mm lens as we were. They are huge. The low light and subject nearness meant using manual exposure and flash set at a minus 1 flash exposure to remove the background and not over flash the moth. The background was the building wall seen through the screened porch so we preferred a dramatic black – something we seldom choose to do. However this worked well for this portrait.

We really wanted to stop and pet the two gorgeous males. Cecropia are sometimes called Robin Moths. Their wingspans can reach 150 mm or abut 6 inches. This one was the larger of the two and seemed even bigger. We made some images with and without flash. Flash accentuated their amazing color patterns and made individual scales visible even in this image which was converted to a low resolution jpg for the web.

Then we watched as they quivered their wings to warm their flight muscles before flying around the small porch where they had been reared. We have some flash images that show the slight blur of the wing quiver. Fortunately they sometimes sat very still so some images were as sharp as the one above. The top sides of the wings look similar to the bottom seen here. One difference is from the top, the moth’s russet furry capelet is visible where the forewings attach.

May, June and July are the best times to find Cecropia Moths. So head out to look where bushes and trees are small. You may get lucky. Or find a friend or nature center that may be raising some large moths. Their colors and patterns will take your breath away.