Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Lets start with some caterpillars. First up is a wee little slug caterpillar, focus stacked by hand. This is the larva of the yellow-shouldered slug moth, Lithacodes fascioloa.
Slug caterpillar by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

Next up is a caterpillar that was found in tall weeds, clearly preparing to form a chrysalis. Spiney cats can be hard for me to ID, but I kept this one, and it emerged as a grey comma butterfly, Polygonia progne. There are pictures of the adult later on.
Grey comma butterfly caterpillar by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

Here is a big robber fly, Asilinae something-or-other.
Robber fly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

I’ve been trying to grow my list of new damselfly pictures. This looks to be the blue-ringed dancer, Argia sedula. I don’t think I’ve photographed it before.
Blue-ringed dancer damselfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
This picture is a good example of my ever-more-involved workflow in post processing. I used to just crop, maybe de-noise, maybe un-sharp mask, maybe fiddle with the curves tool. Now I gotta make layers, and the background layer is aggressively de-noised while the subject layer is sharpened with one of the many sharpening tools in the Gimp “G’Mic” extension package. Curves are applied to enhance light and shadows a tiny bit. Often a smidgeon up-tick with the chroma slider, and then the layers are painted together with a layer mask. More than half of my pictures are focus stacked by hand to boot (although not this one). This workflow slows things down! Does it make a difference? Well, I swear it does a little bit…

And then there is this beastie. While staking out my favorite spot for dragonhunter dragonflies (none would come near), I found this large cast skin of a really gnarly looking dragonfly nymph. It did not take long to get the probable ID of a final molt of the royal river cruiser dragonfly (Macromia taeniolata), which is a common big dragon in the area. Those mini Godzilla plates on the back and the horns coming out of the eyes give it away.
Royal river cruiser nymph by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

The last thing a minnow sees!
Royal river cruiser nymph by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I forgot to add: The reason why the face of the dragonfly nymph looks so weird is because their lower jaw is modified into a long foldable arm that rests under their chest. They are predators, and when prey get in range they snap out their lower jaw, grab the prey, and pull it straight into their mouth. Its really fast. Here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHo_9wnnUTE

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Mark, what a fantastic series! Over the years you have shared so many critters that I have yet to see and I find your educational narratives so interesting that I crave to learn more about this magical little world that now fills my days. Thanks ever so much for all you have done.

tinusbum Loc: east texas

nice! damsel is my fav

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

I think I have seen one of those Slug Caterpillars, strange little things. I thought it was a Scale insect at first. Nice selection by the way.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Thank you, people!
Slug caterpillars are indeed very strange. The ones I've seen pretty much lack legs, and they slowly move with little peristaltic waves. For this one I am not sure which end is the head.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Great set, Mark.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Really nicely done Mark. Thanks for the information on the critters

docshark Loc: Millersville, PA

Very nice post Mark. Fantastic detail in your shots. Fine work my friend. In Texas right now surveying dragons at a new site. The naiad stage jaw extension was always thought to be a hydraulic activated movement. At the last DSA meeting a researcher from Germany put forth a theory on it really being a mechanical muscular movement with the jaw being "on" tension ready to be deployed like a crossbow. I learn something all tth time. Take care my friend.
>i< Doc

napabob Loc: Napa CA

another nice set

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

Very nice!