Wasp vs harvestman

[LordV]

A very peculiar looking wasp flew past me in the garden- it had amazingly long legs- It landed in a fir tree and turned out to be a common wasp carrying a harvestman which it proceeded to dismember.

Brian V.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2871373051_89e7a7fb6a_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2871373057_340ddaba31_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2871381555_817ed356e5_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/2871381571_5aceac13dd_o.jpg

[spidermanrbryce2006]

wow great series, they are really nasty those wasps

[LordV]

wow great series, they are really nasty those wasps

Thanks - they are only trying to feed their kids :)
Brian V.

[bandit 1]

Hiya Brian,

Excellent action shots, was trying to think of something witty to say about having a Harvester for lunch didn't quite work though, Harvester (restaurant ) :D

Cheers for now
Mark

[orionmystery]

Excellent series. I've seen so many spiders fallen prey to wasps :). The spiders just can't win :D

[SwingBopper]

Great action shots. Do you ever get stung when getting in this close to a feeding predator?

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments all :)

Mark - believe me I tried to think of something to :)

SB - no I've never been stung when taking macro shots- even with wasps or bees on my hands.

Brian V.

[racketman]

poor alien looks so helpless.

[LordV]

poor alien looks so helpless.

Yes It did look a bit helpless :)

Brian V.

[Brian1cj]

It is a bug eat bug world out there... great series. Vicious!

You know, Brian, I was on Digg this morning and it linked to a popular article by Smashing Magazine titled "25 beautiful macro shots" or something to that tune... and one of the twenty five shots was a blade of grass with some dew droplet refraction going on and I thought to myself "Wow, that looks just like something LordV would take" and I clicked on it, and guess who took it? You did!!!

Small world, I tell ya. And congrats! I think your macro shots will be a part of history, be it in text books or from macro photography awards!

[midnight_rider]

Simply amazing. The lighting and focus are perfect. In Ga we call those Grand Daddy long legs. I do not know why but that is what I have always heard them called. I really like the composition on the last one, it gets you right in there to the action.
Did you use the MP-E for these?

[gjl711]

Daddy long legs here. Poor guy, but I guess the kids gotta eat. Very nice series though.

[midnight_rider]

Daddy long legs here. Poor guy, but I guess the kids gotta eat. Very nice series though.

Maybe the ones here are older.:D

[gjl711]

Maybe the ones here are older.:DAnd have rickety knees. ;)

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments and banter :)
Yes we call them daddy longlegs here too but we also call craneflies and and those spiders in the toilet that too :)
Kirk - yes was using the MPe-65 but at min mag for these

Brian - hadn't seen that - these bloggers are always linking pics without permission but I don't mind that if it gives the originator. :)

Link here http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/09/21/25-beautiful-macro-photography-shots-photos/

Brian V.

[Greg_C]

Great shots Brian.

[Photogirl2007]

An excellent capture Brian. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time. :)

[midnight_rider]

Brian, any tips for shots like these. I have been reading up on the MP-E and I would like to add it to my collection. The thing is that it says you have to be 4 inches away for 1x and 1.5 inches away for 5x. How do you get these shots unscathed?

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments Greg, Joan and M_R :)

M_R - Don't normally have a problem with bugs when photographing them, no matter how close I get. You can tell if they are getting annoyed :). Main problem with an MPE-65 at higher mags is stabilising it. I was only shooting at 1:1 for these shots and using my bean pole to stabilise the camera.

Brian V.

[Mil]

Very nice, like the 2nd one.

[BigAl-SA]

Nice one Brian! I've seen a spider wasp carrying a spider without legs, but not the operation of doing it. Must have been interesting to watch??

[devil350]

Hi Brian,

Congrats for this wonderfull series.
Very interesting to see those shots.

Laurent.

[LordV]

Thanks for the comments again :)

Hi Al - long time no see :)- it was a bit brutal to watch it - not quite upto lion/impala stuff though.
Brian v.

[wabbit]

It's disgusting .. .. but I can't turn away .. nice shots.

[LordV]

It's disgusting .. .. but I can't turn away .. nice shots.

Thanks Rab :)
I didn't feel disgusted when taking the shots- just a bit sorry for the harvestman, but that's nature!. Social wasps like this actually do a pretty good job of keeping the bug population in check- they often take caterpillars etc.

Brian V.