This is the second of the three critters that I found in the woods under pieces of fallen rotted sections of trees. The first was the Grub Worm which was identified as a Japanese Beetle Grub. This one is a 'caterpillar type insect' with spots and hairs. Is it a Eruciform Stage of an insect? And if so, can anyone help identify it? It's color was a bit brighter white before preserving it in denatured alcohol for a few days.
The white at the bottom of the picture is a dab of plumber's putty that I use to stick the mounting pin into which is quite pliable and helps in positioning the insect.
Thanks in advance for viewing and all comments, recommendations and critique are highly appreciated as I work toward improving efforts.
No clue what it is but it's another nice image.
sippyjug104 wrote:
This is the second of the three critters that I found in the woods under pieces of fallen rotted sections of trees. The first was the Grub Worm which was identified as a Japanese Beetle Grub. This one is a 'caterpillar type insect' with spots and hairs. Is it a Eruciform Stage of an insect? And if so, can anyone help identify it? It's color was a bit brighter white before preserving it in denatured alcohol for a few days.
The white at the bottom of the picture is a dab of plumber's putty that I use to stick the mounting pin into which is quite pliable and helps in positioning the insect.
Thanks in advance for viewing and all comments, recommendations and critique are highly appreciated as I work toward improving efforts.
This is the second of the three critters that I fo... (
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Some clues, but first, another shot to convince me to investigate stacking. I like superlatives, be they words or work. Therefore, your picture is worth a thousand superlatives.
Eruciform, you are learning the language. Many beetles have this type of larva, best seen in a Japanese beetle larva. Scarabaeiform, would be another term. Second instar Meloidae, Lucanidae, Scarabaeidae and a few others. Butterflies and moths share this trait. Therefore, I think this a moth or butterfly. Why?. The large eyes are not. That is the epicranium. The piece between, the frons, below that,the labrum. These and the legs I can see , plus, look close ,between five and six o'clock are the ocelli, in a ring, as in a Lep. This says lepedopteran to me.
Bill
The caveat, I could be wrong.
They just keep getting better every day!
-Doc
Thanks again to all who viewed and for the favorable feedback. I've learned a lot so far from my experimenting with gear, lighting and staging and there appears to be no end to this adventure.
This does look like a lepidopteran larvae. It would be hard to ID without a full length picture. even then, it could be very difficult. I like the lighting. I see some nice reflection effects coming up from below.
A pet store idea: Does your local pet store sell 'meal worms'? These are larvae of Tenebrionid beetles, Tenebrio molitor. Easy to raise on Quacker oats. They don't even need water.
Mark, the local PetCo has mealworms and that's where I got my bag-of-crickets. I'm always looking for subjects and they would make a good one although not as fantastic as those that you took in Hawaii which were quite stunning.
Mark Sturtevant wrote:
This does look like a lepidopteran larvae. It would be hard to ID without a full length picture. even then, it could be very difficult. I like the lighting. I see some nice reflection effects coming up from below.
A pet store idea: Does your local pet store sell 'meal worms'? These are larvae of Tenebrionid beetles, Tenebrio molitor. Easy to raise on Quacker oats. They don't even need water.
Thanks for bringing this up. I have a runaway colony of mealworms. As my season gift, anyone want to start your's, PP me, I'll send starter, and instructions(easy, but a few 'tricks'). As to the charge, not even postage. A good study of beetle life cycle. The photo, not macro, shows a part. They have eaten almost all food and are mostly turning to adults soon. Ideal time to ship.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL, AND THANKS FOR THE COMPANY.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish.
Bill
Now that's quite a can-of-worms you got there! They look quite fascinating as well as entertaining to study and as feeders for other critters.
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