Ted Talk: Respect the Bugs!
Mark Berman at Tedx Columbus 2011. Features parasitic wasp Ammophila and jumping spiders, with a really cool shot of a jumper making an effort to get a better look at the photographer! Related articles...
View ArticleThe Week on Sunday
The Week on Sunday will be an attempt at regular posting about what I’ve done over the last week in the garden and in the field, as well as including a list of interesting links that I have come...
View ArticleLi’l Jumper on the Sand
This small Salticid was found in the Opal Natural Area in Alberta, 1 May, 2012. I think it may be a female Habronattus americanus, the males of which I found in abundance 2 weeks later. The...
View ArticleThe Week on Sunday 2
Another Tuesday at the Opal Natural Area…it has been the Year of the Spider for me, with more arachnids leaping before the lens than insects. Last Tuesday I found a stunning jumper, hopping rapidly...
View ArticleTipped with Gold — Habronattus cuspidatus
Unfortunately, no one was able to claim the prize for my recent (and never-to-be-repeated) $1000000 (did I forget to mention that?) ID Challenge. The mystery knee that I had no clue about featured a...
View ArticleDarlington’s Peacock Jumping Spider
Another very cool jumping spider video by Jürgen Otto in Australia: from the Youtube page: Courtship of a spider that has become known as “Darlington’s peacock spider”. I found these specimens during a...
View ArticleFinger Spider and the Twin Suns Dilemma
I was scrolling through my wife’s photographs and came across this image that she took last May. We were at the Opal Natural Area that day, but couldn’t remember what I was photographing at the time,...
View ArticleJumping Spider Habronattus cuspidatus revisited.
Reviewing earlier images, I came across this Habronattus cuspidatus photo, taken in Dinosaur Provincial Park last year. Perky, ain’t he, with the green legs and golden knees?
View ArticleThe Week on Sunday #25
♦ Opening with – ‘The Life of an Entomolgist” (Hat-tip to Maria Pineda). Leaf-litter extraction with creative animation and rollicking music: ♦ Most butterfly watchers have probably noticed the...
View ArticleNot just Cute, but Cosy.
A little Salticid peeks out from its lair cubbyhole. Photographed in Opal Natural Area on May 8, 2012. Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera, Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus Lens for...
View ArticleWeek on Sunday #32
After a few days of rain and cloud, stepping out into the sunlight of an early morning garden is an invigorating experience! Refreshed, I can now begin another episode of the Week on Sunday… ♦ Let’s...
View ArticleCurious Jumping Spider
This Salticid drew my eyes when I saw it hopping on a fallen log. Bending down to take a closer look, I saw that it was actually hopping to avoid the ants that were scavenging near by. As I neared it...
View ArticleLittle Lycosid
This is a little wolf spider (Lycosidae. Genus Pardosa ) that I found basking in the sun on a tree trunk at the Wagner Bog Natural Area. With the legs it was only about 6mm across, but it had the...
View ArticleMy Top 10 Macro Photographs in 2013
Here are my top photo choices for 2013. The selection is based somewhat on public response, but mostly just because they are my personal favorites. Like most years, these are wild Alberta bugs,...
View ArticleNot just Cute, but Cosy.
A little Salticid peeks out from its lair cubbyhole. Photographed in Opal Natural Area on May 8, 2012. Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera, Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus Lens for...
View ArticleWeek on Sunday #32
After a few days of rain and cloud, stepping out into the sunlight of an early morning garden is an invigorating experience! Refreshed, I can now begin another episode of the Week on Sunday… ♦ Let’s...
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