A global community of nature enthusiasts
photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Scutiphora pedicellata
This unique bug from the family scutelleridae, has an extended scutellum covering its entire abdomen and wings. A single movement of this shield and the wings slide out sideways for a one step rapid launch to escape. This bug was extending its left and right wings separately, possibly cleaning or stretching. .
In a nature reserve by the river beside the inner city of Melbourne.
(Scutelleridae) Two of these scarce insects were found on Thorny Box, Bursaria spinosa.
Spotted on Sep 27, 2014
Submitted on Sep 27, 2014
11 Comments
I have recently discarded the ring flash because it hardly improves my F stops anyway. I will now experiment with a diffuser on the camera flash. I think a point reflection is more acceptable than a ring reflection because everyone knows the bug is in the sunshine and not in the studio.
I see the white in the eyes there , indeed. So far I do not use a flash (did so before) but with the camera's noise levels being that far better I actually try to work without and go higher into the ISO settings... sometimes having to de-noise the shot but it offers me more 'natural colors' . Heavy sunweather however is another disaster ;-) . Coudl a diffuser help you out (alhough on a ringflash .. I've not seen any myself )
Beautiful images
Thanks Henk.
Some highly polished beetles are a disaster to photograph.
And spider eyes always reflect the ring flashes.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/110...
It's quite a colorfull bug and possibly not all that easy to photograph when sunny (reflection)
Thank you Gilma
Great series and fantastic pictures of a gorgeous creature, MartinL.
Congratulations on the nomination for the "Spotting of the Week".
Thank you Mark and Leuba.
Thank you Fyn Kynd.
Thanks for the nomination. I've never seen them showing off their wings like this before.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Splendid spotting Martin. Great information too. Thanks.
Nice beetle find! Congrats. I hope you had some gloves to shake the thorny box with.