June 21st, 2006
they’re hatching!
Guess what?! They’re hatching!! Yes, indeed, the weird but lovely silver eggs, first discovered on a Common Milkweed leaf on June 14, have begun to hatch. As you can see in the above photo (click for a larger view), as of yesterday morning, three Spiny Stink Bug nymphs had hatched out, and I suspect more may do so very soon. It looks as though the “lids” on the eggs flip open and that the bugs must climb out. Some of the eggs look different than the others — the lids looking bluish. Perhaps those may be eggs that are about to hatch very soon. I’ll check on them again later this morning to see what’s happening.
But there’s more!
Last evening, while doing my final round of insects walks for the day, I discovered this minute cluster of insects on a blade of grass. I couldn’t quite see what they were, but shot a couple of photos to examine on the computer later. Guess what?! A large cluster of stinkbug nymphs with a couple more of the silver eggs in their midst. And you know what? Now I’m finding silver eggs all over the place. I found another cluster on a Milkweed leaf last evening. I’ve posted the photo below because I just can’t seem to get enough of looking at these fascinating little things. Also, I wanted to comment on something noticed in this photo — and that has to do with what looks as though it might be some kind of damp area around the base of each egg. I don’t think those are shadows. My guess is that its some kind of secretion — probably something adhesive — that’s holding these eggs in position. Surely there must be a strong adhesive that keeps these eggs in place when exposed to the elements — and no small feat in the drenching downpours we’ve had over the past week. Stay tuned for more on the silver eggs. I shall report back on any new developments.
Tags: silver eggs with spines, Spiny Stink Bug, Spiny Soldier Bug, Podisus, predatory stink bug, Trirhabda Beetles
June 21st, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Those pictures are so cool!
But “drenching downpours” is what makes me envious right now.
June 21st, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Mark — Thanks! I got quite a kick out of seeing those shots up on my screen last night. As for the “drenching downpours”… yes, I was actually thinking of you people down in the “drought zone” as I wrote those words. We’ve had several very hot, dry summers, and had very little snow last winter, so it’s actually been a good thing to get all of this rain. Even in spite of the rain, we were up the Ottawa Valley a few weeks ago and overheard some fishermen discussing water levels in the lakes, and that they were still very low — more like late autumn. I think the soil must be absorbing every drop of rain as it falls. The trees around my place are looking so different than they have in past years — everything is looking verdent — especially the spruce trees which have long, soft fronds of new growth this year. We haven’t seen anything like that for quite some time.
June 21st, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Beautiful story-telling with macro photography. May I ask what you’re using? I’ve got a Nikon digital, and I’m not satified with the macro capabilities of my current lenses.
Thanx - Xris
June 21st, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Xris - Which camera are you using and what kind of lenses? For those shots, I used my older Nikon CP4500. I always shoot handheld, and that camera is easier for me to hold very steady when shooting extremely tiny objects. Also, I don’t need to crop too much of the image away. I do also use a Nikon CP8800 for macro — but I tend to use it more with slightly larger insects - in fact, I prefer it for the larger ones like caterpillars, butterflies and such. I’ve thought of getting a Nikon DSLR and the new VR macro lens, but so far haven’t seen that many photos taken with that lens, so I don’t really know whether it would be worth changing how I do things. At the moment, I’m pleased with what I’m getting, so don’t feel much desire to get any new equipment.
June 21st, 2006 at 3:34 pm
I’m so glad you are finding more of these spiny stink bug eggs. They are such beautiful little silvery spheres. Very interesting discovery of that wet patch beneath them. That must be some powerful adhesive. I’m looking forward to your analysis of the blue color; it would be so interesting if it is a transitional color just before hatching. What fun!
June 21st, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Omigosh! You captured them hatching!
The blue coloring is a surprise, too.
Wow (I use that word a LOT on your blog)
June 21st, 2006 at 11:30 pm
RA - I checked on the eggs again this afternoon, but no change so far. However, what is interesting is how these little bugs like to remain together. I’ve found several clusters of them on leaves over the past week and they seem to want to be together. If they notice me while I’m shooting a photo, they start to disperse in all directions, but as soon as they feel the danger is past, they regroup in a cluster. I’m wondering if it is for warmth (the way chicks will do when they are raised under a heat lamp), or if it has to do with security — but then why disperse when threatened. The only other thing I can think of is that they want to be with their own kind for the first while after they hatch. Later on, these become quite solitary bugs and go about feeding or hunting depending on whether they are the plant-feeding or predatory species. By the way, I’m trying to pay more attention to their behaviour in the nymph stage of these and other bugs this year. Aggregations are quite common in young insects, but I’m not exactly sure just why. Lots of unanswered questions to investigate!
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Leslie - If you were out with me while I’ve shooting photos, you’d hear me saying “Wow!” a lot too! I think it’s probably my most used word when I’m wandering around photographing things. (-:
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:45 am
Bev: Thanks for the info. I’m not familiar with the two models you mention.
I also shoot hand-held with natural light. I don’t remember the last time I used a tripod. Too bulky and clumsy.
My current camera is the Nikon D70S. It’s a sweet machine. I’ve been very happy with it. I got the D70S to replace my Coolpix 990, which was acting flaky after a couple years. I also still have my FA from back in the day. I have several lenses for the FA which I can use with the D70S. The ability to leverage my investment in SLR lenses over the years, and the higher digital resolution over the 990, is what led me to choose the D70S.
My primary lens on the D70S right now is a Nikkor 28-85mm Macro Zoom. You can take a look at my blog for some recent shots with this setup. But the Macro setting is at the 28mm end of the zoom. There are several problems. The wide-angle reduces the effective image size. Auto-focus is disabled at the macro setting; you have to focus by moving the camera to the focal plane. Finally, my eyes not being what they used to be, it’s hard to capture those tiny images in focus through the viewfinder.
Yeah, the new VR lenses are very sexy, and way expensive. I don’t know if I’m ready to go that far just yet. I have other things higher on the list!
I have an even older 35-70mm Macro Zoom, which I bought when I got my FA, like, omigod, 25 years ago. It has the the Macro setting at the 70mm end. I may try that, but I don’t know yet if the auto-focus will work with it.
Thanks again - Xris
PS: I love your photography. Thank you for sharing all this beauty.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:21 am
Xris - The CP4500 was a couple of generations after the CP990 — one of the Nikon swivel body cameras, but a 4 MP and a few other feature. I stopped using it for awhile after gettng the CP8800 — partly to force myself to get comfortable with the new camera. However, I’ve recently begun working with the CP4500 again as I find it better for shooting small spiders - something I’m doing a lot of at the moment. The CP8800 is an 8 MP camera — it’s got a built-in lens that goes from macro to 10x zoom. It’s quite a large camera, probably about the size of many DSLRs. I like it quite a bit as it suits my style of shooting — I shoot quite quickly and like a camera with a large LCD which I can flip all around to shoot from different angles. It’s got VR, so it’s handy for shooting birds photos with the zoom. Nice camera, but I don’t think there are that many people using it.
And yes, I know.. the VR macro for the Nikon is expensive. I think it lists well over a thousand bucks here in Canada. I’d have to get a camera to put it with. Can’t really justify the expense, which is okay.
I just dropped by at your blog to see your macros. They look pretty good to me! Weevils of any kind are usually a difficult subject at the best of times! Btw, I believe that Wayne at Niches has the same model of Nikon as you’re using. He’s doing quite a lot of macro photos and may be able to share some of his insect macro techniques.
Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments about my photography.
bev
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:20 am
Bev - thanks for keeping track of those fantastic eggs. I’m still charmed by the spiny structures on top! And to have the little hatchlings is just icing on the cake. Beautiful pictures.
You’ve scooped me though - since May 24 I’ve been taking daily pics of the dozen orange swamp milkweed leaf beetle eggs. They still haven’t hatched, although they’re undergoing lots of interesting changes. Maybe today!
Xris - yes, Bev remembers!, I have the D70 also (and got it for the same reason you did - my neat little Nikon 990 Coolpix went flaky on me after a few years. I was really ticked to get the unhelpful suggestion that it was a throwaway camera. Not at $900 it isn’t, but there you have it.)
I’ve found a number of things that work for better macro even with handheld (and I prefer handheld). The most magic bullet was to take control of the ISO and raise it to 400 or 640 instead of letting the camera deal with it. That puts most normal lighting macro shots at at least 1/60 second on setting P and A instead of the 1/30 sec you get if you let the camera choose ISO (default about 200). There’s not much pixel noise, if any, at up to 640.
I’m using SLR lenses, the main one is a Sigma f3.8-5.6 28 to 135mm. The other is a macro-telescopic Quantaray 70 to 300mm. I also use a 4:2:1 diopter triplet.
You might have noticed if you’re using a SLR on macro that if you’re using internal flash you get shadowing on the lower half of the photo if you’re as close as possible. It’s annoying but I just keep the subject in the upper half of the frame instead of the center.
That’s enough camera geek from me this morning!
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:00 am
Wayne - Thanks! I’ll be very interested to see photos of the Swamp Milkweed eggs and hatchlings. I found a small larva munching on a milkweed leaf the night before last, so some must have hatched around here awhile ago. Our milkweed seems incredibly advanced compared to past years. I might post something about that this morning.
Also, thanks for adding the notes about your camera and macro photography. I use the same strategy with the CP8800 when I have to use the flash — for example, when photographing salamanders under very dark conditions. I zoom out slightly, and then shoot with the salamander in the top half of the frame. With the CP4500, I have one of those LED light rings which work quite well for small things such as night moths.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:37 pm
You know, I feel very fortunate that you are able to present these kinds of things. Thanx!
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Pablo - thanks! I do very much enjoy sharing the things that I see around the farm. (-:
June 12th, 2007 at 7:49 am
[…] We’re told that every cloud has a silver lining. Well, it turns out that every egg has a blue lining - at least those of the Spiny Stink Bug. As reported on June 21st, the weird but lovely silver eggs that I had first photographed on June 13th, began to hatch. First instar nymphs of Spiny Stink Bugs clustered around hatched eggs with lids seemingly flipped upward. But a few of the eggs seemed to show a mysterious blue colouring on top. In the discussion that followed, robin andrea and Leslie both expressed interest in the blue colour — so this is a follow up on my previous report. […]