by Krishna Mohan
Euproctis species caterpillar
This Euproctis species caterpillar belong to Lymantriidae family was feeding on leaves on cucumber tree (Averrhoea bilimbi).Lymantriidae is a family of moths with about 350 known genera and over 2,500 known species found all over the world, in every continent except Antarctica. They are particularly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast Asia and South America; one estimate lists 258 species in Madagascar alone. Apart from oceanic islands, notable places that do not host Lymantriids include New Zealand, the Antilles, and New Caledonia.
Adult moths of this family do not feed. They usually have muted colours (browns and greys), although some are white, and tend to be very hairy. Some females are flightless, and some have reduced wings. Usually the females have a large tuft at the end of the abdomen. The males, at least, have tympanal organs. They are mostly nocturnal.
The larvae are also hairy, often with hairs packed in tufts, and in many species the hairs break off very easily and are extremely irritating to the skin (especially members of the genus Euproctis to which this caterpillar belongs). This highly effective defence serves the moth throughout its life cycle as the hairs are incorporated into the cocoon, from where they are collected and stored by the emerging adult female at the tip of the abdomen and used to camouflage and protect the eggs as they are laid. In others, the eggs are covered by a froth that soon hardens, or are camouflaged by material the female collects and sticks to them (Schaefer, 1989). In the larvae of some species, hairs are gathered in dense tufts along the back and this gives them the common name of tussocks or tussock moths.
Euproctis caterpillar Hanging
Lymantria means “defiler”, and several species are important defoliators of forest trees, including the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar, the douglas-fir tussock moth Orgyia pseudotsugata, and the Nun Moth Lymantria monacha. They tend to have broader host plant ranges than most Lepidoptera. Most feed on trees and shrubs, but some are known from vines, herbs, grasses and lichens.
As I started taking photographs of this caterpillar it fell down from the stem. But the caterpillar did not land in the ground. It had a life support in the form of a slender silk which it had anchored to the stem.
Euproctis caterpillar Hanging
Trying to photograph hanging caterpillar which is wriggling to reach the stem is the toughest job I can think off. focusing was very very tricky. I some how managed to get 2 good shots of the caterpillar midair out of 30 which were out of focus. All the shots were taken Canon EOS 5D mark II using Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro & Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash.
EXIF info…
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure Mode:
Manual exposure
Exposure Time:
1/200 sec.
Exposure Bias:
0.0
Aperture (F Stop):
f/11.0
ISO Used:
100
Flash Used:
Flash fired, compulsory flash mode.
White Balance:
As Shot
Focal Length:
100.0 mm
Metering Mode:
Pattern
Date Time:
2009:06:13 17:27:25
GPS Location in Google Map:
13° 4' 2.2" N, 74° 59' 44.6" E, 634 m.a.s.l.
Copyright ©
Krishna Mohan
All rights Reserved. This Image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or trasmitted in any forms or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. If you’d like to make usage request, just ask: drkrishi@drkrishi.com
EXIF info…
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure Mode:
Manual exposure
Exposure Time:
1/200 sec.
Exposure Bias:
0.0
Aperture (F Stop):
f/11.0
ISO Used:
100
Flash Used:
Flash fired, compulsory flash mode.
White Balance:
As Shot
Focal Length:
100.0 mm
Metering Mode:
Pattern
Date Time:
2009:06:13 17:47:16
GPS Location in Google Map:
13° 4' 2.2" N, 74° 59' 44.6" E, 634 m.a.s.l.
Copyright ©
Krishna Mohan
All rights Reserved. This Image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or trasmitted in any forms or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. If you’d like to make usage request, just ask: drkrishi@drkrishi.com
EXIF info…
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure Mode:
Manual exposure
Exposure Time:
1/200 sec.
Exposure Bias:
0.0
Aperture (F Stop):
f/7.1
ISO Used:
100
Flash Used:
Flash fired, compulsory flash mode.
White Balance:
As Shot
Focal Length:
100.0 mm
Metering Mode:
Pattern
Date Time:
2009:06:13 17:50:11
GPS Location in Google Map:
13° 4' 2.2" N, 74° 59' 44.6" E, 634 m.a.s.l.
Copyright ©
Krishna Mohan
All rights Reserved. This Image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or trasmitted in any forms or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. If you’d like to make usage request, just ask: drkrishi@drkrishi.com
Tags: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, Canon EOS 5D mark II, Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash, cucumber tree (Averrhoea bilimbi), Euproctis virguncula, g, hairy, Insect, Lymantriidae, Moodabidri, Yellow moth caterpillar
Posted in Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Comments (1)
by Krishna Mohan
Thorn Mimic Treehopper
This curious insect belongs to the group of trehoppers belonging to family Membracidae. It is also called thorn Mimic treehopper as it looks like a thorn. most treehoppers are considered as pest, but some like Leptocentrus taurus was found feeding on the noxious weed Parthenium hysterophorus in Karnataka, India, thus acting as potential biological control agents. I found this Leptocentrus species on a Smooth rattlepod (Crotalaria pallida)plant. Photographed using Canon EOS 5D mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro using Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash.
EXIF info…
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure Mode:
Manual exposure
Exposure Time:
1/200 sec.
Exposure Bias:
0.0
Aperture (F Stop):
f/10.0
ISO Used:
100
Flash Used:
Flash fired, compulsory flash mode.
White Balance:
As Shot
Focal Length:
100.0 mm
Metering Mode:
Pattern
Date Time:
2009:06:13 17:56:57
GPS Location in Google Map:
13° 4' 2.2" N, 74° 59' 44.6" E, 634 m.a.s.l.
Copyright ©
Krishna Mohan
All rights Reserved. This Image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or trasmitted in any forms or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. If you’d like to make usage request, just ask: drkrishi@drkrishi.com
Tags: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, Canon EOS 5D mark II, Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash, Crotalaria pallida, Horned treehopper Leptocentrus sp (Membracidae), Insect, Moodabidri, salts rattlebox, smooth crotalaria, Smooth Rattlepod, streaked rattlepod, striped crotalaria, Thorn Mimic Treehopper
Posted in Nature, Photography, Wildlife | Comments (3)
by Krishna Mohan
Mysterious Creeper
Sunlight back lighting this Butterfly Ginger Lily(Hedychium coronarium) leaf with creeper going behind it creating this mysterious image.
EXIF info…
Camera:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Exposure Mode:
Manual exposure
Exposure Time:
1/160 sec.
Exposure Bias:
0.0
Aperture (F Stop):
f/8.0
ISO Used:
100
Flash Used:
Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
White Balance:
As Shot
Focal Length:
100.0 mm
Metering Mode:
Pattern
Date Time:
2009:06:21 15:16:21
GPS Location in Google Map:
12° 55' 20.4" N, 74° 51' 57.1" E, 353 m.a.s.l.
Copyright ©
Krishna Mohan
All rights Reserved. This Image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or trasmitted in any forms or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. If you’d like to make usage request, just ask: drkrishi@drkrishi.com
Tags: back lighting, back lit, Butterfly Ginger Lily, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, Canon EOS 5D mark II, Creeper, Hedychium coronarium
Posted in Nature, Photography | Comments (0)
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