The Night I Smelt Like Vinegar

August 31, 2012, 8:50 am

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Whip Scorpions belong to the order Thelyphonida, and I would consider them to be "cousins" of spiders and other scorpions. They are also called Vinegarroons, because of their defence mechanism -- spraying acetic acid from glands near the rear of the abdomen which smell very much like vinegar. As expected, I was the target of the "vinegar spray" on this night...

For this shoot, I got back to using the Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro lens, very light and great lens to use! Only drawback is that the lens extends a tad too much. I had sold this lens 2 years ago, and got it back for some hand-held adventures... the result? Many more subjects!!

Just a basic taxonomic structure for the Arachnids with the common orders:

• Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Tailless Whip Scorpions (Amblypygi)
  • Order: Spiders (Araneae)
  • Order: Harvestmen (Opiliones)
  • Order: Pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpionida)
  • Order: Scorpions (Scorpiones)
  • Order: Whip Scorpions (Thelyphonida)
  • Order: Mites and Ticks (Acari)

#1 Found the Whip Scorpion! But quite dirty as it was digging around the mud.

#2 Chased it onto a tree's exposed root.

#3 Glorious dorsal view. It has 6 legs for walking, and 2 front legs modified as sensory organs. The pedipalps are pincer-like, resembling that of a scorpion.

#4 An ant came to disturb. Maybe it started spraying because of the irritating ant!!

#5 A closer look at the pedipalps. Not exactly pincers as they cannot "pince" on it's own

#6 Quite scary looking, but no venom! :)

#7 This should be where the "vinegar" came from!!

#8 This whip-like tail is also a sensory organ. Despite the spikey look, it is not a weapon.

#9 Final look at the vinegar-emitting glands

#10 Tiny little huntsman spider, might be mistaken to be a Sac Spider

#11 Sac Spider (Utivarachna phyllicola). Seems very common at first glance, but the front row of eyes could tell a different story.

#12 Another view of the tiny huntsman spider

#13 Crab spider (Thomisidae) with a grumpy face

#14 Then again, most crab spiders do not look particularly happy!

#15 Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae)

#16 Jumping Bristletail? (Machilidae?)

#17 Cute little stick insect was standing beside the Whip Scorpion, but everyone ignored it. I took a record shot and it turned out to be quite a beauty!

#18 Found something in the stream! This is the end of the breathing tube of a water scorpion (Nepidae) on the water surface

#19 Full view of the water scorpion. It is actually a true bug and not related to scorpions at all. Name was given because of this posture which resembles scorpions.

#20 Shooting through the water, face to face with the water scorpion!

#21 Didn't look too happy and tried to hide behind the leaves

#22 Vampire Crab (Geosesarma nemesis) found running around on leaves and on the stream.

#23 Stood still enough for me to take a passport photo :)

#24 Beautiful bright colouration!

#25 And then there were two on the wooden railing...

#26 Cute pair of vampire crabbies

#27 The stream had tadpoles too.. looks like a smiley face???

#28 From the underside, we could see through the body and examine the internal organs...

#29 Harvestman which we commonly call the gummybear

#30 Side view of the harvestman

#31 Ran onto a bright yellow leaf

#32 Closed up when it felt a little threatened

#33 Started running again!!

#34 Looks much nicer spread open

#35 Final shot of the gummy bear

#36 Beautiful looking Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae)

#37 Bright orange legs with dark (black?) carapace

#38 Closer view of the face

#39 One of the many wandering spiders (Ctenidae) on the forest leaf litter

#40 Face shot of the wandering spider

#41 Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae). One leg appears to be of a different colour. This is probably a regrown leg from a recent moult. Spiders can regrow lost legs from their moults, but that also means that they will not be able to regrow their legs if they had already undergone their last moult!

#42 Final shot goes to the little Huntsman Spider that used to be classified as a Sac Spider

The full album can be viewed here.

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Singapore's Leaf Rolling Weevils

September 6, 2012, 9:46 am

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Leaf Rolling Weevils are sometimes known as Giraffe Weevils due to their longer necks. The necks in the males of certain species are extraordinarily long, but we have not seen those in Singapore yet.

Here's a video showing how this weevil cuts a leaf and rolls it up into what looks like a spring roll. This rolled leaf serves to protect their newly laid eggs. Some species would cut the rolled leaf and let it drop to the floor, while I've seen some left hanging on the branches. When the young are hatched, the larvae will feed on the leaf from inside until they are ready to face the world.



#1 Giraffe Weevil (Korotyaevirhinus necopinus orientalis). Seen this a couple of times, but only if the host plants are present

#2 Top view shows the yellow patches

#3 A preflight shot showing the yellow abdomen

#4 Another leaf rolling weevil with different colouration

#5 Doing some cleaning every now and then

#6 Pushing an invisible wall

#7 View from above

#8 Taking more record shots, DOF very thin here

#9 Head shot

#10 Final angle before letting it hide under the leaf again

#11 A very very tiny Crab Spider (Thomisidae)

#12 A show of threat as I approached

#13 Side profile

#14 Found a very cute little Pill Cockroach on the forest litter

#15 Take a peek at the face!

#16 Peekaboo!

#17 A very different looking Crab Spider on the muddy walls

#18 The fore legs are often stretched forward

#19 Another angle

#20 Closer look at the eyes

#21 Final shot. This is the most common position that you'd find this spider in!

#22 A ground spider (Zodariidae) with a captured ant

#23 Front view

#24 Unusual view of a stick insect (from bottom up!)

#25 Close up of the head

#26 Found this Huntsman Spider resting on a leaf. Sometimes mistaken to be a sac spider as well.

#27 Closer view of the face!

#28 Record shot of a scorpion (Lychas scutilus?)

#29 Another ground spider hidden in a folded leaf

#30 Found some very tiny little wolf spiders (Lycosidae) in their usual dew-ridden webs

#31 Small, black but cute!

#32 Record shot of a spider's moult

#33 Victor showed me this very quietly positioned barklouse

#34 Many wandering spiders (Ctenidae) on the forest litter!

#35 Comb-footed Spider (Theridiidae) with another captured spider

#36 This Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) captured a cockroach!

#37 Daddy Long Legs, or Cellar Spider (Pholcidae) carrying a bunch of eggs

#38 Haven't shot crickets in a while, shot this since I'm testing my setup as well.

#39 A spider's home. But who?

#40 Some legs spotted! Probably a comb-footed spider.

#41 Jumping Spider (Salticidae)

#42 The usual stunned look of a jumping spider

#43 A Nephilid, one of the many with webs on the surface of tree trunks

#44 Trying to get a view of the face

#45 Dorsal view

#46 Interesting little comb-footed spider

#47 Juvenile orb weaver (Argiope sp.?) with prey

The full album can be viewed here.

The Walking Leaf

September 13, 2012, 8:55 am

≫ Next: The Lock and Key of Spiders

≪ Previous: Singapore's Leaf Rolling Weevils

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This short post brings us to a close look at one of the walking leaves in Singapore - Gray's Leaf Insect (Phyllium bioculatum). It was found dangling on a roped railing doing some gymnastics when it was found. Thanks to Chris and Andrew for sharing the find!

#1 Despite the clever disguise, the outline of the leaf insect is obvious!

#2 The body bears a perfect resemblance to a leaf

#3 Due to the weight of the abdomen, the rear is often flapped up. This picture had been rotated 180 degrees for viewing comfort

#4 Oh yeah face to face!

#5 Side view of the walking leaf

#6 At different angles, it might be almost impossible to spot it!

#7 Going closer! This Leaf Insect is actually a Stick Insect (Phasmatodea)

#8 All ready to party!!

#9 It is most comfortable when dangling upside down

#10 Started playing with my flashes

#11 This was the acrobatic pose when it was found

#12 Truly a leaf..!!

The full album can be viewed here.

The Lock and Key of Spiders

September 15, 2012, 7:44 am

≫ Next: Macro Highlights of 2012

≪ Previous: The Walking Leaf

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In the reproduction of spiders, the male typically transfers it's sperm from it's pedipalps to the female's epigyne. The epigyne is the external genital structure of female spiders located on the underside of the abdomen, while the pedipalps of a male spider resemble miniature legs with the palpal organ in the last segment that is used for the sperm transfer.

The structure of the epigyne and the palpal organs vary so greatly in it's form across different species that they often provide the most distinctive characteristic for identifying different spider species. Because of that, I'd usually term these two organs the lock and key.

#1 The enlarged black pedipalps of a sexually mature Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) are so distinct that some called them boxing gloves

#2 The epigyne of this female Crab Spider (Thomisidae) is the brown spot located on the abdomen, near to the carapace. That is where the male crab spider would position it's pedipalps

#3 The actual mating position, where the tiny male crab spider clings onto the female like a baby

#4 This pair of Big-Bellied Tylorida Spiders (Tylorida ventralis) are just doing it at their own pace while flattened on a tree branch

#5 The pedipalps of a male Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) are long enough to reach the female's epigyne while the male is on top. This picture does not show the connection yet.

Sometimes, the same spider species may have slightly different morphological structures. The epigyne or pedipalps would then be used to verify if they are indeed from the same species. Some taxonomists might disagree, but this is the most recognized method so far.

#6 Here's the front view of the Crab Spider from above. Not too happy that I took a pic of her genitalia!! (oops)

#7 Top view. Also known as the dorsal view.

#8 Another view of it's grumpy face

#9 Spitting Spider (Scytodidae), the body parts usually remind me of watermelons... hmmm...

#10 Side view. Also known as the lateral view.

#11 View from the front. This spider captures prey by spitting a venomous sticky fluid before biting and wrapping it up with silk

#12 One of the tiny Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) on the ground. Has a slight tinge of blue, but appears black from the naked eye

#13 Sac Spider (Clubionidae), very distinct row of 6 eyes

#14 Top view of the Sac Spider

#15 Juvenile Argiope sp. with prey

#16 Cute little gecko

#17 Lazy to change my setup on the spot so I only have close ups of this fella

#18 The resident of this area - Whip Scorpion (Thelyphonida)

#19 Close up on a centipede, with tiny mites on the antennae

#20 Slightly wider view to show the red legs

#21 Crab Spider (Thomisidae), doesn't look like the common crab spiders

#22 Front view

#23 Dorsal view

#24 Lateral view

#25 One of the many Wandering Spiders (Ctenidae) on the forest floor

#26 Malesian Frog (Limnonectes malesianus)

#27 Malesian Frog (Limnonectes malesianus)

#28 One of the more bizarre finds of the night, possibly a Liocranid hiding in it's burrow. It had a lid to cover the burrow when we approached!

#29 After the burrow entrance was sealed, it was virtually impossible to locate the burrow

#30 Took a video to show how the spider closed it's burrow. Handheld with Raynox, beware of jittery video!

#31 Moult of an Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug

#32 Flipped it over for a view of the underside

#33 Harvestman (Opiliones) eating a fungus

#34 Not sure of ID...

#35 Could be a Pisaurid or Ctenid, needed a better view of the eyes to confirm

#36 Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae)

#37 Beautiful patterns on this Huntsman Spider!

#38 Record shot of the dorsal view

#39 ID also not determined yet

#40 ID also not determined yet

#41 Another juvenile Argiope sp.

#42 Araneus sp. Probably a Kidney Garden Spider.

#43 Comb-footed Spider (Theridiidae), this is usually found in curled up leaves

#44 Orb Weaver Spider (Araneidae)

#45 Araneus sp.

#46 One of the many spiders on it's web

#47 Twig-like feather-legged spider (Miagrammopes sp.)

#48 Last shot of the mysterious spider with ID yet to be determined

The full album can be viewed here.

Macro Highlights of 2012

December 31, 2012, 2:28 am

≫ Next: Nature Macro Photography Workshop @ Science Centre Singapore

≪ Previous: The Lock and Key of Spiders

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As the year draws to an end, I looked back at my haul - over 3000 scenes captured and uploaded! This is a record as I put my tripod aside in June to embark on more hand-held adventures, chalking over 100 keepers in a day at times. I have also upgraded my camera to a Nikon D800, and switched back to a shorter lens - Tamron 90mm. I have also migrated to Flickr and started placing watermarks in the photos, due to several cases of misuse of my photos.

It is always difficult to select the best, so I'm adopting to showcase the best photos in a list of categories. :) The photos have been chosen either for photographic quality or the beauty/rarity of the subject matter.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow macro photographers who have been trudging forest trails and bashing out paths with me throughout the year, and sharing all the beautiful creatures uncovered with their amazing radars. You know who you are. :)

Jumping Spiders
The ever-popular jumping spiders are known for their cute and large Anterior Median Eyes (AME), and the most sought after shots have always been that of the eyes!

#1 This beautiful Fighting Spider is lined by metallic scales of blue, with exceptionally large AMEs to boot!

#2 This photo appears here because of the details in the reflection of the spider's eyes. I was covering my focusing light while taking this shot, and my fingers appeared in the reflection!

Tarantulas
The spiders with the worst reputation, but the hairy disposition has a certain allure of it's own.

#3 The Malaysian Purple Femur Tarantula is common at Fraser's Hill, but rarely seen in the open!

Wandering Spiders
Easy to photograph creatures, as they wouldn't move much even when I'm 1 inch away from their faces.

#4 A slightly different angle when viewing a wandering spider's face up close

Crab Spiders
Usually comes with a big face and small eyes, but more distinctly, lengthier fore-legs.

#5 A Bird Dung Crab Spider which lives it's life looking like shit.

Huntsman Spiders
One of the most common nocturnal spiders in our parks, easily noticeable because of the large size.

#6 A very large Huntsman Spider with unique tufts of hair on the legs. I didn't have the right lens, and had to stitch 11 photos to get this shot!

Ogre-Faced Spiders
The characteristically gigantic eyes of the ogre-faced spider helps it to hunt at night. Direct shots of these eyes are a must!

#7 This ogre-face spider has already captured it's prey and reduced it to a small rubble

Lynx Spiders
Common spiders in the bushes but without much well-taken shots.

#8 My first shots with the MPE, kindly loaned from Victor. Turned out quite well except for my poor selection of settings which resulted in slight degradation of image quality.

Spiny Back Orb Weaver Spiders
The most common spiny back orb weaver would be the yellow Hasselt's Spiny Back Orb Weaver. We do have several other unique spiny backs!

#9 The mother of all spiny back orb weavers!

Weevils
Typical weevils look lazy and clumpy, and have a three dimensional shape, making it difficult to get the body in a single plane of focus.

#10 Exceptionally long legs and snout of this weevil makes it unique.

Tiger Beetles
The fastest running living thing on land. Try catching one.

#11 The most vibrantly coloured Tiger Beetle that I have ever shot!

Stick Insects
These large arthropods usually come in dull brown colours, but there are always exceptions!

#12 Jokingly called this the watermelon stick insect for the green streaks across the body!

Mantises
Most have only seen the typical mantises in our parks. But there's more!

#13 The Banded Flower Mantis has a uniquely shaped body with beautiful patterns.

#14 Bark Horned Mantis, sometimes mistaken to be the Devil's Head Mantis for the devilish head!

#15 A praying mantis (Metallyticus splendidus) which looks like it was made of a mish mash of coloured metal.

Lantern Bugs
Undoubtedly one of the most sought-after subjects for macro lovers. I had the privilege to shoot 5 different species this year!

#16 Pyrops candelaria, product of Thailand

#17 Pyrops sultana, common in Malaysia but still exotic looking!

#18 Pyrops intricata, the only one I've seen with a yellow tipped snout

Millipedes
Often skipped macro subjects because of their size and relatively reflective body. It's a challenge to capture these critters well!

#19 This giant millipede has the most colourful set of legs that I have ever seen!

Frogs
The usual frogs look drab, but tree frogs tend to show up in interesting and sometimes funny poses.

#20 Harlequin Flying Frog asking to have it's pic taken. Why not?

Snakes
The serpents of our land often hide from public view. A keen eye is all it needs to spot them!

#21 Adult Wagler's Pit Viper lays at rest on a lazy morning

Ants
Ants are all around us. Why should their pictures be highlighted? Because they can be just as awesome as the rest!

#22 These ants are armed with fish hooks on their back. Not the typical ant!

#23 Tiny but bizarre looking armored ant. Almost missed this as it looked like any other ant until observed up close!

Katydids
Very common in our bushes. But some may actually look radically different!

#24 Dragon-Headed Katydid, look at all the crazy spikes!

#25 Face shots of the cone headed katydids can have pleasing compositions!

Beetles
A beetle is just a beetle, no? Look harder!

#26 Extremely difficult to illuminate due to the reflective surface. I had this entire ground beetle covered with my flashes!

#27 A pair of sexually dichromatic scarab beetles

Moths
Moths may look drab, but some can be beautifully decorated!

#28 Looking through the balcony glass door....

Wasps
With waists to die for, many skipped these subjects because of their flighty nature.

#29 A wasp duo taking a break on a dangling branch

Bees
Another flighty group, but when they sleep.. almost nothing wakes them up!

#30 Sleeping beauty of a cuckoo bee

Spider Webs

#31 The Cyclosa orb weaver creates some of the most beautiful webs, next to the Neogea nocticolor (the latter's decorated web is on my wish list)

Preflight
Preflight is the split second when a beetle's elytra (hard wings) open to unfold the hind wings in preparation for flight. Rarely shot and often breathtaking!

#32 The moment before this longhorn beetle took flight, almost looking like some Gangnam Syle dance...!

#33 Preflight also exposes what we rarely see beneath the wings. Sometimes, they look even more interesting inside!

Mating Scenes
No mating scene should be passed up for any macro shooter. Call us porn directors or peeping toms if you must, but such scenes must always be captured in it's raw beauty!

#34 A pair of fireflies making sure that our forests have that occasional flying glow

#35 Blue robberflies need not look at each other to make love

#36 Pond skaters in the process of multiplying

#37 Water Measurers, super thin and tiny bugs that are almost impossible to focus on!

#38 These Striated Tylorida Spiders mate in public very often. In this shot, I tried to get all 16 eyes in focus!

#39 Savoring the moment as the female huntsman spider gets laid

#40 Awkward moment when the male flesh fly slips and fumbles over the female's eyes

Motherly Love
Another must-shoot scene, would be of mothers tending to their young or eggs. The mothers often make extreme sacrifices in doing so!

#41 Little wolf spiders climbing out of their egg sac and onto their mother's abdomen where they will cling onto until they are big enough to hunt

#42 Also known as Daddy Long Legs. Imagine a whole family of them emerging from the egg sac!

#43 Just before the eggs of this Wide Jawed Viciria hatch, little white bits appear on each egg.

#44 Scared of cockroaches? Try a fresh new brood of little ones. 100 of them?

#45 The nursery web spider bites onto her egg sac until the spiderlings are ready to hatch. Do they even eat during these weeks?

#46 The Huntsman Spider uses it's palps to do the clinging job with a pillow-like egg sac.

Hunting Techniques
Not all spiders catch their prey on webs...

#47 The trapdoor spider stays in it's burrow all the time, and positions it's legs at the entrance behind the trapdoor at night. Trip wires are built, radiating out from the trapdoor entrance to detect any unsuspecting prey passing by.

Camouflage
How to survive by blending into the background.

#48 We are thorns. Not treehoppers!

#49 The tree stump orb weaver remains motionless on branches or stumps and looks exactly like part of the branch!

#50 Even when observed up close, it was almost impossible to spot this pair of Kuhl's Flying Geckos.

Predator-Prey Scenes
All part and parcel of survival in the wild. Almost every subject will get devoured or poisoned some day.

#51 Crab spider trying it's best to mimic a red weaver ant and invite it over

#52 Vicious robberfly lands on the golden orb weaver's web and rips it apart right in it's own home!

#53 Cannibalism is not too uncommon with jumping spiders!

#54 Many cecidomyiid flies join the party while this crab spider sucks on it's prey

Best Sequences

#55 A documentation of a 9-minute moulting sequence of the Two-Tailed Spider.

#56 100-frame animation of a moulting Cicada, awesome to watch!

Best Display of Mimicry
This section is a celebration of the best pretenders.

#57 A katydid that pretends to be the ferocious tiger beetle. Check out the actual tiger beetle below to appreciate the mimicry.



Best Display of Colours
Macro photographers are suckers for vibrant colours. Here's a selection of some of the most beautifully coloured subjects.

#58 Sawfly larva, almost gummy-like!

#59 Black and Golden Cicada moments after emerging from it's moult. This colour remains only for a few minutes before it turns black.

#60 The shield backed bug dons metallic colours both on it's back and underside.

#61 We could never leave out jewel beetles in this section, always a beauty!

Best of Ultra-Violet Fluorescence
Some creatures fluoresce under UV light. What crazy looking photographs could we capture, knowing that?

#62 All-In-One. Scorpion with babies, with prey, under UV light and fill flash.

#63 Quite an interesting scene with that many glowing legs moving in rhythm

#64 Even harvestmen! This was a recent discovery, so I would be taking more shots of harvestman under UV light in the coming year.

Best Underwater Scene
Who would've thought of shooting the little bugs that live beneath the water surface?

#65 Water Boatman resting beneath the water surface

Best Glow-in-the-Dark Scenes
Several organisms glow in the dark. They provide excellent photographic opportunities!!

#66 I have yet to shoot firefly trails, so I've started taking shots of light trails from their larva instead!

#67 Glowing mushrooms give a mystical feel, especially when they appear in large clusters.

Playing with Lights
When the light does not come directly from the camera...

#68 Whip scorpion's outline is highlighted with lights from everywhere but the front

#69 Back-lit trilobite larva

#70 Spiders are ideal for back-lights when they have translucent parts!

#71 Gray's Leaf Insect with all the details highlighted with back-lighting

Strangest Scenes
They should not normally happen...

#72 A Jumping Spider hops onto the face of a Cicada, both oblivious to each others' presence!


That's it! I'm that bad at summarizing, but 2012 had so many exciting finds that dropping the selections became quite painful. lol.

To all macro photographers, here's wishing everyone a bugful new year!

Nature Macro Photography Workshop @ Science Centre Singapore

June 11, 2013, 5:56 pm

≫ Next: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 1

≪ Previous: Macro Highlights of 2012

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IMPORTANT UPDATES
1. The workshop on 22 June has been postponed to 6 July in view of the current haze conditions. All registrants have been informed and moved to the new workshop date.
2. The workshop for 29 June is FULL. If you are still keen, please register early for the 6 July workshop to avoid disappointment!
3. Registrants will be notified directly should there be any further changes due to the haze.

I will be conducting 2 Macro Photography Workshops this month at the Singapore Science Centre in conjunction with the Megabugs Returns! Exhibition. If you have always been interested in macro photography but have not known where to start, or have tried a bit and fumbled a lot, this is for you. If you like the photos you see on this blog and wish you could shoot something like that, this is for you too.

Macro photography trains one’s patience, eye for detail, creativity and even physical stamina in some cases. It is much more than a simple press of a button on the camera and promises an enriching experience.

What You Will Learn

• Macro photography basics and equipment
• Troubleshooting common challenges faced in macro photography
• How to find and approach subjects in nature
• Building your own flashlight diffuser and using them on the spot (Materials will be provided)
• Hands on shooting session at the Eco Garden

Methodology
Topics will be taught using live demonstrations on a real camera and subjects. Participants will be able to understand the challenges faced in macro photography and learn how to overcome them creatively.

Prerequisites

• Keen interest in bugs and macro photography
• Digital camera with macro capabilities, flash, and ability to adjust manual settings. Most "Point and Shoot" cameras have macro capabilities. If you are using a DSLR, your default kit lens alone is typically not suitable - a dedicated macro lens is ideal, but extension tubes and/or close up filters will do as well.
• Basic photography knowledge will be useful

Registration
To register, please download the registration form (right-click, save link as), fill it up and send it to Aishah2@science.edu.sg. Questions regarding this workshop can be posted via the Facebook comments below. Please help to share this post if you have friends who may be interested, thanks in advance. :)

Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 1

June 15, 2013, 12:44 am

≫ Next: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 2

≪ Previous: Nature Macro Photography Workshop @ Science Centre Singapore

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Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

I had the opportunity to do an arthropod survey in Nikoi Island, a private resort island located 8km east of Bintan. It is a beautiful little island (probably about 400-500m from east to west), but the little patch of undisturbed forest has never been observed up close. Exploring the unknown could reveal many interesting bugs, but we could also return home with nothing. Nevertheless, we proceeded with much anticipation!

To find out more about Nikoi Island, visit their website or Facebook page. It takes just 2.5 hours from Singapore to reach Nikoi Island (1 hour on ferry, 1 hour on taxi, 20 minutes on private ferry).

Behind the scenes photos courtesy of James and my Galaxy S4. :)

1. The initial journey on the private cab in Bintan seemed uneventful, with hardly any cars on the road.


2. We requested for a quick stop when we passed by a traditional fishing village


3. Sunning the fish


4. View of the private jetty that brings us to Nikoi Island!


5. Only 2 of us boarding the boat. It was that private.


6. Bye bye Bintan!


7. How the boat looks from inside. Very comfortable but we couldn't sit still


8. Nikoi Island in sight!


9. Approaching the little jetty


10. They had these to cycle our luggage to the rooms


11. Had a glimpse of level 1 of our cabin - these are the owners' rooms so if you are looking to stay at Nikoi, your rooms should look way more awesome!


12. The most important part of the room... given that we are going to be trudging through the greenery :)


13. Checked out the toiletries :P


14. Saw a Signal Fly (Platystomatidae) taking a breather and I took a warm-up shot of the beautiful eyes


15. Before our first jungle walk, we went to the dining area to have our lunch


16. James didn't take much prawns.. so these were all mine!!!


17. Documenting the food. The owner of the island, Andrew was seated just behind James.


18. Looks pretty clean, but its macro, we can find bugs anywhere!


19. If you spot some whitish little bugs scurrying around on the sand, it is likely to be this Wolf Spider (Lycosidae)


20. There were also many Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae) hovering about, these guys are fast!! Interestingly, we showed the photos to some of the staff who had worked there for many years, but none have observed them up close yet!


21. Only managed a few shots before the Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae) flew off


22. Checking out some of the tiny spiders along the sandy path


23. And it's a Mesh Weaver Spider (Dictynidae) tending to her spiderlings!


24. The Mesh Weaver Spider (Dictynidae) is typically brightly coloured with a hairy abdomen


25. The spiderlings of the Mesh Weaver Spider (Dictynidae) looked quite cute!


26. James found another bunch of Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) babies


27. Pointed Palmfly larva (Elymnias penanga) Many guests probably noticed the butterflies, but not the caterpillars.


28. Looked under the leaves, and found a lovely green Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae) carrying her eggs


29. Even when disturbed, she does not leave her eggs easily


30. The Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) seem rather common here, but most were very small!


31. We found many Feather-Legged Spiders (Uloboridae) on the plants. These spiders may tend to congregate or exhibit social behavior.


32. This Crab Spider (Thomisidae) was seated very comfortably under a leaf. Almost impossible to spot it without looking really hard.


33. The crab spider typically has exceptionally long fore legs


34. A closer look at the Crab Spider's face


35. Another tiny Jumping Spider (Salticidae)


36. A male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


37. The male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) is typically much smaller than the female, with a shorter life span too


38. A black Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) that looked like a black dot under a leaf


39. Found a freshly hatched brood of Daddy-Long-Legs Spiderlings! (Pholcidae)


40. The mother of the cute little brood. Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)


41. The Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) tends to flatten it's body on the leaf surface when at rest, probably to hide itself.


42. That's how cute some of the Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) can be!


43. A Crab Spider (Thomisidae) climbed onto my finger!


44. Placed the Crab Spider (Thomisidae) back onto the leaf


45. One of the many Feather-Legged Spiders (Uloboridae)


46. Feather-Legged Spider (Uloboridae)


47. Feather-Legged Spider (Uloboridae)


48. Found a Eucharitid Wasp (Eucharitidae) with combed antenna, but it didn't stay long enough for me to take more shots!


49. Spot the 2 Feather-Legged Spiders (Uloboridae) in this picture!


50. When the Feather-Legged Spiders (Uloboridae) were closer together


51. Maybe the one on the left is female, and the other a male, but we couldn't confirm as they may not be fully mature yet.


52. Closer look at the Feather-Legged Spider (Uloboridae)


53. Most were found dangling on their web


54. A young Common Mormon larva (Papilio polytes) which seems to mimic bird droppings


55. Almost fully grown Common Mormon larva (Papilio polytes)


56. The head of the Common Mormon larva (Papilio polytes) has patterns to mimic eyes of a larger bug to scare away some potential predators


57. View of the full body of the Common Mormon larva (Papilio polytes)


58. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae), quite a common sight here as well.


59. That's James peering around for bugs


60. Nephilengys sp., often found on tree trunks or crevices of rocks


61. The Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) has 2 extended spinnerets that earned its name


62. The most unexpected find of the day was this Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae) which we found in a small clearing full of golden orb weavers. It typically hides in burrows, so arachnophobes need not fear meeting up with them.


63. Full view of the Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae)


64. It was surprising to find this Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae) because it does not balloon (i.e. air travel) and they could either be on this island since long long ago, or brought in via timber or plants?


65. Lovely specimen of the Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae) indeed


66. The eyes of the Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae) rest on a raised area on the carapace


67. The Tube Trapdoor Spider actually stopped on a leaf long enough for me to carry it for closeup shots!

The day walk was not too bad, with the Tube Trapdoor Spider as our star find. After a quick dinner, we were out in the wild again!


68. As night falls, we found a number of Scoliid Wasps (Scoliidae) sleeping on twigs


69. The Scoliid Wasps (Scoliidae) were so deep in sleep that I could go that close to them!


70. This is the typical sleeping position I guess


71. We soon reached the mangroves and went down the shore to have a look. James found quite a number of Cryptic Sea Stars


72. The Sea Stars had different patterns


73. This Cryptic Sea Star is particularly unique because it has 7 legs instead of 5!!


74. On our way back, there were a few Land Hermit Crabs (Coenobita sp.) walking along with us


75. We went back to look at the Mesh Weaver Spider (Dictynidae) again!


76. We tried setting up a light trap to see what interesting bugs would come to us.. but had little luck


77. A cute Puppy Moth did come visiting us though!


78. The Puppy Moth has a beautiful fanned/combed antennae


79. There were more Scoliid Wasps (Scoliidae)


80. This Scoliid Wasp (Scoliidae) seemed to be cleaning it's antennae


81. Did it just wake up and see me!??!


82. The rock surfaces had some Nephilengys sp.


83. There I am taking shots of that spider


84. And the result!


85. A very distinctly coloured Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)


86. Beautiful Derbid Planthopper (Derbidae), quite a common sight at night


87. Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae) found a signal fly for supper!


88. A smaller Crab Spider (Thomisidae) compared to the one we saw earlier


89. This Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) had brighter colours, possibly moulted recently


90. Found a Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) carrying her egg sac!


91. A happy Sac Spider (Clubionidae) found her meal for the night too


92. James spotted some of these Spitting Spiders (Scytodidae) on a tree trunk


93. The Spitting Spider (Scytodidae) spits venomous sticky mass at it's prey. How cool is that!


94. Spitting Spider (Scytodidae) hanging around at the nest


95. Male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


96. Yet another Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) with prey. Many of these spiders are nocturnal and come out to hunt at night.


97. Our first Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) on the island!


98. Looks like it is also having a nice supper


99. Female Orb Web Spider (Neoscona sp.). We found several variants of this genus on the island.


100. Clearer view of the abdomen


101. Close up on the eyes


102. We brought a large Nephilengys sp. down on a white surface to document


103. The distinct character of Nephilengys sp. would be the micro-spines on the carapace as seen in this picture!

With hundreds of pictures in the first day.. we decided to get a good rest, and check out the sunrise the next day from the mangroves. Turned out that we didn't really have much time to sleep after all!! Check out the photos from Day 2 here.

Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

The complete album for Day 1 can be viewed here.

Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 2

June 16, 2013, 7:13 am

≫ Next: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 3

≪ Previous: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 1

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Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

We had a very short snooze after a whole day of shooting, but I found myself up again at 2am and 3am to check out the stars. Quite unfortunately, the stars were visible at 2am, but the clouds came rolling in by the time I had my camera set up. Was hoping to do some star trails and get pictures of the milky way! Our next consolation came when we trotted out again before 6am to see if we could get a glimpse of the rising sun.

Behind the scenes photos courtesy of James and my Galaxy S4. :)

1. Predawn, the first hints of sunrise at the eastern mangroves


2. There were many mangrove trees and rock formations that make ideal subjects for a sunrise shot


3. I just kept myself busy taking 1 or 2 shots and walking around to shoot from various angles. I didn't have any filters so these are just basic snap shots.


4. At low tide, the mangroves allowed me to walk really far away from land!


5. Looking back at Nikoi Island, it was actually already quite a distance away - this picture was cropped.


6. Sun peeking out from behind the rocks with birds flying past


7. Had enough of the sunrise and went back for some record shots of the mangrove trees


8. James was contented with shooting from afar


9. There was a long stretch of the mangrove trees


10. Interesting patterns can be observed on the exposed roots


11. Interesting face we found on some of the dead corals


12. Went back to the cabin for a break and found a Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita sp.) loitering around. Yup thats our cabin in the background!


13. Kissing the grass to get close-up shots of the visiting Land Hermit Crab


14. Good morning stretch


15. Going even closer. The Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita sp.) had a very vibrant purple hue.


16. Decided not to entertain me anymore and walked away...


17. Oops, almost tripped!


18. James found this Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea). Looks boring alright.


19. I tried to get closer shots of the boring clam.


20. Looking up close at the Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea)... not boring at all with the vibrant blue!


21. As the tide came up, the Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) got submerged in water, revealing even more of the "lips".


22. James also found this tiny Hermit Crab (Paguroidea)


23. There was also a Long Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria leucospilota) crawling around


24. We found a Ghost Crab (Ocypode sp.) scurrying about on the sands. It wouldn't stay still for us to shoot until it got onto my hand!


25. In a bid to escape from us, it got rather dirty in a different patch of sand.


26. Ghost Crab (Ocypode sp.) adjusting it's eye.. lol


27. Digger Wasp (Sphecidae) that I was chasing all over the sandy paths. Meanwhile, many walked by giving me strange stares.


28. Spider Wasp (Pompilidae). This wasp hunts spiders in a rather cruel manner - by dismembering them.


29. Orb Web Spider (Aaraneus sp.)


30. An unidentified spider that walked up to me while I was trying to shoot the antlion larvae beside our cabin


31. There were many sand pits beside our cabin, which belonged to antlion larvae. Occasionally the monitor lizards would also come by to visit us.


32. The staff said that the monitor lizards liked to stay beneath the owners' cabins. That's me playing hide and seek with the antlions.


33. Antlion larva (Myrmeleontidae) hiding in the sand


34. Managed to lure one Antlion larva (Myrmeleontidae) out, all ready to pince on any passer-by!


35. The Antlion larva (Myrmeleontidae) slowly backed into the sand when it realized it was just some irritating human...

It was a short day as we hardly got to sleep the night before. Decided to hit the sack earlier and do a solid walk the next day before we leave Nikoi. Check out the photos from Day 3 here.

The complete album for Day 2 can be viewed here (sunrise) and here (macro).

Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

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Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 3

June 17, 2013, 7:20 am

≫ Next: Macro Photography Workshop Session 1

≪ Previous: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 2

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Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

Final day at Nikoi Island! We finally got our butts up the hill and venture across the island in the morning before checking out. The forest paths were lined with spider webs, which seemed like good spots for spider hunting!

Behind the scenes photos courtesy of James and my Galaxy S4. :)

1. I promised Andrew some shots of the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.). Yogi likes to put them on his face to entertain the kids. Maybe that's why I hear occasional screams coming from the Kids Club?


2. That's me trying to get a nice shot of the Golden Orb Weavers


3. Didn't manage to get much nice shots as the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) tends to make micro-movements, making it almost impossible to shoot long exposures.


4. The Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) is harmless to humans


5. The male Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.), over 20 times smaller than the females above.


6. A hilarious shot of James taking pictures of the Golden Orb Weaver Spider, wrapping him with my flashes.


7. Lots of these unidentified sticky fruits on the sandy path


8. Looking up close could tell us why it was so sticky!


9. Found this Tiger Beetle (Cicindelinae) again in front of the cabin


10. The wings seemed out of position, but it was definitely flying fast!!


11. Oh.. what's this? A tiny blob of dung? Yep that's part of my finger at the side


12. Turns out to be a male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae). These males tend to be really small!


13. There were many Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) on the path up the hill


14. Did I mention that there were many Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae)???


15. The Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) came in many shapes, and this mother is actually busy guarding her soon-to-be-hatched young. If you stare hard enough, you can probably see the legs of the spiderlings in the egg sac.


16. Another view of the mother Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)


17. Side view of the mother Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae)


18. James found this huge Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)


19. Full view of the Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)


20. A lovely specimen of the Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae) makes a good photo for a book that I'm working on.


21. Slightly angled view of the Two-Tailed Spider (Hersiliidae)


22. The reason why it is called the Two-Tailed Spider: extraordinarily long spinnerets lined with spigots.


23. The reason for many Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) along the path.. mating pairs!


24. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae), male on the left, female on the right. The male is trying to insert it's palps into the female's epigyne.


25. Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) mating. The male has successfully inserted the palp! (see the black thingy at the bottom of the female)


26. Closer view of the p̶o̶r̶n̶ educational posture


27. This Orb Web Spider (Araneus sp.) was also very common, and also the culprit for the many lines of silk criss-crossing the jungle path.


28. I had to wave a magic wand for every step that I took to remove the silk from getting stuck onto my face


29. We also found several variants of this Orb Web Spider (Neoscona sp.)


30. Really many variants!


31. For records purposes, I took photos of most of the Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) that I saw


32. View down a "valley" from the hill


33. Remnants of a wasp that I found on the ground


34. I knew it was a wasp... because I found the head more than 20 meters away! Wonder what it was attacked by...?


35. Male Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) with bright red and yellow abdomen


36. Huge palps.. all ready to mate!


37. James tried a fish-eye view of the forest and caught me staring at the canopy


38. Cute little Crab Spider (Thomisidae) found on the foliage


39. Somehow this Crab Spider (Thomisidae) reminded me of Micheangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....


40. I skipped many of these Crickets (Gryllidae), but James told me that the under-developed wings looked quite pretty. True enough!


41. A beautiful Jumping Spider (Salticidae)


42. Looking left...


43. Looking right...


44. Just not looking at me!


45. Took some time for the Jumping Spider (Salticidae) to look at me!


46. More Daddy-Long-Legs Spiders! (Pholcidae)


47. Beautiful patterns on the abdomen of the Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae)


48. The palps of the Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) were so huge that it was almost covering the face!


49. One of the more interesting finds of the morning, a Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae)


50. View of the eyes of the Tube Dwelling Spider (Segestriidae)


51. Dorsal view for the record


52. Male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


53. Close up on a Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.) with some tiny flies sucking on it's carapace!


54. Wider view of the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)


55. A cute Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Gasteracantha sp.)


56. View of the black face of the Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Gasteracantha sp.)


57. An interesting looking Orb Web Spider (Neoscona sp.). Look closely and you will see the pink streaks on the abdomen.


58. Gotta take more shots of the pink streaks


59. View of the face


60. This Orb Web Spider (Neoscona sp.) was more of... red!


61. An obvious male Orb Web Spider (Neoscona sp.) because of the enlarged palps


62. Side view of a Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.)


63. Lunch time!


64. We were having our lunch when an injured paper wasp was struggling beside us.


65. The wings on the Paper Wasp (Polistes sagittarius) seemed damaged


66. The Paper Wasp(Polistes sagittarius) tried many times to fly off to no avail, so we brought it safely to the side


67. Went back to pack our luggage before checking out, and goofed around with the luggage transporter. It refused to move as it was on loose sand, making me look like an idiot.


68. James saying good bye to our cabin.


69. While checking out, this baby Monitor Lizard came visiting us


70. Enjoying the sun


71. Decided to stick it's tongue at me


72. Final shot of the bar at our check out!

It had been a tiring but interesting 3 days at Nikoi Island. We did not see an astonishing number of different species of bugs due to the short stay, but it would certainly be worth revisiting - especially the hill trail at night! The mangroves were also excellent locations for sunrise shooters, with many potential foreground subjects that even a non-landscape/sunrise shooter could get some decent shots of. Lastly, being a very private island, there were no city lights for miles and the entire island makes for a great place to shoot the stars and milky way!

The complete album for Day 3 can be viewed here.

Nikoi Island [ Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ]

Macro Photography Workshop Session 1

June 29, 2013, 3:30 am

≫ Next: Macro Photography Workshop Session 2

≪ Previous: Nikoi Island's Micro World Day 3

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The first macro workshop is finally complete after a grueling 5 hours of yakking away and bug shooting! It was a full house and I got a bit worried because we had some completely new to photography and some rather seasoned macro photographers as well. I had to balance the basics with the advanced topics, but all in all, I'm glad everyone walked away learning something new and inspired enough to go harass some bugs in the very near future! You may read some of the participants' testimonials at the bottom of this post.

Many thanks to be said!

• Thanks to Aishah and Espie from the Science Centre for the registration and logistics support
• Thanks to Andrew for the drive to the workshop venue
• Thanks to Victor for loaning the diffusers as samples and the cute little clay toys for practice
• Thanks to Melvyn for loaning the LX3 for showcase
• Thanks to David, James and Chris for sacrificing their Saturdays and helping to guide the participants and providing the behind the scenes shots from their phones
• Last but definitely not least, a BIG THANK YOU to all my friends who have helped to share and spread the word for this workshop. There's still another session this weekend you know. :P

1. Received the special pass from the visitor's centre as I had to run about to settle the logistics


2. Almost all participants in, had to wait for some more but everybody was already staring at me, had to start with something!


3. We progressed with the diffuser-making session with the help of my friends


4. And are all ready to shoot the subjects provided by the Science Centre! These are Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.. they hissed a lot at me when I first approached them. oops...


5. Many of the participants preferred the stick insects, but those skinny fellas were one of the hardest subjects to shoot


6. We were already seeing variations in the participants' lighting setups


7. Slightly modified R1 setup


8. After the indoor practice session, I did a quick demo on shooting a harvestman and had everyone romping out to the eco garden!

I was going around checking on everyone to make sure they were doing ok, but managed a few simple shots.


9. A lovely Jumping Spider spotted by Anna and Hee Hon


10. Look at the beautiful turquoise eyes!


11. These Tortoise Beetles (Cassidinae) were always there, but it really depended on luck for them to look at you!


12. This is how the Tortoise Beetle pupa looks like


13. James found this Two-Striped Telamonia eating a moth (Telamonia dimidiata)


14. Everyone was eagerly hunting for bugs


15. Some chose to stick their faces into the bushes


16. Some chose to shoot in natural light with just 1 hand.. steady hand!


17. Non-stop shooting as we started to find more subjects


18. Some of us shooting the tortoise beetles

At the end of the session, I was glad that most of the participants had learnt enough to produce shots much better than what I had when I started shooting bugs. I was kinda jealous.. lol

Participants' Photos
With the permission of the participants, here are some of their photos for the day, and some with their testimonials for the workshop. I will add to the list as their responses are still coming in. Thanks everyone!


19. Stink Bug, by Jasmine-Victorina Lye
    "I never expected to leave the workshop with shots that I'll actually keep but I did. It's a really good first step for all budding macro photographers to take as compared to reading up on magazines or watching youtube videos. Definitely recommended!"


20. Jumping Spider, by Low Lay Poh


21. Jumping Spider, by Matt Henricksen
    "Nicky Bay's macros are exceptional, so I attended the workshop to learn about his methods. He gave a very clear talk, each slide illustrated with one of his macro shots. After the talk, we had practical experience under the instruction of both him and his assistants, for the remainder of the afternoon. I felt very motivated as a result of his workshop, and armed with new techniques and understanding, I can look forward to improving my macro photography."


22. Jumping Spider eating a moth, by Pan Denan
    "I would strongly recommend this to those who are new to insect macro-photography. Nicky's session will give beginner a good start on how to start shooting macro and he is incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge and setup. For photographers who are more experienced, its refreshing to know the creative ways he employed for his own shoot. Good informative workshop to attend!"


23. Red Weaver Ants tearing their prey apart, by Teo Nam Siang
    "Nicky is eager and generous in sharing his immense knowledge in the field of macro photography. The workshop helps both beginners and more experienced photographers in understanding the know-hows of making better images, not just technically and but artistically as well. Highly recommended."


24. Jumping with Glitters, by Anna Kwa


25. Jumping Spider, by Dennis Tan
    "Nicky is innovative and creative in his approach to macro photography. His method of diffusing light allows many photographers to take nice macro shots without purchasing expensive equipment. He is sincere and shared his knowledge freely so that I was able to pick up many pertinent skills on how to capture really good photos. Nicky is already quite an accomplished macro photographer in his own right. He brings his own style of photographing subject matter such as insects, spiders etc. His passion is infectious and I'd love to see his photos in the coming years."


26. Fly, by Hee Hon
    "Macro-photography is another world of its own and it provides an insight of the features and structures of the subject that is beyond the naked eyes. Nicky Bay's photos have been inspiring, attending his workshop had showcased another level of his work. His innovation to better "shots" is an eye-opener and passion for macrophotography are highly contagious. The workshop "deepens" my love for macrophotography, and am sure it will appeal to photographers with all levels of experience. Thank you Nicky for sharing."


27. Red Leaf Beetle, by Cham Tudd Yin
    "The macro photography workshop conducted by Nicky Bay was informative, interesting and inspiring! The workshop has certainly answered many questions I had on macro photography with flash and diffusers."

I would like to thank all participants for their enthusiasm in the workshop, it has been a real pleasure working with everyone and I hope to see you in the field soon, in some uncompromising position to shoot bugs. :P

As the first workshop concluded, I have sought and received feedback from the participants. Most preferred more time outdoors, and more on live demonstrations. Looks like I have more to prepare for the next workshop! Sign up for the next workshop if you'd like to join the fun!

Macro Photography Workshop Session 2

July 6, 2013, 5:00 am

≫ Next: Ultraviolet Fluorescence in Spiders

≪ Previous: Macro Photography Workshop Session 1

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Finally concluded my macro workshop series! While many of the participants are already asking for follow-up workshops and field trips, I'm letting myself get a little bit more sleep for a while first. :) Although the workshop lasted only 5 hours, a lot of nights were put into it's preparation. From the slides, to the shopping for materials and cutting of diffusers (accidentally cut through to my parquet floor?!!) every detail had to be tended to with meticulous attention. With well over 30 graduating participants, I certainly hope there will be rising macro stars from them soon!

Many thanks to be said! (again!!)

• Thanks to Aishah, Espie and Muhammad (pls let me know if spelling is incorrect) from the Science Centre for the registration and logistics support
• Thanks to Andrew for the cameo appearance and support
• Thanks to Victor for loaning the diffusers as samples and the cute little clay toys for practice
• Thanks to Melvyn for loaning the LX3 for showcase
• Thanks to Ben, James and Chris for sacrificing their Saturdays and helping to guide the participants and providing the behind the scenes shots. Most of them were also shooting with me the night before. :P
• Last but definitely not least, a BIG THANK YOU to all my friends who have helped to share and spread the word for this workshop!!!

A bit on what transpired in the day~

1. The class awaits patiently, looks like another full house with one even registering on the morning itself!


2. Got to work shortly, shoving lots of macro juice down everyone's throats. Luckily everyone seemed happy with the slides.


3. Quick break, and I entertained those in the room with with photos directly from my camera with some stories behind them, taken the night before. (didn't have time to copy them out yet!)


4. Demonstrating the steps to make the flash diffuser


5. Live shooting demonstration on how to focus on the subject. Looked like a ghost there!!


6. Our friendly staff from the Science Centre, thanks for the support!!!

Based on feedback from the previous session, many liked the practice and outdoor sessions so I allocated more time for it in this session. I also did less shooting and went about talking to everyone I could find to check on their progress. Everyone seemed comfortable to roam in all directions!


7. Indoor practice session with some subjects provided by the Science Centre


8. Finally got our bums out to the Eco Garden where everyone practised searching for subjects and taking their epic shot


9. There must be something really interesting here for everyone to hover around for so long!!


10. Some hunted near the pond


11. While some invaded the treehouse area


12. We showed some of them the tortoise beetles


13. Some went all out in prone position


14. Quick group photo before heading back to the classroom, nobody seemed tired at all!!


15. Second shot with silly expressions!

Participants' Photos
With the permission of the participants, here are some of their photos for the day, and some with their testimonials for the workshop. I will add to the list as their responses are still coming in. Thanks everyone!


16. Micropezid Fly, by Benjamin Kirk
    "Great teacher and instructor! Nicky shares his wealth of experience without restraint."


17. Skipper taking off for flight, by Daniel Asto
    "If you are a budding or even an experienced macro photographer, I can highly recommend that you attend one of Nicky’s workshops. Nicky shares his knowledge without reserve and his enthusiasm for macro photography is infectious."


18. Caterpillar, by Lavanya Prakash
    "The macro-photography course conducted by Nicky Bay was very informative but at the same time fun and interesting. He really deepened the passion I have for nature photography, and his creative and innovative ways of thinking was so inspiring. Being a young teenager, I thought it might be difficult for me to understand the course. But he made it perfect for me to get started on my future journey of macro photography!"


19. A Shy Tiger by Lau Hwee Hwee
    


20. Danny Johananoff
    "I happened to be in Singapore on July 6th, 2013 when I joined a Nature Macro Photography workshop by Mr. Nicky Bay. It was held in the Science Center hosting the Mega Bug Return exhibition. Whoever is into Macro Photography will enjoy to learn much from the workshops ran by a master in this field! Nicky's works are outstanding in the subject captured, quality and composition. Thanks for this opportunity!"


21. Zhou Boyi
    "The workshop was really useful. The presenter was knowledgeable and supportive while the demonstrators were extremely helpful as well. The course caters well to amateurs seeking to learn about macro photography or to further their understanding and skills."


In this session, we had more beginners and a handful with some macro experience. I certainly hope everyone is now better equipped with the knowledge and skills to grow and to improve on their macro photography. With lots of practice, the shots will get better and better. I look forward to seeing everyone again in the field some day, in some compromising position while shooting bugs. :)

Ultraviolet Fluorescence in Spiders

July 12, 2013, 8:33 am

≫ Next: Transformation of the Mirror Spider

≪ Previous: Macro Photography Workshop Session 2

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It is rather common knowledge that scorpions emit a bright blue glow under ultraviolet light. Recently, we've found that some millipedes and harvestmen exhibit the same behavior as well. This made us shine our UV torches at almost every subject we saw. What resulted on this night, was a really pleasant discovery. :)

1. Victor found this Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) which we often shot. This is the rear view.


2. The Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) dangling on it's web.


3. The web of this Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) is a bizarre array of dangling silk lined with sticky droplets to catch prey. The spider waits patiently on the far-right.


4. Face to face with the Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.)


5. Lo and behold, under ultraviolet light, the Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) illuminates to resemble some precious blue stone!! Even the eyes were a creepy blue! Thanks to Melvyn for taking the effort to shine the UV light at almost every subject we saw that night. :P

There were actually many other interesting subjects in the night... gonna be a long post!


6. Many Flatid Planthoppers (Flatidae) lined the branches of trees along the path, including it's nymphs. We searched for one emerging from a moult to no avail.


7. A beautiful Comb-Footed Spider (Chrysso sp.?) was found hiding under a leaf


8. Another Comb-Footed Spider (Theriididae), looks like a male


9. Found a Jumping Spider (Salticidae) guarding her spiderlings, but it was way too high and I couldn't get a good shot.


10. Andy found this Garden Spider (Eriovixia pseudocentrodes) with a pointed abdomen


11. The Garden Spider (Eriovixia pseudocentrodes) looked pregnant and could be laying eggs soon! Actually the term should be gravid, which means carrying eggs, while pregnant means carrying live young. Thanks to Mark for pointing it out. :) I still tend to use terms for mammals in the captions, as I usually end up anthropomorphising the subjects.


12. It was a pleasant surprise to find a Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) fresh out of moult. Unfortunately the rest were far ahead and I could not call them back to take some shots of this fella.


13. Dangling only by a single line of silk, the Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) was spinning wildly!


14. Melvyn found this tiny Mantis Parasitic Wasp (Podagrion sp.) on a mantis ootheca (egg mass), maybe 5mm body length!


15. The Mantis Parasitic Wasp (Podagrion sp.) was busy ovipositing (laying eggs) into the mantis ootheca!


16. There were many Long-Legged Sac Spiders (Miturgidae) running around


17. The Long-Legged Sac Spider (Miturgidae) typically has very long chelicerae


18. I found this cute Jumping Spider (Salticidae) just beside the Miturgid!


19. The patterns on this Jumping Spider (Salticidae) were quite pretty


20. The others found this male Net-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.) with it's usual Ogre-Face.


21. The palps of the male Net-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.) are swollen, all ready to mate!


22. The stick-like body of the Net-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.) camouflages itself well among thin twigs


23. Final shot of the classic ogre-face :)


24. A common Cone-Headed Katydid (Tettigoniidae) from an unusual view


25. Juvenile Golden Comb Footed Spider (Chrysso sp.)


26. Another Long-Legged Sac Spider (Miturgidae). This one looks pregnant with the large abdomen!


27. Close up on the face of the Long-Legged Sac Spider (Miturgidae)


28. Interesting pose of the Praying Mantis (Acromantis sp.)


29. Melvyn found this pair of mating Broad-Headed Bugs (Alydidae)


30. This Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) was just above the broad-headed bugs but refused to stop walking!


31. Say Yiam, Ron and Kit Ming were shooting this queen ant that has dropped her wings


32. The colours were lovely!! But I wondered if she could still start her colony as she appeared to be walking around weakly.


33. One of the common Mantids on the ground, so I took a customary passport photo. :)


34. The permanent resident of the park, the Leaf-Rolling Weevil (Attelabidae), finally made an appearance!


35. Say Yiam found another Mantis Parasitic Wasp (Podagrion sp.)


36. This time I managed to go closer


37. And then the Mantis Parasitic Wasp (Podagrion sp.) started ovipositing again!


38. Yet another Long-Legged Sac Spider (Miturgidae) with a caterpillar prey!


39. Long-Legged Sac Spider (Miturgidae) sucking on the juices of the caterpillar


40. Shot of the Long-Legged Sac Spider's hungry face!


41. On our way out, the others in the group spotted a Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Poltys sp.) on it's web


42. The Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Poltys sp.) cringed as we went closer


43. Dorsal view of the Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Poltys sp.).. can't tell that it's a spider from here!


44. The Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Poltys sp.) started to dance around


45. It then ran to hide under a leaf and stared at me


46. Final subject of the night.. a Garden Spider (Parawixia sp.)


47. View of the abdomen

The complete album can be viewed here.

Transformation of the Mirror Spider

July 12, 2013, 8:58 am

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I have long observed the odd behavior of the Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) where the "silver-plates" on the abdomen seems to shrink when the spider is agitated (or perhaps threatened), revealing the actual abdomen. At rest, the silver plates expand and the spaces between the plates close up to become an almost uniform reflective surface. That is why I called it the Mirror Spider initially. Note that what I am posting are just observations and nothing is scientifically backed up. :)

1. The Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) when on the move, note that the silver plates on the abdomen are relatively small and spotty


2. After letting it rest for a while, the Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) seems to have expanded it's silver plates.


3. After an hour, the silver plates expanded to fill almost the entire abdomen!


4. I continued the observation, and it closed up further. The top view of the Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) still revealed it's heart-line surrounded by red patches


5. To highlight the reflectiveness, I tried positioning the flash all over the place


6. This was the closest I got of the silver-plates at their largest. This Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) is indeed fascinating!


7. Another interesting find was this male Comb-Footed Spider (Steatoda sp.) with elevated ocular region. This is just a tentative ID, trying to confirm it as it didn't seem to fit the descriptions entirely.


8. Front view of the Comb-Footed Spider (Steatoda sp.)


9. Dorsal view of the Comb-Footed Spider (Steatoda sp.)


10. James found this beautiful Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysididae) outside his house!


11. Lovely colours of the Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysididae)


12. The Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysididae) slept quite soundly after running about for a while


13. Could even shoot from many different angles


14. Final shot before we let it zzzz in peace

The complete album can be viewed here.

Moulting - A Natural Wonder

July 19, 2013, 7:29 am

≫ Next: The Roly Poly Pill Millipede

≪ Previous: Transformation of the Mirror Spider

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In order to grow, most arthropods have to shed their exoskeleton because this hardened outer layer restricts growth. This delicate process of shedding the exoskeleton and expanding to a larger size, is called moulting. During the moulting process, the arthropod forces a split in the exoskeleton and pushes itself out with a new cuticle. At this stage, the overcoat is still soft and the arthropod must expand it's body before the new exoskeleton hardens - this also means that it is in an extremely vulnerable state. The colours of a freshly moulted arthropod are usually different too - sometimes faded, and at times, vibrant. This makes moulting or freshly moulted subjects a joy to photograph!

1. I was roaming about off the track when this House Centipede (Scutigeridae) was spotted, fresh out of it's moult above it. It is usually brown, but exhibits a strong tone of purple before it's new exoskeleton hardens. A flash was placed behind to highlight the colours of the legs which were a little bit translucent.


2. Moving in closer on the House Centipede (Scutigeridae). We had to be careful with it in this vulnerable state.


3. Close up on the tail end. The House Centipede (Scutigeridae) is normally a very skittish and fast running centipede, but on this occasion, it will stay put.


4. Checking out the vibrant colours


5. Even the micro hairs were a vibrant tone of yellow and orange!


6. After almost 2 hours, the House Centipede (Scutigeridae) started moving a little and hid underneath a leaf, abandoning it's old exoskeleton


7. Full dorsal view of the beautiful House Centipede (Scutigeridae)


8. Close up on the head again


9. Just 2 meters away from the house centipede was this moulting Katydid (Tettigoniidae)!


10. It was busy pumping air into the wings, so I tried placing my flash behind to shine through the wings and highlight the wing texture


11. Moth-Like Planthopper (Ricaniidae) perched on a stalk.


12. Indeed, the Moth-Like Planthopper (Ricaniidae) has often been mistaken to be a moth


13. Midges? Usually found hanging around on horizontal strands of silk.


14. A lone Froghopper (Cercopidae) or Spittlebug


15. This Spider Wasp (Pompilidae) was resting quietly on a leaf, but our intrusion led it to wander around restlessly, occasionally taking flight


16. This Huntsman Spider (Thelcticopis sp.) stays still most of the time but once it moves, it would usually be too fast to trace. It tends to do the suicide drop as well. It is an escape tactic by many arthropods to drop into the leaf litter where it would be almost impossible to spot.


17. The others found this beautiful Orb Web Spider (Eriovixia sp.) hiding under a leaf


18. Spikey looking Harvestman (Opiliones). This probably would fluoresce under UV light, but we decided against spending too much time on it. :P


19. Planthopper, any ID for this?


20. An interesting looking Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) found on a tree trunk


21. The Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) flattens it's body on the tree trunk to break it's silhouette


22. How the Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) looked when we found it. Not that easy to spot!


23. Several of these Ground Spiders (Zodariidae)... where else? On the ground! :P


24. The leaf litter was full of these Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) as well


25. Because they were on the ground and extremely skittish, this was the lowest I could get without moving the spider.


26. A well-camouflaged Katydid (Tettigoniidae)


27. Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


28. There were a few small Wrap-Around Spiders (Dolophones sp.) happily wrapped around tree stalks.


29. Quite a number of Big-Jawed Spiders (Tetragnathidae) in the area but often ignored. Took a record shot of this one.


30. A common little Beetle, hopefully it looks cuter here!


31. A pair of Moths doing their thing


32. This Wandering Spider (Ctenidae) walked up to us. Couldn't help but take a few shots!


33. Closing up on the face of the Wandering Spider (Ctenidae)


34. Spotted this Long-Legged Velvet Mite (Leptus sp.) walking about on the leaves. It really wasn't camouflaged at all.


35. The Long-Legged Velvet Mite (Leptus sp.) belongs to the Erythraeidae family, different from the usual Red Velvet Mites (Trombidiidae)


36. A huge Skull-Faced Caterpillar that I found on a branch high above us. It was probably 4 to 5 inches long and very very hairy!


37. Melvyn found this beautiful Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) with an orange and green patterned body


38. The Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) trying to balloon away


39. Front view of this Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae) did not look as interesting as the dorsal view!

The complete album can be viewed here.

The Roly Poly Pill Millipede

July 19, 2013, 8:55 am

≫ Next: Gruesome Tactics of an Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug

≪ Previous: Moulting - A Natural Wonder

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Pill Millipedes are probably the cutest millipedes one could find. When disturbed, it rolls up into a ball, exposing only the tougher segmented backs and keeping the softer underparts out of sight. The most interesting bit comes when it determines that it is safe enough to come out from hiding and run about again. As it could be in any position when rolled up, it might sometimes be a challenge to get back on it's feet, rolling around (hence the term roly poly) until the tiny feet catches onto something.

1. Here's the Pill Millipede (Sphaerotheriida) all snugly rolled up. It has 12 body segments behind the head.


2. Pill Millipede (Sphaerotheriida) taking a peek, slowly opening up


3. Oops.. it rolled the wrong way! Kinda reminded me of a baby.


4. While it was struggling, I was being really unhelpful and took shots from all angles.


5. After a brief struggle, the roly poly managed to turn itself over


6. Pill Millipede (Sphaerotheriida) finally touching ground!


7. A simple animation of the Pill Millipede (Sphaerotheriida) opening up.


8. Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae) hiding at the edge of a hole in a leaf. This way, it could easily leap to either side of the leaf when danger approached. Irritating to most macro photographers. :)


9. Lovely Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina) found sleeping in the night. The blue iridescence on the wings are remarkably beautiful.


10. Noted that when I positioned my flash from above, the iridescence could not be seen


11. Close up on the body of the Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)


12. Not forgetting a close up of the wings of the Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)


13. Victor showed me this Thread-Legged Assassin Bug (Emesinae) dancing on a tree trunk. It felt like trying to focus on a string of flimsy thread when I was shooting this!!


14. As I was having problems with my flash earlier, I lagged behind the group but they were nice to keep an eye on this Jumping Spider (Salticidae) for me before I caught up.


15. Usual drill... look left...


16. Look right...


17. This time, the Jumping Spider (Salticidae) looked at me!!


18. Before we left the trail, Victor found this tiny Weevil (Curculionidae) perched on a dead branch. I was feeling too lazy to shoot, but am glad Victor edged me on to take a shot!

More shots from the same night have been documented in my earlier blog post: Moulting - A Natural Wonder.

The complete album can be viewed here.

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Gruesome Tactics of an Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug

July 26, 2013, 7:30 am

≫ Next: The Plushy, Squishy Velvet Worm

≪ Previous: The Roly Poly Pill Millipede

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This post highlights the gruesome, yet ingenious tactics of the Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) which I shot again on Friday night. This assassin bug sticks the corpses of it's devoured prey (ants!) onto it's back for camouflage and to hide it's scent from other ants. On top of being an obvious "meat shield", this also allows the assassin bug to infiltrate ant colonies while posing as one of their own. I have yet to photograph this bug attaching a corpse to it's back, so it's going to be high on my wish list!

1. Like a scene straight out from the recent Hannibal TV series (Episode 9: TROU NORMAND), this Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) accumulates a gigantic stack of corpses on it's back. It's a wonder how it managed to maintain balance!


2. This Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) could walk about steadily despite the additional load.


3. Another serial killer which I shot some time ago, had a slightly lower kill rate.


4. Even the tiny, younger Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) had a stack of it's own!


5. View from above shows that almost the entire body of the Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) had been covered by ant carcasses!


6. Despite finding these quite frequently, I couldn't pass up shooting them each time.



Shooting this assassin bug took just about 10 minutes, so here are more finds from the night!!


7. Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae), usually weaves silk cross-crossing over a leaf.


8. Wider view to show the web - yes it is almost always hanging upside down.


9. A male Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae), notice the enlarged palps, all ready to mate!


10. Dorsal view of the Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae), always important for records.


11. We found a few young Centipedes (Chilopoda) on the tree trunks


12. The body had hints of green


13. Issid Planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.), ridiculously cute seed-like bug! Alex Wild jokingly called it Adorabilidae when I posted pictures of it on Facebook recently.


14. Did I mention that it is that adorable?


15. Ground Spider (Zodariidae), but not on the ground but resting on a tree trunk


16. Interesting looking Katydid (Tettigoniidae) but it was too big to fit into my camera setup, hence the cropped legs.


17. Melvyn found this caged chrysalis. The caterpillar was probably a spiky one, and had used it's spikes to build this protective cage while it is in this vulnerable and critical stage of it's life.


18. View from the side, such a beautiful chrysalis!


19. The outer membrane was already transparent and we could see the antennae of the moth. (or butterfly?)


20. There were a number of these Orb Web Spiders (Araneidae) which rested on dead leaves dangling on their webs.


21. Found a Lichen Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) running about on a leaf.


22. This Lichen Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) is a juvenile, measuring only 20mm with legs out-stretched


23. One of the benefits of shooting at night, are the congregating Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae)


24. I would usually give these Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae) a miss, but this pair was sleeping side by side and it looked like a good photo-op!


25. Like brothers! (or sisters?)


26. A Daddy-Long-Legs Spider (Pholcidae) carrying her egg sac


27. A beautiful but tiny Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae). It has distinctly protruding red eyes!

I will be posting part II of this night's trip shortly, with another subject that I have been hunting for the past year!!

The complete album can be viewed here.

The Plushy, Squishy Velvet Worm

July 26, 2013, 8:51 am

≫ Next: Spider Leg Regeneration

≪ Previous: Gruesome Tactics of an Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug

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The Velvet Worm (Onychophora) looks like a plush toy. It looks squishy. And it's darn cute. Our night would've been a dull walk had it not been for the sighting of this beautiful multi-legged worm. When we approached, it ejaculated squirted at us. What? I've known the velvet worm to squirt slime at it's prey but this was the first time seeing it, and it has already given us a special welcome gift!

The Velvet Worm is armed with a pair of slime-guns, which are actually their front limbs. The slime squirts off the guns as gooey streams of liquid, normally directed at prey to ensnare them. Quite magically, this biological glue is supposed to harden into a gel almost immediately upon contact with the prey. Apparently, it would eat back the slime after the squirt. No wastage there! Such tactics reminds me of... the Spitting Spider (Scytodiidae) which also spits venom at their prey.

1. Record shot of the Velvet Worm, possibly Eoperipatus sumatranus which has been recorded in Singapore. It is also listed in the Singapore Red Data Book as endangered. Notice the stream of goo streaking down from the head, that was remnants of the slime!


2. Close up on the Velvet Worm's head. Utter cuteness!


3. The squishy looking and seemlingly jointless legs resembles the limbs of a plush toy!


4. Front view of the Velvet Worm. Say hallooo!


5. Mr Squishy was feeling agitated, so we let it climb onto the stick where it felt more comfortable and stayed still.


6. Oh those legs...


7. Close up of the underside of the Velvet Worm


8. Before we placed it back on the tree trunk, it finally decided to move yooo.


9. This is out of focus, but just had a comical effect

Here's a video from Youtube which shows the craziest squirt from a velvet worm!



As mentioned at the start of the post, the night was rather dull. BUT.. what's dull to me might be of interest to some of you so here they are!


10. Tiny little Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) from the leaf litter


11. Ben found this pair of mating Four-Lined Tree Frogs (Polypedates leucomystax) in the middle of the path.


12. I struggled to take pictures of it, as my extension tube decided to lose connection at the last minute. :(


13. We did make an interesting discovery though. The eyes of the Four-Lined Tree Frogs (Polypedates leucomystax) would fluoresce under ultraviolet light!! (Thanks to Melvyn again for shining UV at everything we saw) I didn't get to take pictures of that as the horny duo jumped off soon after, but it was really creepy. Definitely in my to-do list!


14. Found a number of these Orb Web Spiders (Araneidae)


15. View of the eyes of the Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


16. Side view, never know when it is necessary for identification


17. Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae), quite a small one


18. Check out it's eye arrangement!


19. Found an Archduke larva (Lexias pardalis dirteana). I often called such cats the Christmas Caterpillar.


20. Found another Skull-Faced Caterpillar, struggling to climb up the branch.


21. Another Orb Web Spider (Araneidae), a lovely male!


22. The Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) tried to balloon away.


23. Another Ground Spider (Zodariidae). Apparently the Zodariids here like to rest on tree trunks.


24. Katydid (Tettigoniidae) with exceptional appendages on it's legs.


25. Jumping Bristletail (Machilidae), often ignored but spectacular up close


26. Check out the eyes!


27. A common but small Sac Spider (Clubionidae)


28. This Sac Spider (Clubionidae) has 6 eyes in the bottom row.


29. Found an interestingly large Jumping Spider (Salticidae)


30. The lateral eyes were actually quite big for a salticid!


31. And... here's the classic face shot!


32. Hair-raising view


33. An obvious male. Pity that I did not take sharper pictures of the palps, which had some unique stripes on them.

The first part of this trip has been documented in the earlier post on the Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug. Do check that out too!

The complete album can be viewed here.

Spider Leg Regeneration

July 9, 2013, 2:01 am

≫ Next: Happy 48th Birthday Singapore!

≪ Previous: The Plushy, Squishy Velvet Worm

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Many a time, we've seen spiders that have lost legs. Some may have lost it in fights, while some may have dropped the legs when escaping from predators that have caught onto their legs. Losing a limb or two, may have just saved the spider's life then. To cope with this, spiders are able to regrow or regenerate their lost legs after a number of moults. After one moult, the new legs would appear smaller than the full-grown size, but they should be back to full glory after a few more moults. Unfortunately, this also means that fully mature spiders that have stopped moulting will not be able to regenerate their lost legs - amputation would be permanent.

1. A wide-angle shot of this Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda lunula) shows a peculiar leg that looked different from the rest. It is likely to have regrown very recently.


2. Another view of the Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda lunula)


3. Another Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda sp.) with a regrown leg - it looks obviously different from the other legs.


4. Yet another Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda sp.) with a regrown leg.


5. Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) freshly emerged from it's moult.


6. Lichen Huntsman Spider (Pandercetes sp.) fresh from the moult.


7. This Wall Crab Spider (Siamspinops sp.) has lost 3 legs on the right, as well as both palps. It was moving much slower than other Selenopids and looked almost like it was going to die soon.


8. Miraculously, the same Wall Crab Spider (Siamspinops sp.) moulted, and this was the result! Regrown all 3 legs and 2 palps! Although the new appendages are smaller than they used to, it was able to run much faster and seemed much livelier than before!

The ability for spiders to regrow legs is like magic to us, just like the process of metamorphosis in butterflies, moths, and many other insects. The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze, and with this, we can better appreciate the survival tactics of spiders.

Happy 48th Birthday Singapore!

August 9, 2013, 1:12 am

≫ Next: Another Beautiful Spider Under Ultraviolet

≪ Previous: Spider Leg Regeneration

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Singapore celebrates her 48th birthday today. Not many know Singapore for topics of nature, but we manage to continually discover and photograph the little critters around us. Here's a song from our usual national day song repertoire, brought to you by our local velvet worm. It's the Little Things is often sung during the national day celebrations, and a favorite of many. With this song, let's not forget the world of little critters as well!



In case anyone questions the nationality of the velvet worm....

Another Beautiful Spider Under Ultraviolet

August 10, 2013, 7:58 am

≫ Next: Moulting of the Black and Golden Cicada

≪ Previous: Happy 48th Birthday Singapore!

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In a recent post, I highlighted an instance where a bird dung spider looked radically different when exposed to ultraviolet light. This week, we found another spider emitting a beautiful cyan hue under ultraviolet. It seems to fluoresce only under the wavelength of 365nm, rather than the more common 395nm ultraviolet wavelengths. This is a lengthy post with over 50 photos of glorious bugs, be warned!! :)

1. Found 2 of these Jade Huntsman Spiders (Gnathopalystes sp.), this is the female. The male is typically brown as seen in an earlier post on sexual dichromatism.


2. Switched off the lights, opened the shutter for 20s with the Huntsman Spider (Gnathopalystes sp.) under UV light. What resulted are beautifully cyan-tinted carapace and legs. At the same time, the spider caught what looked like a caddisfly which was still struggling when the shutter was open.


3. Tried positioning the UV light all over the place to get a slightly different feel. The prey was obviously still struggling. Amazingly the abdomen remains almost in it's natural colour.


4. View from the front, not as impressive as the dorsal view though.


5. Greeted by mating Earwigs (Dermaptera) at the entrance


6. They ran about, but were still connected!


7. James found this Twig-Like Feather-Legged Spider (Uloboridae) with it's egg sac. Even the egg sac looked like a twig!


8. Caterpillar? Pupa? or dead?


9. Victor found this unique looking purplish Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda sp.)


10. I went really low to get a peek of it's face. Had to shift some of the leaf litter from covering the face, but still missed out one on the left!!


11. The spider started running around, but into the open so that I could get a clearer shot of the carapace.


12. And this time a much clearer shot of the eyes and chelicerae!


13. A rather majestic pose, don't you think? :)


14. I chanced upon this Katydid (Phisidini) in an odd position, and realized that it was laying eggs into this branch! Tan Ming Kai suggested that this could be Carliphisis sp.


15. One of the many Harvestmen (Opiliones) that we saw in the night. This carried a bowl-shaped fungus, but what was on the "bowl"? Eggs? Sperm? Or just dirt?


16. View from the side


17. The legs of this Harvestman (Opiliones) are often too long for me to get into frame. This was the widest I could get!


18. Just 2 meters away, Melvyn was shooting another Harvestman (Opiliones), this time munching on a fresh prey


19. What was it eating? Caddisfly?


20. Again, my widest view of the scene


21. Melvyn found another Feather Legged Spider (Uloboridae) with egg sac. Notice how it mimics a twig even with the egg sac!


22. A tiny speck on a plant stalk turned out to be this beautiful Planthopper (Fulgoromorpha)


23. View from the top, probably a nymph


24. Clearest view I could get. Due to the size of this planthopper, it was extremely difficult to get everything sharp.


25. Another lovely Planthopper (Dictyopharidae?)


26. Unknown eggs that had already hatched


27. A tiny Praying Mantis (Mantodea) pretending to be a twig as well


28. Melvyn found a Straight-Snouted Weevil (Brentidae) with lots of mites on it's head!


29. After just a few shots, the Straight-Snouted Weevil (Brentidae) decided to take off. Bye bye!!!


30. Melvyn the radar king found this little wormy creature. Beetle larva of some sort?


31. Found this Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) carrying her babies!


32. Wider view of the Wolf Spider (Lycosidae). It was very well camouflaged on the rock.


33. Going closer rendered parts of the background out of focus, allowing us to see the spider clearly.


34. An old favorite, Longhorn Beetle! (Cerambycidae)


35. Looking closer, we found 2 different mites on the neck of the Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae)


36. Full side view of the Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae)


37. Dorsal view, always important for documentation


38. Tried to picture the long horns, but this was the max I could go


39. James found this male Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.)


40. Looking closer, this Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.) had beautiful metallic plates on it's abdomen.


41. The female Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.) was just nearby!! Lovely silvery plates!


42. Close up on the eyes of the Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.)


43. Not easy to shoot this silvery Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.) - the abdomen would typically be overexposed.


44. Melvyn found this Darkling Beetle? (Tenebrionidae) resting on a log. Sometimes we called this the "oil-spill" beetle for the colours, but this particular one was so colourful that we called it the rainbow beetle!


45. More Beetles (Tenebrionidae?) nearby, probably before or after making out.


46. Found many Huntsman Spiders (Sparassidae) running about and took some record shots.


47. Found a lovely bright orange coloured Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)


48. Classic view for documentation


49. Lots of these around. Caddisfly? (Trichoptera)


50. Top view of what might be a Caddisfly (Trichoptera)


51. The surprise find of the night came from Victor. Nobody believed him when he shouted that he found a Velvet Worm (Eoperipatus sumatranus?)... lol


52. We let it crawl up a twig to capture pictures of the bottom of the Velvet Worm. Sho cute!!


53. The Velvet Worm looked quite fat.. chubby!


54. Finally got to use my fish-eye lens when this Tarantula (Theraphosidae) didn't take Melvyn's presence (in the background) lightly.


55. I tried to say hi and be friendly... I really did.


56. Record shot of the Tarantula (Theraphosidae)


57. Close up on it's eyes. Doesn't look that scary after all?

The complete album can be viewed here.