Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I thought I would start a thread in which visitors can post one (or more) of their favorite macro- or near-macro pictures. These can of course be pictures that you had posted before, and there is a good chance it would be new to me at least since I have not been here very long (funny to realize, somehow!). If it has been a while since it was last seen here, then so much the better!

Anyway, I thought I would start this off by posting what has become my favorite picture, and this one has not been seen here before because I had been saving it for this occasion. The subject is of a common-as-dirt short-winged meadow katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis). These little Orthopterans are normally pretty wary, but on this occasion it was late Autumn, the light was beginning to fail, and there was a definite chill in the air. I was feeling bummed that my main photography season was over. I had just sat down beside a lake when this little guy came creeping out from a clump of purple asters and it practically asked me to take its picture right then and there. How odd, but my last outdoor picture of 2016 has become my favorite! So far...

What is your favorite macro or near-macro picture? Post it below because I would like to see it!

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PaulBa Loc: Cardiff, Wales

This is one of my favourites mainly because it always makes me smile.

A moment or two before this shot was taken the pose was perfect (head looking over the leaf all eyes facing the camera).

I'm sure it winked before turning away.

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tinusbum Loc: east texas

excellent start,i have to many fav's

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Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Those are great! And how many times have we taken a picture of a leaf with nothing on it? There was a critter right there a split second ago!

tinusbum Loc: east texas

to many

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LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Really hard to pick a fav--especially for Tom. but I'll post this Snakefly because there's a story behind it

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tinusbum Loc: east texas

beautiful,and the story is i have never seen a snakefly

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

What is the story? Beautiful picture, too.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Thanks. The story is I had been out on a macro safari and I was lying on my bed looking through my captures to do my first round of deletes. I felt something crawling on my neck and brushed it off. It was this Snakefly. I took it out and put it on my clay pot which has a few cacti in it. So the pic is of the snakefly circling the rim of this pot. It was pretty fast so I kept turning it and grabbing shots. After I looked it up I found that their sting can be quite painful. So lucky find; lucky I didn't get stung.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Snakeflies are in the order Neuroptera, along with insects like lacewings. They do not sting, but perhaps there is an urban legend around them. The sword on this one is its ovipositor, since it is a female.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

My mistake. Not sure where I got that idea. It's the only one I've seen.

rborud Loc: Minnesota

In the quest for favorites, here is my favorite macro, even if I have never posted in this section. Thanks RBorud

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tinusbum Loc: east texas

i can see why,it's a good one!

gym Loc: Athens, Georgia

This is one of my favorites.

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jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

Here's two of my favorites.

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