sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

This mantis is one of the many insects that Bill (newtoyou), our UHH regular, was gracious enough to send to me.

I hope that Bill responds with his detailed knowledge on this mantis and how he came about it. I owe a lot to Bill as a supporter and a knowledgeable mentor.

About this image: This is focus stacked image consisting of 392 images processed into this final image using Zerene Stacker. The combination of lenses used is a reversed flat depth of field 28mm lens mounted onto a 2X teleconverter. Camera settings were f/5.6 at 1/10-second with an ISO of 64. Illumination was constant lighting with a combination of LED and fiber optics diffused through a pair of translucent drink cups with a layer of paper towel between them.

Thanks ever so much in advance for viewing and for your comments, suggestions, questions and critique.

(Download)

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

A very fine picture. The preservation of this insect is also quite good, with very little artifacts from desiccation.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Thanks Mark, the quality of the specimen is all a result of Bill's skills in collecting and preserving. I'm simply a guy behind a camera with a lot of time to pass.

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

My pleasure, as always.
Mark commented on the shape he, the mantis, was in. How I came to have that specimens is this.
I am in a three floor condo. Top floor.
Stairwell lights attract a lot of insects. Many die. I found maybe 9 or 10 of these, Stagmomantis carolina, one night. Four dead, those I sent you, the live ones I put in the deck garden. All but two of the many were males.
I soaked the dead in ethyl alcohol and a drop of dish soap, cleaned softened they were stored in the vial of alcohol, which is poured out to ship.
Other specimens are in small plastic screw cap containers. They are in an alcohol/hand cleaner mixture to ship.
I think you are going to be well kept from weather blahs with these. I try to send unusual, and different from what is usually posted, specimens.
Collecting in the condo is picking up. Mostly baby spiders. The house plants came in. Thanksgiving cacti are on schedule. And geraniums are dropping flowers. Gets messy till settled in, then they seem to go semi dorment.
Seeing a lot about Conowingo Eagles. Not a sports team, a large gathering. But way too windy.
Visit soon, hopefully
Enjoy the day, Gary, Mark.
Bill

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Bill, thanks for the education and for your support. I was like a child opening his Christmas gifts when your package arrived and when I saw that were were mantis in it I nearly needed a defibrillator. Wow, what amazing creatures and I will enjoy sharing highly detailed views of their various body parts.

There were many others in the package also and I look forward to those sessions along with your educational narratives. Also, they were all in excellent shape when they arrived so your preservation technique worked wonderfully. I'm so excited..!

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

Nicely done Gary. We all benefit from Bill's generosity to you and also to your work on his gifts.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Thanks Brenda, I owe so much to so many on the UHH for their mentoring with advice, encouragement and education on nature's wonders and you played a large in helping me find my way.

Pysanka Artist Loc: Rochester, NY

Splendid!

newtoyou Loc: Eastport

This is mutually beneficial to both of us.
I have never seen specimens so clearly photographed.
This way, I get to see, up close and personal, things not seen before.
And get to pick the subjects.
I now believe it possible to see key features in insects' anatomy that
let you ID with more certainty than possible even twenty years ago.
Just keep in mind, spring is one day closer than yesterday.
Bill

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Thanks, Bill. I'll be rotating and using different degrees of magnification on the subjects to provide views for detailed study for you and the others that have a scientific interest. Of course for me it is the joy of being behind the lens and the journey of experimentation.