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Early Spring Macro Outing
Mar 4, 2012 13:44:58   #
Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA
 
The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont CA, has a resident colony of Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies. There are no other Pipevine Swallowtails for hundreds of miles.

This weekend, my photo partner and I visited RSABG, just to check on the status of the Dutchman's Pipevine hillside patch for Summer photo outings. We were not surprised to see the plants just starting to leaf-out, but we were surprised to see the amount of gravid female Pipevine Swallowtails, laying eggs. These adults are products of "over-winter" chrysalis, that are suppose to hatch in March & April, when the Pipevine plants are well established. Our concern is that the pending hatch of thousands of caterpillars will completely consume the Pipevine plants before the caterpillars are large enough to pupate.

Here are a few photos of Pipevine Swallowtail eggs, which are the size of a pin head.

All images Hand-held D5000 at ISO 400, with Nikkor 105G macro lens, 1/200-sec at f/(11 to 22), open shade and Nikon SB-600 Speedlight with O-Flash 3/4-circle Fresnel prism attachment.

Female Pipevine Swallowtail laying a clutch of eggs. Typical upside-down, up-&-over posture.
Female Pipevine Swallowtail laying a clutch of egg...

Egg clutch laid by above female Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (cropped to 10x life-size)
Egg clutch laid by above female Pipevine Swallowta...

Extreme crop (20x life-size) of different egg clutch
Extreme crop (20x life-size) of different egg clut...

A not-yet-opened, immature bud of a Dutchman's Pipevine plant, which is named for the pipe-shape of the mature flower.
A not-yet-opened, immature bud of a Dutchman's Pip...

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Mar 4, 2012 14:56:33   #
ftpecktim Loc: MONTANA
 
Great shots. That last egg photo looks like oranges slowly growing there skin.

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Mar 4, 2012 17:42:36   #
sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL
 
Hello, great shots. May I ask what lens size you were using? Near the 105?

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Mar 4, 2012 18:12:53   #
Country's Mama Loc: Michigan
 
I envy you your early butterflies. I hope that they don't run out of food though because of it.

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Mar 4, 2012 18:19:07   #
Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA
 
sarge69 wrote:
May I ask what lens size you were using ?
Thanks for the reminder. I posted info in original text.

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Mar 4, 2012 23:25:35   #
Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA
 
Very nice!

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Mar 5, 2012 20:54:01   #
docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado
 
good work

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Mar 5, 2012 21:06:24   #
ngc1514 Loc: Atlanta, Ga., Lancaster, Oh. and Stuart, Fl.
 
I really like that extreme closeup of the eggs! Nicely done. Eric in Atlanta

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