Macro View - Bill's Most Tiny Insect
Mar 6, 2019 16:36:53 #
This has been my ultimate test so far. This is the tiniest insect that I could imagine my photographing. It's another specimen that Bill sent to me for study and practice. It truly is the size of a gnat or a grain of pepper. So small that I could not attempt to pin it so I took the tip of a pin and placed a pin point of stick glue and on the colored paper and pushed the insect on to it.
This is a 10X magnified view. Typically the 10X will only capture the eye or mouth part of an insect but in this case because it was so small it picked up its entire body.
I do not know what this insect is so perhaps Bill will let me know. Thanks as always in advance to those who view and your comments, suggestions and critique are highly appreciated.
Bills Tiny Insect 3-6-19 by Herman Munster, on Flickr
This is a 10X magnified view. Typically the 10X will only capture the eye or mouth part of an insect but in this case because it was so small it picked up its entire body.
I do not know what this insect is so perhaps Bill will let me know. Thanks as always in advance to those who view and your comments, suggestions and critique are highly appreciated.
Bills Tiny Insect 3-6-19 by Herman Munster, on FlickrMar 6, 2019 16:43:03 #
Mar 6, 2019 16:58:24 #
Mar 6, 2019 17:00:59 #
Mar 6, 2019 17:59:38 #
Mar 6, 2019 19:03:27 #
I finally realized that there is no need to stack if your subject is small enough. To that end I have found some beetles about one half this one's size. Problem is they are lost again. I sent Gary some specimens. I offer this service to anyone here. Random arthropods, beetles, etc. Just ask private, no need to bore others.
Gary got some Psocidae, Psocus leidyi. Some Lyctidae, Lyctus sp., the one in this post. And three stages of mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor.
Gary, you have made good use of these. Collecting yesterday was at a small stream running full and turbid. I got a good bit. So I will start my own post. Goodnight, all.
Gary got some Psocidae, Psocus leidyi. Some Lyctidae, Lyctus sp., the one in this post. And three stages of mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor.
Gary, you have made good use of these. Collecting yesterday was at a small stream running full and turbid. I got a good bit. So I will start my own post. Goodnight, all.
Mar 6, 2019 19:17:45 #
Bill, thanks again for sending an assortment of specimens for me to examine and photograph. It truly has helped reduce the extent of my cabin fever.
This is one of the many that were placed together in the tube. They were so small that they looked like grains of black pepper and I enjoyed the challenge of staging and photographing them. I could never have guessed that they looked like this until I examined them at 10X magnification. I now see where a 20X objective would be handy to have at times like this.
It's good to hear that you are out collecting and I'm sure we all look forward to seeing your posts.
This is one of the many that were placed together in the tube. They were so small that they looked like grains of black pepper and I enjoyed the challenge of staging and photographing them. I could never have guessed that they looked like this until I examined them at 10X magnification. I now see where a 20X objective would be handy to have at times like this.
It's good to hear that you are out collecting and I'm sure we all look forward to seeing your posts.
Mar 6, 2019 19:52:13 #
Mar 7, 2019 03:41:09 #
Mar 7, 2019 08:12:18 #
Nice pictures! What are you using for a set-up? I do focus stacking as well as macro and am always looking for ways to improve. Thanks for sharing your images!
Mar 7, 2019 10:27:38 #
Thanks for viewing and asking for I am always eager to share what I can.
My camera is a Nikon D810 and for tabletop shots I shoot large JPEG format due to the number of shots per session.
My lenses of choice for small insects and isolated views are a 4X and a 10X Achromatic Plan Finite (160mm extension tube length required) microscope objective. I bought them directly from Amscope for $26 and $36. The extension tube is a M42 size and it takes an M42 to RMS thread adapter to attach the objective to the extension tube. The M42 extension tube is connected to the camera with a camera to M42 adapter. The extension tube and adapters were about $24 all together. All in all, much less expensive than any macro lens you could buy.
The depth of field is razor thin but tack sharp so focus stacking is a must. I use a Wemacro digital focus rail for my sessions. The distance of each step (shot) depends upon the magnification and f-stop or the objective NA rating. I shot at 8-micron steps per shot with the 10X and 30-micron steps per shot with the 4X objectives. Depending upon the size of the specimen the sessions range anywhere from 130 to 500 shots.
I use Zerene Stacker to stack and bind all of the shots into one final image which I save as a TIFF 16-bit file. I use Photoshop for any post processing and sizing the image for posting.
Here's a link to an in depth article that I used as a basis of my setup https://www.closeuphotography.com/seventeen-dollar-plan-4x-objective/
Feel free to contact me if I can be of any help in any way.
My camera is a Nikon D810 and for tabletop shots I shoot large JPEG format due to the number of shots per session.
My lenses of choice for small insects and isolated views are a 4X and a 10X Achromatic Plan Finite (160mm extension tube length required) microscope objective. I bought them directly from Amscope for $26 and $36. The extension tube is a M42 size and it takes an M42 to RMS thread adapter to attach the objective to the extension tube. The M42 extension tube is connected to the camera with a camera to M42 adapter. The extension tube and adapters were about $24 all together. All in all, much less expensive than any macro lens you could buy.
The depth of field is razor thin but tack sharp so focus stacking is a must. I use a Wemacro digital focus rail for my sessions. The distance of each step (shot) depends upon the magnification and f-stop or the objective NA rating. I shot at 8-micron steps per shot with the 10X and 30-micron steps per shot with the 4X objectives. Depending upon the size of the specimen the sessions range anywhere from 130 to 500 shots.
I use Zerene Stacker to stack and bind all of the shots into one final image which I save as a TIFF 16-bit file. I use Photoshop for any post processing and sizing the image for posting.
Here's a link to an in depth article that I used as a basis of my setup https://www.closeuphotography.com/seventeen-dollar-plan-4x-objective/
Feel free to contact me if I can be of any help in any way.
Mar 7, 2019 15:56:50 #
Mar 7, 2019 22:24:49 #
Virgil
Loc: The Hoosier State
You think it is tiny. Just look at the hairs on its body. I'd like to see one of them magnified! Just where does tiny finally end?.
Fine work!
Fine work!
Mar 8, 2019 09:09:00 #
It is one of the flat bark beetles (some are not very flat). Resembles the sawtoothed grain beetle, but I can't see all of the prothorax so not positive. Here is a loose collection of thumbnails. It is in there some where: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=grain+beetle&search=Search
Very good (of course!). A darker background might work better for this one, though perhaps the small size would make that more challenging on exposure.
Very good (of course!). A darker background might work better for this one, though perhaps the small size would make that more challenging on exposure.
Mar 8, 2019 11:38:27 #
Mark Sturtevant wrote:
It is one of the flat bark beetles (some are not very flat). Resembles the sawtoothed grain beetle, but I can't see all of the prothorax so not positive. Here is a loose collection of thumbnails. It is in there some where: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=grain+beetle&search=Search
Very good (of course!). A darker background might work better for this one, though perhaps the small size would make that more challenging on exposure.
Very good (of course!). A darker background might work better for this one, though perhaps the small size would make that more challenging on exposure.
When I ID'ed these I got Lyctus striatus. Lyctidae.
Hairy, whereas Cucujidae not so much.
First of five abdominal segments much longer than rest.
And antenna details not seen here agreed.
I used Dillon and Dillon and a binocular microscope.
For sure very hard to seperate these families.
My caveat. Have been wrong before.
Bill
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