This time, they came to us

1. Rhino beetle (Dynastinae)
   This rhino beetle was still at our cabins in the morning, so we moved it out to the tree buttresses. What you see in the background... is not where we stayed. :P


2. Rhino beetle (Dynastinae)
   Turning to the other side, we can see the rooms that we stayed in, 5 rooms on each side of the building.


3. Rhino beetle (Dynastinae)
   Tried different angles with the 15mm but there was limited space to move about.


4. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   This bark mantis appeared on our Sabahan neighbour's slippers over the night. Attracted to... the smell?


5. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   Lateral view shows it trying to maintain a flat posture.


6. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   Saying hi to the face!


7. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   This time, it didn't want to stay low.


8. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   Since it was a bark mantis, we returned it to one of the nearby trees.


9. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
   Still busily grooming itself!


10. Bark mantis (Mantodea)
    Maybe it was the wrong tree? Didn't look too camouflagy.


11. Moss katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Jeff came by to check on us, and found this amazingly cryptic katydid.


12. Moss katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Lateral view. Unfortunately, it seemed severely injured and could not walk nor jump on its own.


13. Moss katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Close up on the face.


14. Moss katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Interestingly, it tried to walk and fell into this position, matching the white patch!


15. Rhino beetles mating (Dynastinae)
    Just before we left, our friendly male beetle had found his girlfriend, happily making out just beside our cabins. I had already kept my lenses and flashes, so this was shot with just the 15mm.

When our car was exiting the gate, Jeff saw another giant rhino beetle walking around on the grass. We could only suck our thumbs and move on as we were running behind schedule for our flight!



Behind the Scenes

Here are some random photos from my mobile phone, and some courtesy of Dennis, Amber and Nick. If any of you have violent objections to any of the photos shown here, please let me know. :)


16. Departure at Kuala Lumpur
    


17. Arrival at Tawau Airport, a really small airport!
    


18. Supermarket at Tawau Town where we got our groceries
    


19. Going bananas at the wet market
    


20. Morning scene before breakfast. Shot from my mobile phone. =D
    


21. Tallest tropical tree in the world at 88m high! Did we see it? No idea...
    


22. Shooting the giant pill millipede that appeared on the gravel.
    


23. Checking out the size of the pill millipede when it curled up.
    


24. The really shaky bridge
    


25. Pyrops sidereus at eye-level!
    


26. THREE Pyrops whiteheadi at knee-level moments before they all disappeared. :P
    


27. Shot of the shield bug nymph on my camera, such a beautiful subject did not need any post processing!
    


28. Drying our clothes behind the cabin while the sun was still out.
    


29. This tree must really be GOOD!
    


30. Shooting the mating stick insects.
    


31. Size comparison of my hand with the giant river toad.
    


32. Our only group photo in the field, found a large tree to pose with
    


33. Found a tick on Nick's head, must shoot!
    


34. Just before leaving Tawau Hills, we grabbed Jeff for a group photo!
    

Update: Only 1 room left. Register early to avoid disappointment!

Duration

Costs

• Upgrade to double share: +S$20
• Upgrade to single room: +S$80 (limited)

• Single Room - 840USD (limited)
• Double Share - 800USD
• Triple Share - 780USD

Price includes:

• Daily workshop lessons and sharing sessions
• Access to Borneo's pristine rainforests with about 10 field trips.
• 2-way airport transfer via minibus
• Accommodation in air-conditioned jungle cabin with common toilets for 4 nights (3 beds per room)
• Shared WIFI access at accommodation and on the road, good for WhatsApp and checking email
• Local breakfast, lunch and dinner during the stay
• All entry fees to park and trails
• Camera permit
• Tips for local staff
• Pre-trip advice and meetup session to assess equipment and get to know travel mates [optional]
• Dedicated Facebook group for follow-up advice and discussions

Price excludes:

• Airfare

  • From Singapore

    Singapore - Johor Bahru (JB) - Tawau*

    Approx S$100 on AirAsia
    AirAsia customers can book free shuttle bus services from Singapore to Senai Airport in Johor Bahru and vice versa. It is faster and cheaper than flying via Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu.
    Departure
    1. 0700: Board Cross-Border Bus from Kranji MRT, Queens Street or Newton Circus to Malaysia CIQ
    2. 0800: Board Sky Shuttle Bus at Malaysia CIQ at Bay 24
    3. 0900: Check in at Senai Airport
    4. 1040-1320: Flight from JB to Tawau* (AK5596, 2h40m)
    Return
    1. 1230: Check in at Tawau Airport
    2. 1345-1620: Flight Tawau* to JB (AK5597, 2h35m)
    3. 1700: Board Sky Shuttle Bus from Senai Airport to Malaysia CIQ
    4. 1800: Board Cross-Border Bus from Malaysia CIQ to Kranji MRT, Queens Street or Newton Circus
    CIQ - Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex
    * Tawau is near the eastern coast of Borneo, there is no direct flight from Singapore.

  • From other parts of the world, please fly via Kuala Lumpur

    Kuala Lumpur - Tawau

    International participants arriving via Kuala Lumpur should take the 1000h-1255 (AK5746) flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau via AirAsia on 24 June 2015.
• Photography equipment (bring your own gear!)

Requirements

1. Burning passion in macro photography
2. Keen interest in arthropods, reptiles and amphibians
3. DSLR or a good mirrorless digital camera
4. Dedicated macro lens capable of 1:1 magnification, preferably between 60mm to 105mm
5. Close up filters: Raynox DCR150 or Raynox DCR250
6. External flash
7. Wireless trigger and additional external flash (for back-lighting)
8. Tripod
9. Laptop for post processing lessons and sharing session
10. Powerful lightweight torch for night shoots
11. Basic proficiency in Adobe Photoshop

Accommodation

• All rooms have 3 beds and are air-conditioned with ceiling fan
• Each room has 2 power sockets only, please bring multi-plugs for charging your batteries
• Separated male and female common toilets and cubicle showers
• Showers are not heated, they can get cold at night!
• You may wash your clothes - there are shared clothes lines for you to hang your clothes out to dry
• There is no fridge, but we can loan a kettle from the park office
• They do not provide free internet, but I will provide basic WIFI access to be shared at the cabin.
• A small shop selling snacks is accessible in the day
• Meals will be at a common "canteen" area where you can also buy drinks
• Lessons will be in a sheltered common area just in front of the rooms

Tips for the Trip

• Get a lightweight but powerful torch light for searching in the night
• Get spare batteries and chargers that can handle multiple batteries
• Borrow extra memory cards from your friends :)
• Rig a focusing light on your camera instead of holding a light with your hand
• Do more field shoots prior to the trip, note down any problems that you face
• Bring a hat, it blocks the sun from your eyes while shooting
• Bring leech socks (can also be purchased from park office at RM10)
• Bring mosquito repellent
• Pack light - it is a considerable walk from vehicle drop-off point to the cabin

Schedule

Field Trips

• All trails are just a short walk from the cabins.
• The terrain is relatively flat - there is minimal to no climbing involved in the trails.
• Participants may be split into 2 groups during field trips, each led by an instructor or assistant instructors.

Ground Rules

1. Observe shooting etiquette

   1. Finders shoot first

      The one who finds the subject will have the right to shoot first, the rest who are interested to shoot should take a "queue number".

   2. Share your finds

      Share what you find with others, and let everyone take a basic shot before going closer for high magnification shots.

   3. Slow shooters shoot later

      If you know that you take very long for your shots, let other faster participants shoot first.

   4. Keep volume low

      Do not shout or talk loudly when others are shooting, loud noise can scare skittish subjects away.

   5. Be magnanimous

      It is common for subjects to escape or disappear when you are shooting. It will happen to everyone, so refrain from blaming anyone when it happens, be magnanimous and move on.

2. Specimen collection

   This is a photography workshop and not a collection trip for entomologists. Please discuss with me via email first if you really need to collect specimens.

Pre-trip Session

• Assess camera equipment, determine what to buy or change
• Get to know fellow travel mates

Registration

• Name in passport
• Passport expiry date
• Nationality
• Gender
• Contact number
• Emergency contact
• Any medical condition that I should be aware of
• Room preference: Single/Double/Triple
• Room mate preference if attending with a friend
• Arrival timing at Tawau Airport
• Dietary restrictions (if any)
• Payment mode
  • Bank transfer (Singapore banks only)
  • Paypal (Invoice in USD, +5% surcharge, please provide Paypal account email)
• Camera equipment details
• Describe your macro photography experience, and online portfolio if available
• Your expectations for this bootcamp

1. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) Buy this Photo
   Some of the most colourful shield bugs could be found here. We found one just outside the toilet.


2. Lantern bug (Pyrops whiteheadi) Buy this Photo
   The venue is home to at least 3 different species of lantern bugs. Sighting them is not difficult, but getting an angle to photograph them depends a lot on luck!


3. Lantern bug (Pyrops sidereus) Buy this Photo
   Some of the lantern bugs have distinct host trees, and the chances of finding them would be much higher with an experienced guide.


4. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   This giant and colourful huntsman spider was spotted just 50m away from the cabins.


5. Golden blue ant (Polyrhachis sp.) Buy this Photo
   These ants were brilliantly coloured with a metallic blue abdomen.


6. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) Buy this Photo
   Unfortunately we also found many shield bugs infected with cordyceps fungus.


7. Longhorn orb web spider (Macracantha arcuata) Buy this Photo
   Probably the longest horns on any spider in the region, the longhorn orb web spider is a common sight near to the cabins.


8. Harvestman (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
   Who would have imagined that a harvestman could be blue?


9. Giant river toad (Phrynoidis juxtasper) Buy this Photo
   Some of the toads by the river were huge, spanning 20cm in length.


10. Rhino beetle (Dynastinae) Buy this Photo
    This rhino beetle flew to us near the cabin, which gave us the opportunity to take some wide angle shots when we were checking out on the last day.

Test Photos

I took the lens out for a short morning walk, and managed a couple of keepers with good performance except for noticeable chromatic aberration. All photos are uncropped single exposures, tested on Nikon D800 with a SB400 Speedlite and a DIY flash diffuser unless stated otherwise. Filter and lens hood removed during testing.


1. "Giant" Fungi
   A low angled shot captures the background in its entirety, and the clarity of the background gives the impression of a giant mushroom (which were slightly less than 2 inches tall).
   Handheld, 1/50s, F/22, ISO500, single fill flash


2. "Giant" Fungi
   From an even lower angle, it gives the viewer the perspective of a bug under the mushrooms.
   Handheld, 1/50s, F/22, ISO500, single fill flash


3. Snail with Marina Bay Sands in the background
   Handheld, 1/10s, F/22, ISO800, single fill flash


4. Ornamental tree trunk spider (Herennia sp.)
   Handheld, 1/25s, F/22, ISO800, single fill flash


5. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
   Handheld, 1/25s, F/22, ISO400, single fill flash


6. Red tent spider (Cyrtophora unicolor)
   Handheld, 1/13s, F/32, ISO400, single fill flash


7. Marina Bay Sands - Perspective correction with lens shift
   Perspective correction with lens shifting is nothing new, but always welcome for architectural photography. A very nice bonus, given that any lens with the capability to shift will tend to cost a lot more than this one!


8. Singapore residential building - Perspective correction with lens shift
   Another example of perspective correction shot from a high position.

Lens Build

Performance

Image Quality and Diffraction

Distortion

Chromatic Aberration

Technical Specifications

Conclusion

1. All ready at Senai Airport
   We were exceptionally early and had lots of time to mull about.


2. Still early
   More time means more photos!


3. Touched down!
   The Johor group alighting from the plane.


4. Arrival at Tawau Airport
   Posing around while waiting to collect our luggage.


5. Marching to the supermarket
   Stocking up on groceries for the 5 days ahead!


6. The Water Team
   Well, not much of groceries but we made sure water was stocked up well.


7. Impromptu meeting?
   Making sure our loot was sufficient.


8. Arrival at Tawau Hills
   Our driver, Mr Rosle, is one of Malaysia's top body builders. Maybe we could get him to lift all our water to the cabins...


9. Checking in!
   Unloading our luggage and supplies in preparation for check in.


10. Our water supply
    Would this be enough???


11. Siew Li & Joanna
    Always ready for a picture!


12. Bombilai Jungle Lodge
    Allocating rooms, where the bootcamp would be held for the next 5 days!


13. Gear session
    Preliminary fine-tuning for everyone's lighting in preparation for the night's first shoot.


14. No time to waste!!
    Some participants couldn't wait and started their bug hunting around the cabins.


15. Dinner's served!
    Dinner was late, but we found that it was prepared by just one lady! Thanks Dewi!


16. Lesson 1: Composition, Lighting
    First lesson was held in front of the cabins. Lengthy but essential to get everyone started on the same foot.


17. Zzzz...
    While everyone else was following the lecture, Andrew was spotted in lala-land, he had seen my presentations before and was just waiting to set up the light trap. He had also just returned from a long trip to China the night before, making back to back flights!


18. Hng??
    Haven't figured out what she was doing. Perhaps only Chris would know.



First Night Shoot

Although the plan for the first night shoot was to enter the first trail, hardly anybody entered the trail til hours later. Everyone else was distracted along the way and ended up shooting around the cabin! I roamed around and only took a few record shots while making sure everyone had something to shoot and practise on.


19. Fishing spider (Nilus sp.)
    Ben found this relatively large fishing spider before the bridge. It was pretty docile and easy to shoot.


20. Fishing spider (Nilus sp.)
    Tried getting the rest to take shots of the eye arrangements as well.


21. Monkey grasshopper (Caelifera)
    Nothing spectacular but just documenting whatever I saw. :)


22. Giant shield bug nymph (Tessaratomidae)
    Andy found this shield bug nymph at the bottom of the bridge and had everyone excited and queuing up!


23. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    An adult shield bug was then spotted behind the cabins, and we found it to be laying eggs! She had beautiful textures on her dorsal body with green metallic pits!


24. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    Anterior view


25. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    Close up on her eggs


26. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.)
    On a neighboring tree, a pair of jumping spiders (Epeus sp.) was spotted. This is the male.


27. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.)
    The female is less striking in colour.


28. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.)
    Close up on the male, as it had a gently sloping "mohawk".


29. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.)
    Waited a bit to get it to look directly into the lens!


30. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.)
    This view shows the mohawk clearly.


31. Unknown pupa
    Not sure what pupa this is, but the additional hair made me wonder if it was parasitised.


32. Unknown pupa
    Dorsal view of the odd pupa.


33. Masked hunter assassin bug (Reduviidae)
    On the tree trunks, we found the masked hunter, an assassin bug that piles debris upon itself to conceal its shape.


34. Masked hunter assassin bug (Reduviidae)
    The masked hunter is usually hidden from sight and difficult to spot when it stays still.


35. Mantis moulting (Mantodea)
    Timothy found this moulting mantis in front of the Magdalene Chalet. Oddly, this is the first time I'm seeing a mantis moulting!


36. Mantis moulting (Mantodea)
    A wider view with Raynox removed. We wanted to wait for the wings to pump out but it took really long and we gave up.


37. Stick insect (Haaniella sp.)
    One of the chunky looking stick insects in the trail. Yes we finally ushered everyone into the trail!


38. Stick insect (Haaniella sp.)
    Lateral view. A nymph as wings were not developed.


39. Stick insect (Haaniella sp.)
    Close up on the face, always fun to shoot!


40. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.)
    Ben and Andrew spotted this huntsman spider high above, but nobody could reach it. I climbed a little to get a record shot of the face, but nobody else wanted to try.


41. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    A lovely new batch of spiderlings crowding around their mother.


42. Lynx spiderlings (Hamadruas sp.)
    Mother lynx got spooked and went to hide behind.


43. Lynx spiderlings (Hamadruas sp.)
    Closing up on one spiderling. Not like the mother??


44. Lynx spiderlings (Hamadruas sp.)
    Closing in on a cluster of them.


45. Trilobite beetle larva (Platerodrilus sp.)
    The trilobite was a regular near the entrance of the trail, just a record shot.


46. Weevils (Curculionidae)
    Some weevils were feeling up to it tonight!


47. Weevils (Curculionidae)
    The leaf was huge, so it was difficult to get an ideal angle of both in focus.


48. Weevils (Curculionidae)
    Another weevil mating pair spotted just 1 meter away!

While shooting the weevils, the sky opened up and it was pouring. As it was already way past midnight, I decided to call it a night. HOWEVER... it seemed that most of the rest did not get enough and continued shooting til well past 2am. I'm looking forward to update this post with their shots!

1. Light trap at night
   How the black light looked like the night before.


2. Light trap
   4 black light bulbs, but nothing much appeared in the night when we checked. Here's how it looked in the morning.


3. Mantis (Pachymantis sp.?)
   This mantis was waiting for me on the floor as I opened the chalet doors in the morning. It had bright red forelegs and numerous "thorns" on its thorax.


4. Mantis (Pachymantis sp.?)
   Moved it to the foliage for more natural views.


5. Mantis (Pachymantis sp.?)
   Lovely patterns on the eyes!


6. Mantis (Pachymantis sp.?)
   The forelegs were yellow and blue on the outside, and red on the inside!


7. Hornets (Provespa sp.)
   Checked out the light trap, and found clusters of hornets. Wonder if they were there to look for free food?

Despite looking really bare, the light trap had a few interesting looking moths.


8. Moth
   


9. Moth
   


10. Moth
    


11. Moth
    


12. Moth
    


13. Hawk Moth (Sphingidae)
    


14. Moth
    Unusual moth that was standing upright.


15. Moth
    


16. Ghost mantis? (Mantodea)
    As I walked back to the chalet, I found a beautiful but almost dead mantis on the floor. It wasn't stepped on, as all parts were quite intact.


17. Ghost mantis? (Mantodea)
    It had a radially twisted cone head!


18. Ghost mantis? (Mantodea)
    Lateral view, just for record keeping.


19. Spiny orb web spider (Gasteracantha sp.)
    Seawei spotted this spiny orb weaver just in front of the chalet as well.


20. Spiny orb web spider (Gasteracantha sp.)
    Most likely a mature female!


21. After breakfast
    We wasted no time shooting whatever we could find on our way to the botanical gardens. Kerry and Dori were shooting a fish hook ant on the table.


22. Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
    Here's how the ant looked up close!


23. Tree trunk hunting
    The others got busy with the trees! We could usually see the masked hunter assassin bugs here.


24. Still at the tree
    At this rate, we'd never get to start with where we wanted to go!


25. Towards the gardens!
    Finally urged everyone to move on to the gardens to hunt for the lantern bugs while they were still at low heights.


26. Lantern bug (Pyrops whiteheadi)
    I walked all the way in first to check out the usual host trees, and found only 1 tree with Pyrops whiteheadi. It was a stunningly vibrant specimen, so I took a record shot before trudging back to guide the rest to it. Unfortunately, it didn't stay still for long and only a few others got to shoot it.


27. Unknown spider web
    Andrew pointed me to this odd-looking horizontal orb web. Never seen anything like this!


28. Unknown spider web
    We thought that the spider was away, but upon shooting closer, we found that the spider was actually hanging underneath all the while!


29. Unknown spider web
    Wider view of the entire web


30. Scale insect (Coccoidea)
    I saw a scale insect fluttering around, and made a feeble attempt to shoot it while I had my Raynox still on. Result was a grossly out of focus scale insect. :P


31. Cross spider (Argiope sp.)
    Interestingly, this juvenile Argiope had already started building a stabilimentum on its web!


32. Pill-like planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.)
    There were several of these pill-like planthoppers along the path, but this had the most colourful patterns!


33. Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.)
    An intricate stabilimentum was spotted on the web of a Cyclosa.


34. Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.)
    Closer view reveals the spider with silvery patches on its abdomen.


35. Pill-like planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.)
    A less striking pill-like planthopper, but the body looked as if it was see-through!


36. Tussock moth larvae
    A few of us spotted this pair of caterpillars at the entrance of the gardens.


37. Tussock moth larvae
    One was obviously eating more than the other.


38. Tussock moth larvae
    Closing up on the head of the larger specimen.


39. Tussock moth larvae
    After taking a few shots, we realised that the caterpillar would puff up its hairs if we blew at it. Thanks to Timothy for activating the puff-up!


40. Inside the gardens
    Everyone got busy in the gardens, shooting non-stop.


41. Spiny back orb weaver (Gasteracantha sp.)
    Juvenile spiny back orb weaver, ideal for those using the Raynox!


42. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Dorsal view of a jumping spider. Haven't gone to identify them yet.


43. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Almost customary to get a view of the eyes, but didn't have time to get it to look at me.


44. Pill-like planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.)
    Another pill-like planthopper, also with see-through "cover".


45. Pill-like planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.)
    The anterior view is beautifully marked with blue and red stripes.


46. Net-winged beetle (Lycidae)
    We see lots of them in Singapore, but taking record shots anyway!


47. Net-winged beetle (Lycidae)
    View of the face, looks fiercer from this angle.


48. Moth
    Microlepidoptera perched in the foliage.


49. Two-tailed spider (Hersiliidae)
    Juvenile two-tailed spider hiding on a tree trunk.


50. Two-tailed spider (Hersiliidae)
    Due to the height, it was easy to get views of the eyes.


51. Fly
    I'm bad with identifying dipterans.. :(


52. Straight-snouted weevil (Brentidae)
    This straight-snouted weevil had 2 weird looking tails.


53. Straight-snouted weevil (Brentidae)
    Lateral view.


54. Fulgorid planthopper (Fulgoridae)
    One of the most brightly coloured bugs on this trip, second only to Pyrops.


55. Fulgorid planthopper (Fulgoridae)
    Lateral view reveals a bright red abdomen.


56. Pill millipede (Sphaerotheriida)
    Many of the ladies were waiting patiently for the pill millipede to open up and walk around.


57. Pill millipede (Sphaerotheriida)
    I wasn't too patient and took some close ups instead.


58. Pill millipede (Sphaerotheriida)
    Peering into its eyes.


59. Common posy? (Drupadia ravindra)
    A faded common posy stayed long enough for me to take a record shot.


60. Bird dung crab spider (Phrynarachne sp.)
    One of the more memorable finds of this trip was this bird dung crab spider.


61. Bird dung crab spider (Phrynarachne sp.)
    Anterior close up reveals the numerous spines on legs I and II.


62. Bird dung crab spider (Phrynarachne sp.)
    Closing up on its rear focuses on the 4 red prominent abdominal humps.


63. Feather-legged spider (Uloborus sp,)
    At the mushroom shelter, Chris found a mature male feather-legged spider on its web.


64. Wasps (Apocrita)
    A cluster of wasps were also spotted on the shelter's ceiling, kindly pointed out by Tom.


65. Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
    Just in front of the shelter was this long-palped crab spider under a leaf. The male would have extra long pedipalps that might be mistaken for legs.


66. Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
    Anterior view, probably juvenile or female.


67. Most popular subject of the day
    Cham found the white morph of Macracantha and had everyone queuing up to shoot it!


68. Most popular subject of the day
    And that's me taking the picture above.


69. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    First record shot of the long horn orb weaver, walked to and fro several times before I sneaked in for this shot!


70. Background please
    Andrew was nice enough to hold a leaf for Seawei but he started complaining etc etc... and Andrew decided to use his mouth as background.


71. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    And this was the result! Photo by Seawei Ying.


72. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    After everyone was done, I set up my tripod and positioned the shot for a bright distant background.


73. I also want
    Andrew liked the result and inserted his SD card into my camera. -_-""


74. Timothy in action
    This was how he looked most of the time - eyes glued to camera.


75. Leech lover
    Joanna took many shots of leeches, even when there were beautiful beetles beside.


76. Andy with the subject of the day
    The spider would normally be in an upside down position due to the abdominal shape. It won't stay still if kept upright!


77. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    While making our way out, we spotted a lynx spider having a late lunch.


78. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    Always expressionless despite the big meal.


79. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    Like most spiders, it attacked the fly's "neck".


80. Giant shield bug nymph (Tessaratomidae)
    On one of the mossy bridges, we found yet another giant shield bug nymph.


81. Lynx spider (Hamataliwa sp.)
    Really tiny little lynx spider.


82. Lynx spider (Hamataliwa sp.)
    Highly cropped image, but luckily still sharp.


83. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    The others were taking really long, so I went back to check on them and found that the Macracantha model was working overtime. I then took out my Venus LAOWA 15mm wide-angle macro lens for some test shots! To find out more about this lens, read the review here.


84. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    Difficult to get the background with more detail unless I stepped down all the way.


85. Long horned orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    Finally, at F/22


86. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    Back on the mossy trunk where everyone was shooting on.


87. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    Normal shot with my Tamron 90mm.


88. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    And finally, a close up to show details on the abdomen.


89. Dobsonfly (Corydalinae)
    Back at the cabins, we found that a dobsonfly was still on the light trap! It didn't stay for long, but I was fortunate enough to get some shots.


90. Dobsonfly (Corydalinae)
    Lateral view shows that the foreleg was broken.


91. Dobsonfly (Corydalinae)
    She looked really curious in this pic.


92. Moth
    Record shot of a moth on the light trap.


93. Mantis (Mantodea)
    Chris found a mantis at the door as well. Thought that it was a flower mantis, but we couldn't quite place it.


94. Mantis (Mantodea)
    It was a mature adult, and kept flying around the room!


95. Dinner time
    We took a break in the afternoon to catch up on some rest and post processing. Before we knew it, dinner was served!


96. Lesson 2: Post Processing Techniques
    After dinner, the class area was set up for a post processing session where several post processing techniques that are useful for macro were covered.


97. Basic post processing
    We started with some basic post processing steps that I'd use for almost every photo. Sample source photos were provided so that everyone would be working on the same images.


98. Class joker
    Why's that guy behind not paying attention??


99. Pretending to work
    Apparently Seawei forgot his laptop's power adapter and resorted to using his imaginary one instead.


100. Session overrun!
     The post processing session took longer than expected and we had to postpone the stacking lesson to the next day as we've already made arrangements with the staff for a night walk.


101. Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus)
     On the way to our night trail, Tom spotted a very rare dragon snake.


102. Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus)
     Just took record shots with my Raynox as I was rushing in to meet the park ranger! Should have taken a full body shot.


103. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.)
     Yet another distraction on the way to the trail. Had a leg span of at least 4 inches.


104. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.)
     Despite its size, the huntsman was very patient with us and allowed me to go really close.


105. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Finally into the trail! Found a large katydid but was too lazy to remove the Raynox, and ended up with a poorly composed image.


106. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     Found an exceptionally colourful stick insect slightly above eye level.


107. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     We were careful with it as it might just fly off.


108. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     Somehow many were not too interested in this stick insect, perhaps because it was a little high and many couldn't see the colours!


109. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     One of the many huntsman spiders running around on the tree trunks and leaf litter.


110. Ant-like sac spider (Utivarachna sp.)
     A lanky ant-like sac spider. Note the invagination at the edge of the carapace behind the ocular region.


111. Ant-like sac spider (Utivarachna sp.)
     Luckily, this one stood still enough and I didn't have to spend too much time taking record shots.


112. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     Went back to the stick insect again when everyone else was done. That's when we realised that the colours were not common at all!


113. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     Close up on the wing veins.


114. Knob necked stick insect (Calvisia sp.?)
     Some of us stayed behind and did some ultraviolet exposures. This shot also included the ootheca which we missed out earlier too!


115. Moss mantis (Haania sp.?)
     Further into the trail was a small moss mantis. It was high up so live view had to be used for this shot.


116. Comb-footed spider (Theridion sp.)
     A rare seen where a comb-footed spider snagged a tiger beetle.


117. Comb-footed spider (Theridion sp.)
     The spider carefully fondling her prey.


118. Comb-footed spider (Theridion sp.)
     She then gave me a big clowny smile!


119. Toad (Bufonidae)
     Seawei pointed us to this tiny little toad.


120. Toad (Bufonidae)
     It was very tame and allowed us to go close from various angles.


121. Fulgorid planthopper (Fulgoridae)
     We found the lovely planthopper that we saw in the day again!


122. Blue-pitted harvestman (Opiliones)
     Encouraged several others to take shots of this blue-pitted harvestman.


123. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     Chris showed me this huntsman spider, probably a Gnathopalystes which also fluoresced under ultraviolet.


124. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     It was really flat and there were limited angles to get close ups of the eyes!


125. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     This large mossy katydid was found just beside the mushroom shelter.


126. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Incredibly cryptic details!


127. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     The katydid was found to fluoresce under ultraviolet too, much to the delight of everyone. Unfortunately, the rangers were closing that trail for the night and we had to exit after this shot.


128. Harlequin flying frog (Rhacophorus pardalis)
     Outside by the pond, Ben pointed us to this lone tree frog.


129. Harlequin flying frog (Rhacophorus pardalis)
     We had fun lighting it up like a bulb, with Kerry holding my torch behind the frog.


130. Winged termites (Isoptera) Video by Tom Astle
     Back at the cabins, Tom witnessed swarms of flying termites around our class area. Many bats were also flying around for a free buffet supper.


131. Winged termite (Isoptera)
     One of those still alive.


132. Winged termite (Isoptera)
     Lateral view of the termite.


133. Winged termites (Isoptera)
     What resulted, was a layer of dead winged termites everywhere from the floor, to the tables and even our new stock of bath towels. After everyone else went to sleep, I spent a while sweeping everything off after taking some record shots so that we won't have squished carcasses everywhere.

Before breakfast, we had a quick check on the light trap. It didn't have much as the "street lights" were still shining brightly the night before, but there were still a few moths around for some pre-breakfast warm up shots!


1. Moth
   


2. Moth (Geometridae)
   


3. Moth
   


4. Moth
   


5. Moth
   


6. Moth
   


7. Moth
   Anterior view was really cute with imaginary eyebrows and ears!


8. Hawk Moth (Sphingidae)
   Complemented by a little stink bug in the corner.


9. Moth
   


10. Moth©2015 Tom Astle
    Majestic view of a moth with combed antennae by Tom


11. Moth
    Dorsal view of the same moth


12. Moth
    Found two of these pretty little fellas hiding under the light trap shade.


13. March fly (Bibionidae)
    One of the families of flies with the eyes taking up bulk of the head.


14. March fly (Bibionidae)
    Last shot on the light trap, and we were off to breakfast!


15. Our Cabins
    Quick shot of our cabins in the morning, separated by a little pond. The water level seems to be lower at this time of the year!


16. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Tiny and insignificant-looking stick insect, but it had itself covered with moss!


17. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Dorsal view. Unfortunately I forgot to take a full body shot.


18. Straight-snouted weevil (Brentidae)
    Highly reflective weevil but a very cooperative subject.


19. Ladybird mimic leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae) ©2015 Tom Astle
    A fuzzy looking leaf beetle mimicking a ladybird shot by Tom!


20. Flat-backed Millipede (Platyrhacidae)
    We found a large flat-backed millipede that wouldn't stop moving!


21. Flat-backed Millipede (Platyrhacidae)
    Upskirt view of the legs.


22. Flat-backed Millipede (Platyrhacidae)
    After everyone was done with this millipede, I had my gear setup for a wide-angle shot using the Venus 15mm macro lens. Took really long as the millipede moved everytime I had the composition set up!


23. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    A stick insect was found nearby, and I tried another wide-angle shot before changing back the lens.


24. Mossy moth©2015 Tom Astle
    Amazing camouflage of a mossy looking moth by Tom!


25. Looking for bugs©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    Dori caught us squinting hard for bugs.


26. Tiger beetle (Cicindelinae) © Seawei Ying
    Seawei got a shot of this small but lovely tiger beetle.


27. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    A jumping spider with thick bushy eyebrows. :)


28. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Classic portrait wit the spider looking straight into the camera.


29. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Dorsal view, shows a slightly faded exterior.


30. Story telling!©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    Dennis sharing his adventures in the trails.


31. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
    The long horn orb weaver was still around! And still ridiculously popular, I took a record shot and went on in the trail.


32. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    An inconspicuous katydid at first glance, but it had a vibrant yellow-green netted pattern


33. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Closer view of the katydid


34. Mantis (Mantodea) ©2015 Tom Astle
    Bark mantis or moss mantis?


35. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.)
    One of the many huntsman spiders roaming in the foliage, even in the day!


36. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    This big-jawed jumping spider had a distinct purple iridescence on the dorsal abdomen and legs.


37. Big-jaw spider (Mesida sp.)
    This big-jaw spider had small golden patches on the abdomen, possibly attributed to guanine crystals.


38. Big-jaw spider (Mesida sp.)
    Started lifting up its abdomen to balloon away!


39. Weevil (Curculionidae)
    An interesting looking black weevil flanked by red patches on each elytron.


40. Weevil (Curculionidae)
    Lateral view.


41. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    We found a tiny jumping spider that was consistently flipping its abdomen up. We only wished that it was a peacock spider instead.


42. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    It had a very curious look, always staring at us.


43. Stick insect moulting (Phasmatodea) ©2015 Tom Astle
    A delicate scene of a stick insect moulting, with a tiny red mite hooked onto its back.


44. Lunch!©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    This was how our meals looked like. It was buffet-style, so to be specific, this was what Dori had. ;)


45. Our Gear!©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    Our cameras usually took a separate table to have lunch on their own. Do you recognise any?


46. Marching out for the hike
    We gathered everyone by the suspension bridge for a group photo before embarking on a short hike up the hill, towards the world's tallest tropical tree.


47. Borneo Bootcamp Tawau 2015
    And here's everyone, each crazy about every small living creature we find.


48. Borneo Bootcamp Tawau 2015
    Always take multiple shots for such group photos! :)


49. Borneo Bootcamp Tawau 2015
    We couldn't help it. Had to look for bugs!! MORE BUGS!


50. Bridge©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    Dori took a fisheye view of the suspension bridge, gets really wobbly!


51. The hike begins!
    I thought we were not supposed to shoot til we reach our destination??


52. Wild boar mud tracks
    The wild boars liked to kick up the mud, leading to what looked like remnants from the movie Jurassic World.


53. Siew Li at work
    Showing the man how it's done. :P


54. Shoot shoot shoot
    Stopping to shoot again!


55. Andy
    One of the hard core participants who wouldn't stop shooting!


56. Up up and away!
    It was a slow, uphill climb.


57. Taking a break!©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    We took a break where several strangler figs were crossing the path.


58. Strangler figs©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    The strangler figs would look curly on its own after strangling the host plant.


59. Posing with strangler figs©2015 Dorota Polaczek
    Took some group photos while waiting for some of the rest to catch up.


60. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    Finally reached the tree. Barely able to fit the tree in with the 15mm macro lens! :)


61. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    Siew Li & Sea Wei


62. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    Chris by the tree


63. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    Managed to squeeze everyone in!!


64. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    Looking up at the tree again.


65. Giant shield bug nymph (Tessaratomidae)
    While we took at break by the tree, this exotic little shield bug nymph had followed us all the way up! We brought it back down to where we found it near our cabins.


66. Spider webs
    We found more of the weird looking horizontal orb webs inside a hollow tree trunk.


67. Spider web
    Close up on one of the orb webs.


68. Spider web
    We managed to shoot a vague lateral view of the spider behind the orb web.


69. Spider web
    Also managed a clearer ventral view!


70. Tarantula exoskeleton (Theraphosidae)
    On our way back, Dori found a huge tarantula's exoskeleton.


71. Tarantula exoskeleton (Theraphosidae)
    Close up on what used to be the fangs.


72. Tarantula exoskeleton (Theraphosidae)
    Anterior view of the chelicerae.


73. Tarantula exoskeleton (Theraphosidae)
    Finally, a close up on the foot.


74. Tarantula exoskeleton
    Joanna was pretty fascinated by the exoskeleton!


75. Dori hard at work
    Dori was busy finding subjects along the way, even as the sky darkened and threatened to rain on us.


76. Ant-like sac spider (Utivarachna sp.)
    We found a lanky ant-like sac spider in the foliage.


77. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    One of the more vibrantly coloured lynx spiders!


78. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    This was a juvenile, barely 5mm long.


79. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    One of the stick insect nymphs that many of us skipped. Aschiphasma sp?


80. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Lateral view of the stick insect nymph.


81. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    Another jumping spider with impressive jaws!


82. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    This view shows it all.


83. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    Took a while, but got him to look over at me.


84. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    Many of us knew what would happen next when the jumping spiders started looking up.


85. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    HE JUMPED AT ME AGAIN!


86. Harvestmen (Opiliones)
    A row of harvestmen lining up along a tree trunk.


87. Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
    Record shot of a crab spider, probably an immature one.


88. Leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae)
    Highly reflective leaf beetle but well worth the effort to photograph!


89. Leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae)
    Lateral view


90. Big-jawed jumping spider (Parabathippus sp.)
    The big-jawed jumping spider was still there!


91. Lantern bug (Pyrops sultanus)
    Before sun down, we were alerted to lantern bug sightings, but they were too high up in the tree.


92. Lesson 3: Advanced techniques
    We covered stacking, ultraviolet photography and back-lighting in this session.


93. Stacking practice
    Practising the steps in stacking... while Dennis had a beer in hand for a jolly night.


94. Sharing sessions
    After the presentation, we had an informal sharing session of the photos taken during the trip.

After the sharing session, everyone got themselves into the trails again in no time! This time, we ventured across the large bridge in hopes of finding something new.


95. Wrap-around spider (Dolophones sp.)
    Tom found a magnificent specimen of a wrap-around spider right in front of the cabins.


96. Wrap-around spider (Dolophones sp.)
    Posterior view appears more cryptic.


97. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
    At the trail entrance, Tom and John spotted this big-headed bark spider. This was an 11-shot handheld stack in the field.


98. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
    View from above shows a cryptic view resembling the stump of a branch.


99. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
    Posterior view does not reveal much of the spider also.


100. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
     This shot shows how the spider clasps onto a branch when at rest.


101. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
     Close up on the spider's tubercle-lined crown.


102. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     Chris showed me this tiny huntsman spider carrying her egg sac.


103. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     On closer look, the spiderlings had already hatched and were running about!


104. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     Posterior view


105. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
     One of the spiderlings was wandering about.


106. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Found an interesting mossy looking katydid with spermatophores attached!


107. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     There were 2 spermatophores! It was flying around, and we lost it quite a number of times.


108. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Under ultraviolet, it exhibited an eerie tone of green and blue.


109. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Dorsal view of the katydid


110. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
     Close up on the spermatophores.


111. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     Many had already retired to their cabins by 3am but on our way back, we dropped by to visit the black forest scorpion again. Sure enough, it was waiting at the same spot.


112. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     It fluoresced brightly under ultraviolet.


113. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     With fill flash, we were able to light up the background as well.


114. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     Up close, a bluish green tint could be observed on the scorpion.


115. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     This was the closest I could get with just a Raynox DCR-150.


116. Giant black forest scorpion (Heterometrus sp.)
     Dual flashes were placed just beside the scorpion to reduce the harshness of the highlights.


117. Cabin star trails© Seawei Ying
     Late into the night when everyone went horizontal, Seawei stayed up to capture the star trails from outside the cabins!

1. Malayan horned frog (Megophrys nasuta)
   Shot in West Malaysia, this frog was about 4cm wide, shot at about 2-3cm away from the lens. As it was shot at night, the background was light-painted with a torch while the frog was lighted with a single diffused flash. The 15mm wide angle allowed a uniquely distorted perspective at extreme close ups.


2. Malayan horned frog (Megophrys nasuta)
   I experimented further by stacking 2 photos to get more details in the background, creating an illusion of a giant frog in the forest. Realistically, the background should not be overly sharp so this shot is not ideal.


3. Long horned orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
   At the recent Borneo Bootcamp, we found a beautiful white morph of Macracantha and set it up pointing the camera towards the sky. This tends to highlight the chromatic aberration with strong contrasts between the foliage and the sky. The blue fringing is obvious especially in the top-right corner.


4. Long horn orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata)
   Another view of the same spider. The background is exceptionally noisy as this photo was handheld and originally underexposed.


5. Flat-backed Millipede (Platyrhacidae)
   This flat-backed millipede was slightly over 2 inches long (remembered wrongly at 4 inches in my original Facebook post) and an excellent example of using the wide-angle perspective to make the millipede look like a giant alien creature. Many had commented that this looked like a spine with legs.


6. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
   It is generally not easy to shoot compelling photos of stick insects with a wide angle lens, as they tend to be too skinny to occupy much of the frame. This shot highlights its typical camouflaged pose.


7. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
   Another stick insect but slightly "thicker" than the previous one. We should normally avoid pointing the lens into the sky through foliage due to the high contrast, but these stick insects are almost always hanging upside down!


8. Reducing chromatic aberration (100% Corner Crop)
   Chromatic aberration can be reduced in post processing via many different methods. Here's a simple technique using Adobe Photoshop. The photo above shows the result after less than a minute of touch up.
   1. Layer -> Duplicate Layer
   2. Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur -> Radius = 20 Pixels
   3. Change Blend Mode to "Color" via Layers window
   4. Layer Mask -> Hide All
   5. Paint WHITE over areas with obvious chromatic aberration to reveal the "corrected" layer


9. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
   I managed to attempt some handheld shots on the world's tallest tropical tree at 88m tall.


10. World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
    The 15mm lens works well for group photos too, we managed to squeeze all participants of the Borneo Bootcamp into a portrait orientation from about 5 meters away.


11. Singapore Cityscape©2015 Pat Law [View Larger Res]
    Earlier this month, I loaned the Venus 15mm to some established landscape photographers in Singapore to bring this lens out for a joyride. This image was shot on the Nikon D800, F/11, 15s shifted down by 4mm. The verdict? Distortion noted as expected in ultra wide lenses, but very sharp throughout with no chromatic aberration nor colour cast at F/11. With the image quality and shift capability, it is a lens of excellent value for money.


12. Singapore Cityscape©2015 CK Ang [View Larger Res]
    A vertical panoramic attempt from 3 shots was made with the lens shifted up by 4mm. Despite the obvious vignetting on a full frame camera, image quality is good.

Conclusion

1. Rise and shine!
   Where's everybody? Nobody's in their rooms... out to shoot already?!


2. Spiny orb weaver (Gasteracantha sp.)
   Wasted no time and found a spiny orb weaver near to our cabins.


3. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
   A more mature specimen of the jumping spider that liked to lift up its abdomen.


4. Comb-footed spider (Theridion sp.)
   The "clown face" is visible only from the posterior view of the abdomen. The spider was faithfully guarding her egg sac. Showed it to several participants who managed to get this angle as well.


5. Moth-like planthopper (Ricaniidae)
   Several different species of ricaniids found so far.


6. Everyone getting busy
   We spent a lot of time along this stretch of the trail, with everyone rotating and sharing our finds.


7. Trashline orb weaver (Cyclosa sp.)
   Off the trail, we found a classic example of a trashline orb weaver with the "trashline" extending from the spider's body.


8. Trashline orb weaver (Cyclosa sp.)
   Closer view of the spider's trash. Guess what it is made of? :)


9. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis) ©2015 Tom Astle
   Tom had a lovely shot of what looked like a female great anglehead lizard with an ant running by on her head!


10. Assassin bug nymph (Reduviidae)
    Possibly an assassin bug nymph, with pale innocent colours.


11. Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
    There were trails of fish hook ants marching up and down some tree trunks. Occasionally, we could find some at rest.


12. Fish hook ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon)
    Stood still enough for us to take a few decent shots!


13. Net-winged beetle (Lycidae) © Seawei Ying
    Seawei got a net-winged beetle adjusting its wings for take off.


14. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    From a distance, this looked like a random plain picture. Have you found the katydid yet? Interestingly, quite a few thought that they saw a lizard or cicada when I first shared this shot on Facebook.


15. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Closer view reveals a little bit more of the katydid.


16. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    A close up of the cryptic orthopteran, if you still couldn't find it.


17. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Dorsal view with full flash. Notice how the colours looked very different as compared to the natural light shots above.


18. Natural light photography
    Shooting in natural light allowed the katydid's camouflage to be well blended with its surroundings. I had already thrown my flashes onto the ground for the camouflage-shot... :P


19. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) ©2015 Seawei Ying
    One of the magnificent giant shield bugs that Seawei spotted!


20. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham shot the same shield bug from another spot but with minimal highlights.


21. Grasshopper (Caelifera)
    Apparently quite common and colourful, but often missed out as it resembles many of the common grasshoppers.


22. Grasshopper (Caelifera)
    Curiously climbing around.


23. False click beetle (Eucnemidae) ©2015 Seawei Ying
    Seawei found a false click beetle.


24. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Interesting looking katydid nymph that Cham was shooting.


25. Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
    Trying to look for symmetry, but the antennae were out of place.


26. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Saw lots of these stick insects, and many of us were already bored of seeing them.


27. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    And then this giant stick appeared! Spent more time on this with experimental shots using the Venus 15mm macro lens.


28. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Tried to exaggerate the perspective but that revealed more of the overexposed sky which caused a higher contrast in the background.


29. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Switched back to my 90mm and got the normal boring perspective of the same subject. Notice how the stick insect appears smaller now? ;)


30. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Dorsal view of the walking stick.


31. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    On the way back at the cabins, Seawei was shooting this shield bug on the bridge railings.


32. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    It had the similar green pits.


33. Giant shield bug (Tessaratomidae)
    It started walking around, so we let it walk up on this leaf. Against the sky, we were able to get a nice blue background.


34. Wormlion larva (Vermileonidae)
    Below our cabins, we spent some time observing these little sand pits. One of the cabins had antlion larvae, while this had wormlion larvae.


35. Wormlion larva (Vermileonidae)
    This was how they looked when out of their pits.


36. Wormlion larva (Vermileonidae)
    Any eyes??


37. Lantern bug (Pyrops sultanus) ©2015 Tom Astle
    At dusk, the lantern bugs were spotted again and Tom got a capture of it with the sky.

We were supposed to have an elaborate seafood dinner, but what the canteen provided was a disappointment and we didn't take much photos of dinner at all. So... fast forward to our night shoot!


38. Squash bugs (Coreidae)
    A pair of squash bugs in the act of procreation.


39. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)
    Well camouflaged huntsman spider on the tree trunk. Always be careful not to press on any surface without checking first!


40. Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae)
    Also found on the tree trunk and very cooperative.


41. Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae)
    Evil looking eyes...


42. Leafhopper (Cicadellidae)
    Not very pretty, but worth documenting.


43. Harvestman (Opiliones)
    This harvestman was happily chewing on some fungus.


44. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Another Aschiphasma perhaps?


45. Moth (Microlepidoptera)
    Tiny little moth.


46. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    Vibrantly coloured lynx spider with a blue-capped head!


47. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    Lateral view


48. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp.)
    Anterior view, a male!


49. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    A well hidden phasmid under a leaf.


50. Nursery web spider (Pisauridae)
    This pisaurid had lost 3 legs, but still a fast runner.


51. Nursery web spider (Pisauridae)
    Close up on the eyes!


52. Ant (Calomyrmex sp.)
    One of the cuter ants seen on this trip.


53. Ant (Calomyrmex sp.)
    Lateral view. Unfortunately it didn't stay still for long and this was the last shot before it ran off.


54. Daddy-long-legs spider (Pholcidae)
    Really tiny little pholcid!


55. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Small little jumping spider under a sheet of silk.


56. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Peeping at it from under the silk.


57. Harvestman (Opiliones)
    One of the many harvestmen running around.


58. Red bugs (Pyrrhocoridae)
    A pair of mating red bugs. Despite being in the act of procreation, they were walking about quite actively.


59. Red bugs (Pyrrhocoridae)
    Walked to another location!


60. Ant (Polyrhachis armata)
    This ant was busily carrying stuff around and decided to stop for a breather.


61. Trap jaw ant (Anochetus sp.)
    Trap-jaw is open and ready for anyone who wants to put their finger there.


62. Queen ant (Gesomyrmex sp.) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham found this amazingly stunning queen ant, really bizarre! Identified by Stéphane De Greef, possibly Gesomyrmex luzonensis. The ant was also facing an odd looking organism that looked like a scale insect.


63. Jumping spider (Salticidae)
    Too many jumping spiders, so I only took dorsal shots for some of them.


64. Weevil (Curculionidae) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    This weevil that Cham shot has a unique maroon tone.


65. Pill-like planthopper (Hemisphaerius sp.)
    This beautiful species seems to be found in many of the trails.


66. Bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus sp.)
    Cham spotted this lovely bent-toed gecko. It was a little high up so angles were limited.


67. Two-tailed spider (Hersiliidae)
    Another classic camouflage by a two-tailed spider.


68. Two-tailed spider (Hersiliidae)
    Close up on the eyes.


69. Giant river toad (Phrynoidis juxtasper) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham had the giant river toad beside his shoe for size comparison.


70. Ants (Crematogaster inflata)
    A small colony of Crematogaster scurrying about around the hole in the tree trunk.


71. Ants (Crematogaster inflata)
    Closer view.


72. Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
    The mature male of this crab spider would be exceptionally long for this genus.


73. Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
    But.. either a juvenile or female.


74. Crab spider (Epidius sp.) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham highlighted the crab spider and its fluorescence under ultraviolet!


75. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Probably Haaniella?


76. Lantern bug
    Finally after 4 days, we found Pyrops sultanus at eye level.


77. Lantern bug (Pyrops sultanus)
    Another lantern bug checked off this trip!


78. Lantern bug
    Everyone else had a go also, and we even managed to try some back-lighting.


79. Lantern bug (Pyrops sultanus)
    This is how it looked with light from behind.


80. Lantern bug (Pyrops sultanus)
    Record shot of the dorsal view.


81. Weevil (Curculionidae) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham had a shot of a beautiful weevil with elytra looking like it had been consumed by fungus!


82. Weevil (Curculionidae) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Even had a preflight shot in focus!


83. Caterpillars
    Andrew pointed me to this large cluster of hairy caterpillars.


84. Caterpillars
    Attemped to put some light behind, but the result wasn't impressive.


85. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    An interesting looking little stick insect was spotted near the base of the steps.


86. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
    Lateral view. It was quite unique - should have taken more close ups!


87. Tick (Parasitiformes) ©2015 Tud Yinn
    Cham had a tick ravaging him, lucky guy! :P


88. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    A very docile Gonocephalus had all of us pretty occupied.


89. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    Could approach from many angles.


90. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    Inching a bit closer.


91. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    Even had a chance to do some back-lighting!


92. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    Really lovely tones on this beauty.


93. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    Upskirt. oops...


94. Queuing up
    Everyone was queuing up to shoot the anglehead lizard!


95. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    So I put my Raynox on...


96. Great anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
    And went really close.


97. Skink (Scincidae)
    Just a few meters away, Dori spotted this skink.


98. Skink (Scincidae)
    They would normally be very skittish in the day, but nice enough to stay still for many of us.


99. Skink (Scincidae)
    A curious view with a little smile.


100. Stingless bees (Meliponini) ©2015 Tud Yinn
     Cham had a shot of some stingless bees


101. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
     Walking deeper into the trail, this cryptic looking stick insect was spotted.


102. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
     Lateral view.


103. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
     Close up revealing the textures on its body. Unfortunately it disappeared after taking this shot.


104. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
     Just a few minutes later, Joanna found another one!


105. Stick insect (Phasmatodea)
     Wanted to shoot its dorsal view on this leaf.


106. Frilled tree frog (Kurixalus appendiculatus) ©2015 Tud Yinn
     Cham had a shot of this magnificent moss-like frilled tree frog. I went back searching for the frog to get record shots of it but it was no longer there. :(


107. Tiger beetle (Cylindera sp.)
     On the way out of the trail, Seawei spotted this beautiful tiger beetle.


108. Tiger beetle (Cylindera sp.)
     Lateral view, definitely one of the more stunning tiger beetles around!


109. Tiger leech (Haemadipsa picta?) ©2015 Joanna Yeo
     This leech was just beside the tiger beetle, but everyone ignored it except for Joanna!


110. Milky way© Seawei Ying
     The sky was only clear for a while, but it allowed some of us to capture the milky way!

1. The dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys sp.) that Victor found in the leaf litter.


2. View from below reveals intricate textures on the mantis body that mimics a dead leaf


3. Striking a majestic pose


4. Clearer view of the "shield" at its back


5. I started to play around with lighting as the mantis had a lovely silhouette


6. The thin shield allowed light to pass through


7. Another interesting discovery that had us squatting at the same spot for almost an hour! This stick insect fluoresces under ultraviolet light! Thanks to Melvyn for pointing it out.


8. Close up to see the details of the stick insect, with composition thrown out of the window :P


9. Found a tiny speck of a spider hiding under a leaf, possibly a sheetweb spider (Linyphiidae)


10. Dorsal view


11. Protrusion at the end of the abdomen suggests that it could be Neriene sp.


12. Male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae), possibly Argiope sp.


13. Dorsal view


14. One of the most commonly seen spider families in Singapore, the Lynx Spider (Oxyopidae)!


15. It seems to have caught dinner!


16. This is a male, with lovely enlarged palps


17. Another Orb Web Spider (Araneidae), looks like Neoscona sp. but can't be sure.


18. Very brightly coloured but tiny Jumping Spider (Phintella sp.)


19. Found an Earwig (Dermaptera) on the leaves, quite a vibrant tone too!


20. Say hi to the Leafhopper (Cicadellidae)!


21. Wanted to capture the spines on the legs of the Leafhopper (Cicadellidae) but they were blocked


22. Classic peekaboo of the Cone-Headed Katydid (Tettigoniidae)


23. So shy~~


24. Melvyn found another Phintella sp.


25. Mirror Comb-Footed Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) again! Read more about this spider in an earlier blog post.


26. Permanent resident of this area, the Leaf-Rolling Weevil (Attelabidae)


27. Cute little Praying Mantis (Mantodea) hiding under a leaf


28. Common Garden Spider (Parawixia dehaani), sports a different pattern from the usual one, could be a different morph?


29. Orb Web Spider (Gea sp.) dangling on its web


30. Side view, closest I could get without disturbing it


31. Saw this interestingly coloured Katydid (Tettigoniidae)


32. There were many Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae), and I saw 2 of them carrying egg sacs


33. Did my usual yoga stunt to go to the spider's eye level


34. Hallo there!! (I was ignored)


35. We also saw a beautiful Wide-Jawed Viciria (Viciria praemandibularis) tending to her eggs


36. A fresh batch of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (Halyomorpha halys) were also gathering under a leaf


37. Check out the eggs, they remind me of Eve from the movie Wall-E


38. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae), hard to do a weird arch to reach this


39. Fungus Weevil (Anthribidae), thanks to Melvyn for finding this! Unfortunately I couldn't position myself to get a parallel shot before it flew off.


40. A common Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda sp.) from the leaf litter


41. Customary passport photo


42. Another Weevil (Curculionidae) for the night!


43. I had my Raynox on the floor, so I took a record shot of this Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila sp.). Would normally have given this a miss!


44. Cute little Monkey Hopper


45. Comb-Footed Spider (Chrysso sp.), usually found flattening their bodies under leaves


46. Oops.. I woke it up


47. Much clearer view of the legs against a black background


48. Closer look at the eyes


49. Dorsal view for the record


50. Another tiny Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae), possibly Janula sp.


51. It's a boy!


52. Chris found this interesting pose of a Theridiid feasting on an... ant?? and with a tiny midge hanging by watching the mayhem.


53. A Winged Ant seemed to be troubled by the little mite


54. One of the common Crickets (Gryllidae) that we usually skip, it was munching on the fruits earlier


55. Small little Crane Fly (Tipulidae)


56. It did not move much and allowed me to go up close!!


57. We were on our way out and found this Orb Web Spider (Araneus metalis)


58. Doing some acrobatics and not letting me shoot


59. Sac Spider (Clubionidae or Miturgidae?)


60. Melvyn found another Weevil (Curculionidae), looks like my lens was fogging up!


61. Final subject of the night, a common Moth-Like Planthopper (Ricarniidae). Many people mistake this to be a moth... so look closer next time!


62. Getting a shot parallel to the wings.

1. Chris sportingly held the flower while I took a picture with my mobile phone (sorry for the image quality). Such a beauty isn't it???? Included a closeup of the stamen in the inset image. It was actually quite solid and felt heavy.


2. Close up of the petai flower's stamen


3. Close up of the whateveryoucallthatwhitethingy


4. I was trying to shoot this Jumping Spider (Salticidae) attacked by 2 mites when the flower hit me


5. The mite seems to have sucked a lot from the jumping spider!


6. More Jumping Spiders, lots of them so I just took some record shots.


7. The area had a lot of different planthoppers. This one is often mistaken to be a cicada. Unfortunately it kept moving and flew off eventually before I could take a good photo


8. Yet another jmping spider!


9. Very cute Derbid Planthopper (Derbidae), but what's that red thing on top? Another mite?!


10. Yup, looks like another big fat mite with a good harvest


11. The Derbid Planthopper (Derbidae) was so cute that I had to take more shots. Many would notice the "cross-eyed" look.


12. View from the top


13. There were also many of these planthoppers with a long slender tail


14. View from above


15. Found this Lynx Spider (Hamataliwa sp.) guarding her egg sac


16. She remained motionless while I was fumbling around


17. Typical pattern of a Hamataliwa


18. Chris spotted this Long-Legged Velvet Mite (Erythraeidae), refused to stop moving!


19. Eventually tried to hide under the vine


20. There were also a bunch of Thrips (Thysanoptera) on the branch - a black one seemed to be way different from the rest


21. Chris spotted this Leafhopper nymph (Selenocephalinae), very thin and unique looking!


22. Dorsal view reveals a beautiful pattern and 2 lovely tails


23. A really tiny Comb-Footed Spider (Theridiidae) found hiding under a leaf


24. A little Crested Lizard (Agamidae) ran up a stick behind me, and allowed us to shoot for over 10 minutes!


25. Close up on the eye. Some said that it looked like an eclipse (remember Heroes?)


26. With full flash and a fast shutter, I would get the black, clean background


27. With a slower shutter and bigger aperture, I could get more colours in the background but with thinner depth of field


28. The Crested Lizard (Agamidae) was really cute when it posed


29. When I finally got the exposure correct, the Crested Lizard (Agamidae) started scrambling away


30. How I looked with my setup when trying to shoot the lizard. Photo ©2013 Chris Ang.


31. Chris found this male Jumping Spider (Salticidae)


32. Record shot of the dorsal view


33. Check out the eyes~~


34. This Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) had been on my wish list for quite a while. Always near me but I managed to miss it each time the rest shot it. This time, I was the only one shooting it!!


35. It had a pair of large, bulging eyes


36. This little fella had a habit of running to the edge of the leaf and resting there


37. Yup, just let your legs loose and relax


38. Other than the bulging eyes, this Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) has a dark blue sheen on the carapace


39. Highlighting the bulging eyes


40. The rest found this Long Horn Orb Weaver, not sure if it is a Gasteracantha dalyi


41. Originally thought that it was a juvenile Macracantha arcuata, but guess not!


42. Tiny little Minute Litter Spider (Mysmenidae) found on the leaf litter


43. It was barely 2mm long!


44. Also found this Litter Crab Spider (Borboropactus sp.)


45. Camouflages itself perfectly on branches


46. Close up on the eyes

Importance of Dry Cabinets

1. Mold and fungus growth on lenses

   When exposed to moisture or high humidity, fungus can grow on your lenses and are almost impossible to clean. The fungus obviously degrades the optical image quality and the value of the lens plummets instantly. Lenses with fungus are rarely successfully sold in the second hand market.

2. Shutdown of electronic circuits

   Electronic circuits do not fare well in humid conditions and over time, they may malfunction and shut down.

3. Cracking of rubber or plastics

   Some dry cabinets may be difficult to control and keeps humidity overly low. This may lead to drying up of oil components and cracking of rubber or plastic parts on your equipment.

What Makes a Good Dry Cabinet?

1. Consistent removal of moisture

   Some dry cabinets may not be consistent with removing moisture, and when you thought the humidity is under control, they could be fluctuating or even malfunctioning. To be honest, few would bother looking at the hygrometer regularly so we would rather leave it to trust that the dry cabinet actually works as it should all the time.

2. Accurate and consistent hygrometer

   The most important aspect of a hygrometer, is that it must be accurate. Some prefer a digital display as it would be more "accurate". But in practical sense, knowing the relative humidity down to the 0.1% is of no help. All we need to know is that the RH is in the healthy range. A malfunctioning hygrometer may spell disaster if it displays the wrong reading so make sure it is of good quality. Some people with really expensive equipment may choose to put 2 different hygrometers, just in case.

3. Retention of relative humidity level in absence of power

   This is a feature that is often neglected - ability to retain the low humidity level in the dry cabinet in the event of loss of power. Imagine going on holiday for 2 weeks and coming back to find that your power had tripped, exposing your equipment to whatever levels of moisture allowed into the dry cabinet.

4. Long lifespan

   Some poorly designed dry cabinets use desiccant for moisture removal and those have very limited lifespans.

5. Low power consumption

   The cost difference is probably minimal, but the money-conscious should look at how much power the dry cabinet consumes as it will be left on 24/7.

6. Is the nice looking display important?

   Some modern dry cabinets feature touch screens and interesting displays. The settings on your dry cabinet are probably only going to be adjusted in the initial phase and never touched, ever again. Those are really not essential and only adds to your cost. Would you rather pay more for the bells and whistles or for reliability?

7. Sturdy trays at adjustable heights

   Every dry cabinet that I have ever seen provide trays. But some are obviously flimsy. Go for those that feel sturdy and can slide out smoothly. Some trays come with a felt material to prevent scratches on your equipment.

8. Size

   It must obviously be able to fit your equipment (with space for new additions) and fit well somewhere in your house. Remember to check the dimensions before ordering.

9. Warranty

   Most dry cabinet brands in Singapore offer 5-year limited warranty. Do not settle for less. Another interesting thing to find out, is how long it would take to fix or replace your set should you return the cabinet for servicing. The local distributor should have some basic means to fix your set, or it would take months to send it back to whatever country it came from and back.

Eureka EDC-51 Dry Cabinet

Eureka Auto Drybox	TE Cooling Chip Drybox
Dehumidification technology explained
Multi-porous Molecular Sieves trap moisture by means of van der Waals forces using multiple capillary channels. Shape Memory Alloy controls valves to expel moisture from cabinet and prevent moisture from coming back in.	When power is supplied, one side of the TE Cooling Chip becomes warm, and the other side becomes cool. Moisture condenses on the cool side, while the warm side expels the vapor.
When power is off
Outer valves shut, preventing moisture from entering box; inner valves remain open to expel moisture. At the same time, the Multi-porous Molecular Sieves can still trap moisture in the cabinet via capillary action.	Dehumidification stops. Collected frost on the cool side melts and goes back into the cabinet. Valves may remain open to allow moisture to enter.
External conditions
Independent from external temperature	At lower temperatures (e.g. winter), condensation rate is lower and may reduce the rate of dehumidification.
Operation
Fully automatic and silent	Fan can be noisy, transformer may be easy to break down

Dimensions & Power Rating

Relative Humidity Control

Handle and Key

Hygrometer AH-01

Equipment arrangement

Dehumidifying speed

Warranty

Ordering online

• Promo code "nature" to get a 12% discount when ordering either EDC 80 or EDC 180.
• Complimentary Gift Set
  • 50x Smart Microscope mobile camera attachment, currently for Samsung Galaxy S3, Note 2, and iPhone 5
  • Analog hygrometer
  • LED light
• Shipping of 10SGD will be waived for all models.

1. Owlfly larva (Ascalaphidae) with a bristle-like outline and thin, slightly translucent body seems to be perfect to put my flash behind.


2. Leaf Insect (Phyllium sp.) has a thin wafer-like body, allowing light to pass through easily.


3. Forest Leaf Grasshopper (Systella rafflesi) is another good example of a thin translucent body with intricate leaf-like veins that can be highlighted with back-lighting.


4. A large caterpillar's lengthy hairs can be highlighted with a flash behind


5. Not a typical subject for back-lighting, but the Whip Scorpion (Thelyphonida) has a really interesting tail/whip that shows up differently with light from behind.


6. Back light on a Water Measurer (Hydrometridae), not too impressive.


7. A Banded Flower Mantis (Theopropus elegans) lighted from a different angle, creates a bit of a silhouette and an interesting feel to the photo.


8. The Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys sp.) has shoulder "wings" which might show up like an X-ray by shining a light through it.


9. A Spotted Tree Frog (Nyctixalus pictus) at this position allowed me to try to "see through" it.


10. One of my favorites, a Tarantula (Phlogiellus sp.) running about on a tree trunk with back-lighting causing the hairy exterior to stand out prominently.


11. Another bunch of hairy caterpillars, lots of hair means a good opportunity!


12. In this photo of the Eight Spotted Crab Spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus), back-lighting causes a different view on the leaf rather than the actual subject.

As with every blog post, here are the other interesting finds for the night. Many exotic looking finds too!
13. How the Owlfly larva (Ascalaphidae) looked in the leaf litter. Much less significant and well camouflaged.


14. Look at the eyes and mandibles... woahhh...


15. Simple shot of a Net-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.), not so simple after all as it is almost always facing down.


16. Pair of beetles busy working hard for the next generation


17. The common Mangrove Longhorn Beetle (Aeolesthes holosericeus)


18. Always an easy subject for face shots!


19. A common Orb Web Spider (Eriovixia pseudocentrodes)


20. The elongated abdomen is pretty typical for this species.


21. Big-Jawed Spider (Tetragnathidae) busily running up and down its web to harvest prey.


22. Male Orb Web Spider (Araneidae), usually presented as a tiny speck on leaves


23. Many grasshoppers (Caelifera), big and small resting on the leaves on a wet night.


24. Very common Flatid Planthopper (Flatidae)


25. Ground Spider (Zodariidae) with a captured ant


26. The bug-eyed Katydid (Asiophlugis temasek?)


27. Haven't seen this Checkered Beetle (Cleridae) in quite a while!


28. Some actually mistake this to be a tiger beetle.


29. Lots of details on the eyes and face of the Checkered Beetle (Cleridae)


30. The usually shy looking Weevil (Curculionidae)


31. Here's one of the smallest Huntsman Spiders (Sparassidae) carrying her egg sac. It measures only 1cm including legs wide spread.


32. Top view of the Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae), egg sac not too easily visible to the naked eye.


33. Thanks to Chris, we got to shoot this very shy Flower Mantis nymph (Hymenopodidae?)


34. At times, it might pose for us.


35. Most of the time, it had the back facing us. We called it "du shen" (赌神), referencing to an old God of Gamblers movie where the main character often had his back to the camera.


36. It had a very curious look despite being so shy


37. Rare moment facing the camera!!!


38. Lots of moths attracted to our lights


39. The Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae) is quite common here


40. Huntsman Spider (Thelcticopis sp.). For the record, this used to be under Clubionidae.


41. Beautiful Velvet Ant (Mutillidae), also known as the "Cow Killer" for the extremely painful sting.


42. Bright colours to warn you perhaps?


43. Lovely pair of mating Stick Insects (Phasmatodea), looked dull at first glance but they are really quite cute!


44. Interesting looking Snail (Gastropoda) dangling from a leaf


45. @.@


46. Small little Wandering Spider (Ctenidae) running about on the leaf litter


47. One of the spiny looking Harvestman (Opiliones)


48. Behold, it fluoresces under ultraviolet (UV) light!


49. Some called this the unicorn for the tuft of hair in front, some think it is a Sparassid, but I'm going with Pisauridae for now.


50. Baby scorpions! Lots of fat ones!


51. And here's the proud mother!


52. Her babies literally climbing over her head.


53. Huntsman Spider (Gnathopalystes sp.) freshly squeezed from its moult.


54. This was very high up, had to raise my camera way above my head to get this shot.


55. Spinning crazily on its silk, so it allowed me to get a ventral view.


56. Beautiful caterpillar with "wings". Possibly a hawkmoth larva?


57. Clearer view of the tail


58. Looks like a Portia, but no tufts of hair to mimic detritus on the body. So... not sure!


59. Side view


60. Dorsal view, first required view for Salticid identification.

As always, I will start with some spider families.



Sparassidae - Huntsman Spiders

The most commonly shot spider at night. Easily spotted because of their size, although some may be mature at less than 1cm!

1. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   It had been a rainy night. We were looking for velvet worms but found this Huntsman Spider on the forest litter instead.


2. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   Guarding her scoop of "ice-cream", this lady refused to budge from her nest.


3. Giant green huntsman spider (Heteropoda boiei) Buy this Photo
   We first saw Heteropoda boiei in Sarawak, but were pleasantly surprised to see it in some places in Singapore.


4. Lichen huntsman spider (Pandercetes sp.) Buy this Photo
   A Lichen Huntsman Spider (Pandercetes sp.) after a moult.


5. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.) Buy this Photo
   Heteropoda devours a large cockroach. It is perched higher due to the size of the prey.


6. Huntsman spider (Thelcticopis sp.) Buy this Photo
   Hauntingly beautiful Thelcticopis that we found on Pulau Ubin.


7. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   First sighting of cannibalism in Huntsman Spiders. Wonder if that was the male?


8. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   This Huntsman Spider sports a deep tone of red!


9. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
   Tried taking pictures of spiders dangling on safety lines. The results were quite pleasing with a translucent effect. Especially stunning for hairier huntsman spiders!




Oxyopidae - Lynx Spiders

Slightly smaller hunting spiders, but often overlooked as they really looked too... common!

10. Lynx spiderlings (Oxyopidae) Buy this Photo
    Probably seen as a piece of debris dangling from leaves, the entire bunch of spiderlings have cute patches of red on their carapace, paired beautifully with bright green legs. The mother of course, stands guard on the right looking on at her brats.


11. Lynx spider (Hamadruas sp. Buy this Photo
    Probably Hamadruas, one of the larger Lynx Spiders.


12. Lynx spider (Oxyopidae) Buy this Photo
    Never got to figure this out. My wife found this when we were in Cambodia, stunning but tiny!


13. Lynx spider (Oxyopidae) Buy this Photo
    A punk Lynx sporting a mohawk.


14. Green lynx spider (Peucetia sp.) Buy this Photo
    The Peucetia seems to be one of the largest lynx spiders around. This was in my wish list, and we found it near to our restaurant in Cambodia after lunch. With legs outstretched, this adult male could measure 2 inches long!




Salticidae - Jumping Spiders

The permanently shocked looks in this family of spiders deserve a gallery of their own.

15. Jumping Spider (Rhene sp.) Buy this Photo
    This Rhene has a uniquely flat-topped carapace from the anterior view. It is also my model for the article on Ethics in Macro Photography which I wrote this year.


16. Heavy Jumper (Hyllus diardi) Buy this Photo
    Always a favorite, the Heavy Jumper (Hyllus sp.) is one of the most popular and easy-to-shoot Salticids in Singapore. Not skittish, slow moving, and large!


17. Jumping Spider (Phintella sp.) Buy this Photo
    Found this Mr Eyebrow while I was in Bali for holiday. Some called this Groucho Marx. Some called it Sam the Eagle from Muppets.


18. Jumping Spider (Siler sp.) Buy this Photo
    Siler is one of the most colourful Salticids in this region!


19. Jumping Spider (Phintella sp.) Buy this Photo
    This made it here for the cute innocent looking eyebrows.


20. Jumping Spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another Hyllus. Chris called it the gentle giant.


21. Jumping Spider (Phintella sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another colourful one!


22. Jumping Spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    One of my macro workshop attendees found this lovely Hyllus with green eyes.


23. Jumping Spider (Salticidae) Buy this Photo
    Interesting tones on the face, as if it used eye shadow.


24. Jumping Spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Up close with another Hyllus


25. Jumping Spider (Phintella sp.) Buy this Photo
    One of the cutest faces of 2013! Classic OMG look.


26. Jumping Spider (Plexippus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Cannibalism, although they belong to different genera.


27. Jumping Spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Yet another Hyllus, clearly a very sought-after subject!


28. Ant-mimic jumping Spider (Salticidae) Buy this Photo
    The orchestra conductor, busily mimicking an ant.


29. Jumping spiderlings (Viciria sp.) Buy this Photo
    Cute Wide-Jawed Viciria spiderlings.


30. Jumping Spider (Viciria sp.) Buy this Photo
    Wide-Jawed Viciria (Viciria praemandibularis) spotted eating her own eggs. Must've been stressed by our presence. :(


31. Jumping Spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Heavy Jumper (Hyllus sp.), one of my favorite compositions this year.




Araneidae - Orb Web Spiders

This mega family appears to be the most diverse in morphology. Despite the given common name, many do not actually weave orb webs, don't be confused!

32. Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.) Buy this Photo
    This orb web spider decorates its web with debris which looked like prey carcasses.


33. St Andrew's cross spider (Argiope sp.) Buy this Photo
    An Argiope busily spinning her egg sac. Look at all the silk!


34. Scarlet acusilas spider (Acusilas coccineus) Buy this Photo
    Scarlet Acusilas Spider (Acusilas coccineus) with pearly babies.


35. Scorpion-tailed spider (Arachnura sp.) Buy this Photo
    Stunningly patterned Scorpion-Tailed Spider (Arachnura sp.)


36. Longhorned orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata) Buy this Photo
    The classic Spiny Back Orb Weaver (Macracantha arcuata), probably the longest horns amongst all spiny spiders.


37. Tent web spider (Cyrtophra beccarii) Buy this Photo
    Documenting the tent web of a Beccari's Tent Spider (Cyrtophora beccarii)


38. Tree stump orb web spider (Poltys sp.) Buy this Photo
    Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Poltys sp.) demonstrating her camouflage.


39. Scorpion-tailed spider (Arachnura sp.) Buy this Photo
    Scorpion-Tailed Spider (Arachnura sp.) guarding her egg sacs.


40. Ladybird-mimic spider (Paraplectana sp.) Buy this Photo
    Paraplectana with a uniformly rich yellow colour.


41. Kidney garden spider (Araneus mitificus) Buy this Photo
    Just for fun, comparing the dorsal view of a Kidney Garden Spider (Araneus mitificus) with the Pringles logo.


42. Trashline orb web spider (Cyclosa insulana) Buy this Photo
    Cyclosa insulana perched in the middle of its orb web.


43. Spiny orb web spider (Gasteracantha dalyi) Buy this Photo
    Spiny Orb Weaver (Gasteracantha dalyi), not as long as M. arcuata but still significantly longer horns than others!


44. Tree stump orb web spider (Cyphalonotus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another Tree Stump Orb Weaver (Cyphalonotus sp.) demonstrating its camouflage abilities.


45. Tree stump orb web spider (Cyphalonotus sp.) Buy this Photo
    "V"! Spotted on Victor's birthday. :P


46. St Andrew's cross spider (Argiope sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another Argiope with her "egg yolk". Look closely to see the details of the tiny eggs!


47. Ladybird-mimic spider (Paraplectana sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another Paraplectana which is thought to be new to science.


48. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.) Buy this Photo
    This Big-Headed Bark Spider (Caerostris sp.) was in my wish list for a long time. Not an adult yet but still a lovely specimen!


49. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.) Buy this Photo
    Second Big-Headed Bark Spider (Caerostris sp.) sighting, each got more exciting than the next!


50. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.) Buy this Photo
    Mother of all Big-Headed Bark Spiders, with a demonic look when illuminated under ultraviolet!!




Thomisidae - Crab Spiders

Common ambush spider but there are MANY lesser seen species around!

51. Eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) Buy this Photo
    Quite a few Eight-Spotted Crab Spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) sightings this year. Managed to take a picture of the "8th spot"!


52. Eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) Buy this Photo
    A chance sighting of the Eight-Spotted Crab Spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) while we were shooting the milky way!


53. Eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) Buy this Photo
    The Eight-Spotted Crab Spiderling (Platythomisus octomaculatus) popped out a few weeks later. No spots yet!


54. Bird-dropping crab spider (Thomisidae) Buy this Photo
    Bird-Dropping Crab Spider, keeps prey under white patches of silk to mimic bird dropping as well!


55. Crab spider (Thomisidae) Buy this Photo
    Bizarre looking Crab Spider found during one of our night shoots.


56. Crab spider (Thomisidae) Buy this Photo
    Another interesting looking Crab Spider with a nice tone of green.




Theridiidae - Comb-Footed Spiders

Tiny little spiders that usually make their home under leaves.

57. Comb-footed spider (Chrysso sp.) Buy this Photo
    A tiny Chrysso moulting


58. Food-stealing comb-footed spider (Argyrodes sp.) Buy this Photo
    A male kleptoparasite, Argyrodes lives on the webs of other spiders to feast on their prey.


59. Mirror comb-footed spider (Thwaitesia sp.) Buy this Photo
    My most stolen photo of the year. I called it the Comb-Footed Mirror Spider (Thwaitesia sp.) and it was published on several news sites and magazines.


60. Twig-like comb-footed spider (Ariamnes sp.) Buy this Photo
    Largest Theridiid I have ever seen. This Twig Spider (Ariamnes sp.) easily measured 2 inches long when stretched completely.




Clubionidae, Corinnidae, Liocranidae, Miturgidae - Sac Spiders

Somehow all of these got to be called Sac Spiders.

61. Ant-like sac spider (Teutamus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Face to face with an Ant-Like Sac Spider (Teutamus sp.)


62. Long-legged sac spider (Miturgidae) Buy this Photo
    Long-Legged Sac Spider feasting on a caterpillar


63. Spiny ant-like sac spider (Echinax sp.) Buy this Photo
    Spiny Ant-Like Sac Spider which doesn't look like a corinnid at all at first glance.




Mygalomorphae - Tarantulas, Trapdoor Spiders, etc.

These larger spiders live in burrows and rarely come out from their homes.

64. Brush-footed trapdoor spider (Barychelidae) Buy this Photo
    Just how many legs does this Brush-Footed Trapdoor Spider (Barychelidae) have? The palps are as thick as the legs and are often mistaken to be the 9th and 10th legs.


65. Tarantula (Theraphosidae) Buy this Photo
    Close up on the foot of a Tarantula, such beautiful patterns!


66. Tarantula (Theraphosidae) Buy this Photo
    Found this Tarantula (Theraphosidae) clinging onto her egg sac in the open.


67. Tube trapdoor spider (Nemesiidae) Buy this Photo
    An immature Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae)


68. Tube trapdoor spider (Nemesiidae) Buy this Photo
    Found this Tube Trapdoor Spider (Nemesiidae) in Nikoi Island.


69. Brush-footed trapdoor spider (Barychelidae) Buy this Photo
    Messed around with the leaf litter and found this Brush-Footed Trapdoor Spider.


70. Tarantula (Theraphosidae) Buy this Photo
    Sometimes, the subjects got angry with us. Tarantula with a threat display.


71. Tarantula (Theraphosidae) Buy this Photo
    Common for Tarantulas to be infested with mites, especially between the chelicerae.


72. Brush-footed trapdoor spider (Barychelidae) Buy this Photo
    Initially thought to be a tarantula, this blue Brush-Footed Trapdoor Spider (Barychelidae) was found resting in a drain, probably looking for a mate.




Other Spiders

Other families which may be common, but deserve a mention somehow! :P

73. Wall spider (Oecobiidae) Buy this Photo
    Where else, but found in my home!


74. Intertidal spider (Desis sp.) Buy this Photo
    Made a special trip to the shore to shoot this Intertidal Spider (Desis sp.). Mega large fangs!


75. Psechrid spider (Psechridae) Buy this Photo
    Interestingly large psechrid


76. Daddy-long-legs spider (Uthina luzonica) Buy this Photo
    Daddy Long Legs Spider (Uthina luzonica) with one of the largest egg sacs I've ever seen on a Pholcid.


77. Wolf spider (Lycosidae) Buy this Photo
    The elusive blue Wolf Spider taking a break at the edge of a dead leaf.


78. Wolf spider (Lycosidae) Buy this Photo
    Cannibalism of the Wolf Spider, not sure if that was the male or her spiderling?


79. Nursery web spider (Hygropoda sp.) Buy this Photo
    Nursery Web Spider with her spiderlings


80. Big-jawed spider (Mesida sp.) Buy this Photo
    Big-Jawed Spider (Mesida sp.) with the metallic abdomen.


81. Wandering spider (Ctenidae) Buy this Photo
    Wandering Spider (Ctenidae) with a bluish tone, quite small for a Ctenid.


82. Daddy-long-legs spider (Pholcidae) Buy this Photo
    Daddy-Long-Legs Spider, where the spiderlings were ready to hatch at any moment!




Arachnida - Scorpions, Harvestmen, Whip Scorpions, Tailless Whip Scorpions, Mites, Ticks, Pseudoscorpions

Many other arachnids other than spiders!

83. Velvet mite (Trombidiidae) Buy this Photo
    Close up on a Velvet Mite


84. Long-legged velvet mite (Erythraeidae) Buy this Photo
    Long-Legged Velvet Mite (Erythraeidae), different family from the one above!


85. Harvestman (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
    Crazy excavator-like Harvestman (Opiliones)


86. Pseudoscorpion (Pseudoscorpiones) Buy this Photo
    Pseudoscorpion clinging onto Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae), hoping for a free ride


87. Harvestman (Sandokanidae) Buy this Photo
    Harvestman (Sandokanidae) moves at slow motion and likes to play dead when disturbed.


88. Tailless whip scorpion (Amblypygi) Buy this Photo
    Taillless Whip Scorpion (Amblypygi) which my wife found in the shower when we were in Bali.


89. Baby scorpions (Lychas scutilus) Buy this Photo
    Fat little baby Scorpions!! (Lychas scutilus)


90. Scorpion (Liocheles australasiae) Buy this Photo
    Shake hands with this Scorpion (Liocheles australasiae?) will ya?


91. Harvestman (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
    Harvestman with live prey


92. Harvestman (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
    Harvestman feasting on fungus (thought to be more common than live prey)




Hemiptera - Bugs

Bugs... my wife calls my group the bug people. But we really shoot more than this beautiful order!

93. Leafhopper (Cicadellidae) Buy this Photo
    The Leafhopper (Cicadellidae) is supposed to be really common, but a green one isn't!


94. Leaf-footed bug (Coreidae) Buy this Photo
    This Leaf Footed Bug (Coreidae) happens to be my blog header now. :)


95. Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) Buy this Photo
    Mating pair of common Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae)


96. Treehopper (Membracidae) Buy this Photo
    Ultraman reborn in the form of a Treehopper (Membracidae)


97. Derbid planthoppers (Derbidae) Buy this Photo
    A pair of Derbid Planthoppers "sparring"


98. Planthopper (Fulgoromorpha) Buy this Photo
    These Planthoppers seem to always come in rich colour tones!


99. Leafhopper nymph (Selenocephalinae) Buy this Photo
    Leafhopper nymph (Selenocephalinae) with 2 bizarre hairy tails


100. Derbid planthopper (Derbidae) Buy this Photo
     Derbid Planthopper (Derbidae) with a mite on its back


101. Planthoppers (Fulgoromorpha) Buy this Photo
     Family of Planthoppers!


102. Moth-like planthopper (Ricaniidae) Buy this Photo
     Moth-like Planthopper (Ricaniidae) fresh from moult


103. Eurybrachyid planthopper (Ancyra sp.) Buy this Photo
     Eurybrachyid Planthopper (Ancyra sp.) which Dani found when we were in Cambodia.


104. Derbid planthopper (Derbidae) Buy this Photo
     A red Derbid Planthopper


105. Blue-green planthopper (Penthicodes bimaculata) Buy this Photo
     One of the most colourful planthoppers around here.


106. Derbid planthopper (Otiocerus sp.) Buy this Photo
     Very small planthopper but relatively easy to shoot.


107. Issid planthopper (Issidae) Buy this Photo
     Issid planthopper?


108. Planthopper (Fulgoromorpha) Buy this Photo
     Yes, another family of Planthoppers


109. Moth-like planthopper (Ricaniidae) Buy this Photo
     Moth-Like Planthopper coming in matcha flavor


110. Planthopper nymph (Fulgoromorpha) Buy this Photo
     Planthopper nymph displaying an explosive butt (or fireworks for the new year)


111. Water stick insects (Ranatra sp.) Buy this Photo
     Water Stick Insects (Ranatra sp.) mating underwater


112. Ant-snatching assassin bug (Acanthaspis sp.) Buy this Photo
     Ant-Snatching Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis sp.) with the largest mountain of carcasses I've ever seen on its back!


113. Brown marmorated stink bugs (Halyomorpha halys) Buy this Photo
     Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs? (Halyomorpha halys?) cuddling together


114. Scale insect (Coccoidea) Buy this Photo
     Scale Insect? (Coccoidea) One of the interesting discoveries of the year. Will certainly keep an eye for these next time!




Coleoptera - Beetles

Looking up close at some beetles often reveal a lot of unexpected details!

115. Longhorn Beetles (Chlorophorus annularis) that I found while I was cycling in Bali.


116. Tortoise Beetle (Cassidinae) saying bye bye to me.


117. Stag Beetle (Lucanidae), really tiny one!


118. Darkling Beetle? (Tenebrionidae). We called it the "oil-spill" beetle. :P


119. Close up of Mango Longhorn Beetle (Batocera rubus)


120. Darkling Beetle (Platydema sp.) which shows up green only under the flash


121. Mating beetles oblivious to the crowd around them.


122. Rove Beetle (Neopinophilus sp.), some may have a potent chemical defence so we were quite wary of it.


123. Another "oil-spill" Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae)


124. Straight-Snouted Weevil (Brentidae) getting ready to escape!


125. Cute Darkling Beetle with bunny-like "ears"




Orthopetera - Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids

To the layman, most just called them grasshoppers.

126. Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpidae), unfortunately this one was injured when we found it


127. Katydid moulting (Tettigoniidae)


128. Forest Leaf Grasshopper (Systella rafflesii) with back-lighting


129. Spot the Forest Leaf Grasshopper! Click on the photo for the answer.


130. Cute little Monkey Grasshopper (Erianthus versicolor) found in Cambodia.


131. First time seeing a Predatory Katydid (Hexacentrus unicolor) in action


132. Katydid nymph (Phaneropterinae) with a pinkish head.




Diptera, Neuroptera, Ephemeroptera - Flies

They fly. Really fast.

133. Soldier Fly (Stratiomyidae) with the patterned compound eyes


134. Lacewing eggs, looks like they have hatched!


135. Owlfly larva (Ascalaphidae) from the leaf litter, with back-lighting


136. Lacewing (Chrysopidae) with potential numbers on the wings (for 4D)


137. Robberfly (Asilidae) with prey


138. Robberfly (Asilidae) with captured Long-legged fly (Dolichopodidae)


139. Super cute Big-Headed Fly (Pipunculidae)


140. Crane Fly (Tipulidae) taking a break from all the break-dancing. It quivers rapidly to make itself less visible to potential predators.


141. Midge (Chironomidae) with plumose antennae.


142. Mayfly (Ephemeroptera). Wonder why it always seems to be looking at the sky?




Hymenoptera - Ants, Bees, Wasps

Subjects that bite or sting and don't really like me. Ok ok... not all bite or sting. :P

143. Ant (Myrmicaria sp.) grooming the queen?


144. Armored Ant (Cataulacus sp.) looked like any other ant if not observed closely enough.


145. Scoliid Wasp (Scoliidae), lots of them in Nikoi Island.


146. Mantis Parasitic Wasp (Podagrion sp.) ovipositing into a mantis ootheca.


147. Cuckoo Wasp (Chrysididae), easily the most beautiful wasp here.


148. Ensign Wasp (Evania appendigaster) preys on cockroaches.


149. Crown Wasp ovipositing (Stephanidae)


150. Sweat Bees sleeping (Halictidae)


151. Forest Ant (Camponotus gigas), one of the rare moments where it stopped for me to shoot.




Blattodea - Cockroaches, Termites

Not the favorite order as they are often viewed as pests.

152. Big-Headed Termite


153. Armored Cockroach (Catara rugosicollis) gives off a weird smell.. really weird.


154. Winged Termites (Termitoidae) marching in unison.


155. Cockroach (Blattodea) doing a "Darth Vader".




Lepidoptera - Butterflies, Moths and their larva

Because 90% of my shoots were at night, we hardly take pictures of butterflies now.

156. Caterpillars which reminded me of gummi worms...


157. Puppy Moth found at night in Nikoi Island.


158. Skull-Faced Caterpillar


159. Back-lit Caterpillar which looked like it was struck by a hundred arrows


160. Another back-lit Caterpillar to highlight the hairs


161. Hawk Moth Caterpillar




Odonata - Dragonflies, Damselflies

On the lookout for these beauties in morning dew!

162. Dragonfly (Anisoptera)


163. Dragonfly nymph.. underwater!




Mantodea - Praying Mantises

Showcasing some of the more interesting ones we spotted this year!

164. Moss Mantis (Ceratohaania sp.?), incredibly camouflaged when walking on mossy surfaces.


165. Boxer Mantis nymph (Hestiasula sp.) with crazy spikes on the abdomen.


166. Majestic Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys sp.)


167. Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys sp.) with back-lighting


168. Flower Mantis nymph (Hymenopodidae?) looking shy...




Phasmatodea - Stick Insects

Lots of stick insects in Singapore, but they are also the most difficult subjects to create a beautiful photograph with.

169. Lovely pair of Stick Insects (Phasmatodea) mating. Looked very dull initially but turned out quite nice!


170. Face to face with a Stick Insect (Haaniella sp.)




Myriapoda - Centipedes, Millipedes

These many-legged subjects are abundant in our forests. But which ones captured our eyes?

171. Centipede moulting (Scolopendra sp.) posing with its ex-claws.


172. Millipedes (Diplopoda) mating


173. House Centipede (Scutigeridae), face to face!


174. House Centipede (Scutigeridae) moulting. Rare to see it purple! Turns brown when the exoskeleton hardens.


175. Pill Millipede (Sphaerotheriida) struggling to unroll and get moving.




Onychophora - Velvet Worms

Only know of 1 species in Singapore, but this crazy worm deserves a category of its own!

176. Velvet Worm (Eoperipatus sumatranus?) looking as if it was ready to sing.


177. Velvet Worm (Eoperipatus sumatranus?) with cute knobbly legs.


178. Happy Birthday Singapore! A tribute to the country where most of the macro shots on this blog took place in.




Other Insects

Still insects but in lesser known orders.

179. Springtail (Neanurinae) at 1+mm


180. Earwig (Dermaptera), another commonly ignored subject.




Amphibians, Reptiles - Frogs, Snakes, Lizards

Usually larger but often spotted in our jungle journeys. Will just document whatever we see!!

181. Striped Kukri Snake (Oligodon octolineatus)


182. Larut Torrent Frog (Amolops larutensis) on Hose's Frog (Odorrana hosii)


183. Reticulated Python (Broghammerus reticulatus) which appeared after the drains flooded from the rain.


184. Reticulated Python (Broghammerus reticulatus)


185. Crested Lizard (Agamidae)


186. Wagler's Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri), probably a juvenile




Plants

Inanimate subjects often capture our attention as well.

187. Bioluminescent Fungi (Filoboletus manipularis?)


188. Bioluminescent Fungi (Filoboletus manipularis?)




Wide Angle Macro

I experimented with a few wide angle lenses, and eventually settled on one lens to bring to capture slightly larger subjects - the Sigma 15mm F/2.8 Fisheye. It is small, and has a very short working distance.

189. Lunula Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda lunula)


190. Stick Insect (Phasmatodea)


191. Tarantula threatening to destroy my lens




Ultraviolet Macro

I bought countless ultraviolet lights this year to experiment on, and eventually settled on the 365nm range of lights. The results were much more pleasant than the 395nm range of ultraviolet torches. This year, we found that scorpions were not the only arthropods that fluoresce under ultraviolet! I will write a separate post soon on how these photos were taken.

192. Huntsman Spider (Gnathopalystes sp.). The long exposure allowed the struggling prey to appear with motion blur.


193. Katydid in Ultraviolet (Tettigoniidae) reveals crazy vein patterns.


194. Stick Insect under Ultraviolet (Phasmatodea)


195. Paraplectana sp. which many called the one-up spider. (recall Super Mario?)


196. Crab Spider (Thomisidae)


197. Crab Spider (Tmarus sp.)


198. Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.), looking like a precious stone.


199. Harvestman (Opiliones)


200. Scorpion (Liocheles australasiae?)


201. Harvestman (Opiliones) under UV light


202. Fungus Weevil (Anthribidae) with only the eyes fluorescing


203. Millipede under UV light (Diplopoda)

Last but not least, I had this macro photography poster done up with the help of my wife. :)


204. Macro Photography Workshop Poster


205. Students from one of my macro photography workshops

#1 Wide Angle Macro Photography

Traditional macro photography was about having clean backgrounds to allow the subject to "pop out". Wide angle macro photography however, allows us to document the habitat of the subject as well. For these photos, I used the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye lens.


1. A relatively large huntsman spider (Heteropoda boiei) running about on a tree trunk.


2. It can sometimes be interesting to include humans in the picture. This was not intended however, while my friend accidentally entered the frame while walking past.


3. Including humans in the photo highlights the size of the subject, or rather, exaggerates it.




#2 Ultraviolet Macro Photography

Photographing scorpions under ultraviolet is pretty common. However, few have ventured into shooting other arthropods which appear to share similar fluorescence, albeit fainter. To make things more interesting and illustrative for the viewer, I've often added animations to show the difference between normal light and UV light. The only other person we know who shoots good UV photos regularly is Paul Bertner. If you know of others into this kind of photography, please leave a note below! :)


4. We found that many beetles had eyes that fluoresce brightly under ultraviolet. The longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) was a perfect example with one of the largest compound eyes!


5. Similarly for spiders, many had eyes brightening up under the black light. The ogre-faced spider (Deinopis sp.) is again a great example to show this eerie phenomenon.


6. Several orthopterans were also found to be fluorescing! Unfortunately it doesn't occur in every one we saw, and different specimens had different levels of fluorescence. I am suspecting that it might be brighter after a recent moult.


7. Don't forget the caterpillars, especially the bright green ones! The result under ultraviolet can sometimes be very surprising!


8. I had already posted this last year, but it is a classic example of a completely different look on a spider under ultraviolet. The bird dung transforms into a blue jewel!




#3 3D Macro Photography

3D might be a misnomer, but basically this means allowing the viewer to see the subject with greater perception of depth. Ok that didn't seem to help... we'll just go to the photos instead. :)


9. This animation of a crab spider (Camaricus maugei) was achieved using Zerene Stacker. I tried it for a short while, but gave up on stacking eventually but this is an interesting simulated 3D result!


10. An all-round view of a wrap-around spider (Dolophones sp.) to show how it really wraps around the branch. Entire sequence was shot hand-held.




#4 Behavioral Sequences

It can be difficult to document interesting behaviors at times, so showing an entire sequence helps a lot!


11. This sequence shows a cicada emerging from its shell. Could rewatch this over and over again!


12. Again, showing the difference between a typical scene vs one with the lights switched off. The wonders of nature!


13. Lovely scene of a wolf spider (Lycosidae) weaving her egg sac, like flipping a roti prata.


14. How a pill millipede recovers from its "pill state".


15. Sometimes I get lazy to animate them, and display the entire sequence in a single picture instead, like this two-tailed spider (Hersiliidae).




#5 Back-lighting to highlight special features

Some subjects may look dull until certain parts of their anatomy is highlighted.


16. The owlfly larva is usually camouflaged. Putting a light behind displays the outline in its full splendour.


17. Subjects with thin body parts typically allow more light to pass through. Shooting a flash through this katydid highlighted the body like an X-ray.


18. Hairy subjects are great for back-lighting and can make the shot look unique.

Macro Equipment Summary

Behavioral Shots

Most of the more memorable shots were of subjects engaged in natural activities such as copulation, courtship, flight, predation, eclosion or moulting. These are typically deemed as rare and locating them depends a lot on luck.


1. Robberfly (Asilidae) Buy this Photo
   This robberfly kept chasing me, why? I smell? Anyway, it gave me the opportunity to take some close ups and I managed two shots with the robberfly in flight and in decent focus. See the other photo here.


2. Planthopper (Fulgoridae) Buy this Photo
   Everyone has a past. Looking back shows what defines you for what you are today. Fresh from the moult, this planthopper decided to turn around to face its shedded exoskeleton for this interesting composition.


3. Fungus gnat larvae (Sciaridae) Buy this Photo
   What looked like a cluster of worms turned out to be a mind-boggling example of group locomotion. The group as a whole traveled faster than if they had moved as individuals!


4. Thread-legged assassin bug (Emesinae) Buy this Photo
   This thread-like bug on its own was a pain to focus on, but when we realized that a tiny salticid was at the end of the rostrum, we had to take close ups!


5. Ground spider (Zodariidae) Buy this Photo
   Many zodariids are known to prey on ants. This particular one had snagged a huge supper!


6. Lacewing larva (Chrysopidae) Buy this Photo
   We had seen the lacewing eggs on many occasions and finally had a chance to witness the hatchling emerging from the egg! Will it do a pole-dance down the stalk next?


7. Derbid planthoppers (Derbidae) Buy this Photo
   The male derbid planthopper looked like it was collapsing in ecstasy during copulation.


8. Flatid planthopper (Flatidae) Buy this Photo
   Another first was this scene of a flatid planthopper laying a row of eggs. Lighted from behind to highlight the venation of the wings.


9. St Andrew's cross spider (Argiope sp.) Buy this Photo
   Not the first time sighting an Argiope weaving her egg sac, but the first time finding it in the early stages. It lets us see the "egg yolk" which is actually a cluster of the spider's eggs. Funny how it looked like a "sunny side up"!


10. Bagworm moth (Psychidae) Buy this Photo
    Ever wondered how the owner of the cryptic looking cones of debris looked like? Here's the bagworm moth emerging from its coccoon!


11. Longhorn beetle (Palimna sp.) Buy this Photo
    A skittish longhorn beetle may not always mean bad news. It took off a few times and gave me the opportunity to capture it in flight! Looked like it is ready to take a dive!


12. Harvestmen (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
    Two harvestmen were spotted facing each other. We thought that some mating ritual was going on, but found that they were both sharing their dinner - a scorpion!


13. Net-winged beetle larvae (Lycidae) Buy this Photo
    We were observing a cluster of net-winged beetle larvae, and spotted this one that just cracked open!


14. Wandering spider (Ctenidae) with biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) Buy this Photo
    Carcasses tend to attract midges, and the wandering spider's dinner proves to be the main lure in this scene.


15. Centipede (Scolopendra sp.) Buy this Photo
    This large centipede had just emerged from its moult, and is slowly "recycling" the shedded exoskeleton.


16. Ladybird (Coccinellidae) Buy this Photo
    The lady was taking her clothes off slowly, and finally entering adulthood.


17. Ant-mimic crab spider (Amyciaea sp.) Buy this Photo
    The tiny Amyciaea is capable of capturing red weaver ants much larger than itself, but it might have lost its two front legs in the process.


18. Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) Buy this Photo
    This mother-to-be clutches onto her egg sac tightly with her chelicerae regardless of any incoming threat. Until the eggs are hatched, she would have to go without food for weeks.





Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is a natural wonder and would almost always have a section in my annual photo posting spree.


19. Bioluminescent fungi (Filoboletus manipularis) Buy this Photo
    A chance encounter with an unusually large cluster on a fallen tree. This "upskirt" view shows a view of the pitted pores.


20. Bioluminescent fungi (Filoboletus manipularis) Buy this Photo
    A giant cluster was spotted by my friends, but I was out of town. By the time I got to the site, most had already died and this was my consolation shot. Luckily, it turned out to be utterly spell-binding. Welcome to Pandora!





Animations

To illustrate specific traits or behavior of the subjects, I sometimes employ the use of animations. They turned out to be one of its kind on the internet!


21. Longhorn beetles (Sclethrus newmani)
    This pair was at it for a very long time, and allowed me to document the action in a fun way. :P


22. Big-headed bark spider (Caerostris sp.)
    Static photos had been difficult to visualize the subject when it had an odd shape. 30 individual handheld shots formed this animation.


23. Wrap-around spider (Dolophones sp.)
    How flat exactly is the wrap-around spider on the branch? This animation gives a clearer picture.





Ultraviolet Macro

Sometimes, we would shine our UV lights on almost any subject, in hope that something pretty shows up. The chances are very low, but fascinating once we hit jackpot.


24. Segmented trapdoor spider (Liphistius sp.) Buy this Photo
    Some spiders can be incredibly black and reflective, which makes the eye arrangement difficult to see. See how black the spider looks under normal light. Ultraviolet light helps to highlight the eyes in this case. This mature male was found wandering about on a concrete drain and looking for a mate.


25. Stink bug hatchlings (Pentatomidae) Buy this Photo
    A small cluster of hatchlings with an outstanding fluorescence under ultraviolet. This was shot with high ISO, hence the noisy picture.


26. CaterpillarBuy this Photo
    The explosive colours are a sign against any contact with the caterpillar's spines. Mesmerizing sight!


27. Stick insect (Phasmatodea) Buy this Photo
    Stick insects had been often overlooked as composition is usually difficult. However, this one had a remarkable fluorescence!


28. Net-winged beetle larvae (Lycidae) Buy this Photo
    The fluorescence of these larvae makes them look like splashes from a dazzling water painting.


29. Longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) Buy this Photo
    Most beetles have compound eyes that will fluoresce under ultraviolet. It allows an alien-like view like this.


30. Bird dung spider (Pasilobus sp.)
    One moment a piece of bird dung, another moment a precious stone.


31. Millipede (Diplopoda) Buy this Photo
    Only some millipedes fluoresce. This was the brightest fluorescence that we had ever seen on a millipede.


32. Ogre-face spider (Deinopis sp.) Buy this Photo
    Also known as net-casting spiders. Just when we thought that the ogre-face couldn't get any scarier, the eyes lit up under ultraviolet with an eerie blue.


33. Scorpion (Liocheles sp.) Buy this Photo
    Classic fluorescence that everyone else is familiar with! The fluorescence from scorpions is much brighter than that from other arthropods, making them much easier to shoot for beginners.





Wide-Angle Macro

Any subject over 2 inches would potentially be good candidates for wide-angled shots. It makes the viewer feel... small!


34. Whip scorpions (Thelyphonida) Buy this Photo
    First time seeing these vinegaroons that close to mating. Due to their size, I did a feeble macro attempt with the 15mm.


35. Black tarantula (Selenocosmia sp.) Buy this Photo
    I had waited over a year to shoot this mini-gorilla as none had been cooperative enough to grant me an audience in earlier encounters.


36. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda boiei) Buy this Photo
    One of the largest sparassids in Singapore, and incredibly quick at running around on the tree trunk.





Back-lit Macro

2014 is the year when we attempted a lot more of back-lighting in our macro shots. To quote Melvyn, it "makes the common subjects look less common".


37. Leaf mimic grasshopper (Systella sp.) Buy this Photo
    These leaf-mimics have been my favorites for back-lighting due to the thin leaf-like bodies.


38. Huntsman spider (Heteropoda davidbowie) Buy this Photo
    The sparassid's hair on the legs are (hopefully) highlighted with back-lighting.


39. Lace bug (Tingidae) Buy this Photo
    Rare in these parts, a back-lit shot offers a spectacular view of the lace bug's body.


40. Archduke larva (Lexias pardalis dirteana) Buy this Photo
    With such a flamboyant outline, back-lighting brought out the spines in its full splendour.


41. Spittle bug nymph (Cercopidae) Buy this Photo
    Spittlebugs are usually found within lumps of foam. This nymph was just beginning to create the foam. This foam (or bubble-wrap if you like) serves to protect the bug from predators and keeps it moist!


42. Moth-like planthopper (Ricaniidae) Buy this Photo
    Fresh from the moult, with wing venations clearly highlighted.


43. CaterpillarBuy this Photo
    These tiny caterpillars tend to dangle via a thread of silk. Thought it would be interesting to see how it looked with a back light.





Mimicry and Camouflage

Some of the more interesting subjects that excel in mimicry and camouflage.


44. Barklouse mimicking a jumping spider
    This really had me fooled until I looked closer! The pattern on the wings had me thinking that it was a salticid!


45. Dead leaf grasshopper (Caelifera) Buy this Photo
    The outline of this grasshopper is well concealed to resemble bits of a dead leaf.


46. Masked hunter assassin bug (Reduvius sp.) Buy this Photo
    We see this masked hunter quite frequently, diligently piling debris on its body. This particular one managed to pile moss on its body as well! For those unfamiliar with this bug, try to spot the eye!





Salticidae - Jumping Spiders

Arguably the cutest family of spiders for their large anterior median eyes and the most wide-spread. I will probably have a separate post dedicated to them but here's a small selection. :)


47. Jumping spider (Salticidae) Buy this Photo
    Tilting their heads increases the cute factor. These cute little jumpers have that perpetual curious look!


48. Jumping spider (Salticidae) Buy this Photo
    Blue moustache! How could we not love this?


49. Jumping spider (Hyllus sp.) Buy this Photo
    The bold colours on this heavy jumper made it stand out. Sometimes, we called it the "gentle giant" as it was more docile compared to other salticids.


50. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Looked like an injured "mohawk" jumping spider as it moved very slowly - found it by tracing a line of silk to the bottom foliage.


51. Jumping spider (Epeus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Fresh from the moult, the ears are clear and we could see through the eyes for a hypnotizing effect.





Araneidae - Orb web spiders

Despite being called orb web spiders, not all the spiders in this family build orb webs. Common names are a pain, and should not be relied on... ;)


52. Orb web spider (Araneus sp.) Buy this Photo
    This Araneus has a beautifully patterned abdomen, and is likely to be new to science.


53. St Andrew's cross spider (Argiope sp.) Buy this Photo
    A simple natural light handheld shot which shows one of the more complete examples of the "cross" of the St Andrew's Cross Spider. The extended "X" is the web's stabilimentum, which could possibly be an attempt to make the spider look larger.


54. Tree stump orb weaver (Poltys sp.) Buy this Photo
    This is one of the largest examples of the tree stump orb weaver, but almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye.


55. Long-horned orb weaver (Macracantha arcuata) Buy this Photo
    This spider appears in every annual compilation for the longest horns on any spider, ever. No idea if these horns had any practical purpose?


56. Orb web spider (Cyclosa sp.) Buy this Photo
    These tiny orb weavers have really sticky webs, and that makes it difficult for us to take close up shots without destroying the web. Sometimes, a slightly different angle does the trick!


57. Ladybird-mimic spider (Paraplectana sp.) Buy this Photo
    The sinister ladybird mimic has made another appearance since my last sighting way back in 2011 - The Beauty of Ladybird Mimicry. Still looking magnificent, still a ridiculously good mimic!





Other Arachnids - Spiders, Scorpions, Harvestmen

Didn't have much shots of these families but still worthy of a mention. Most are boring shots, but notable because many are new records for myself!


58. Crab spider (Thomisidae) Buy this Photo
    One of the more interesting thomisids seen this year. We called this the "dog-faced" crab spider when we saw it.


59. Mangrove trapdoor spider (Idioctis sp.) Buy this Photo
    I had been toying with the idea of visiting the mangroves in hunt for this mangrove trapdoor spider for a long time, and was lucky enough to locate one in the first attempt! These magnificent trapdoor spiders build their burrows on mud lobster mounds and are able to shut their trapdoors tight enough to hold out the water when the tide comes in. Here's a shot of the burrow and trapdoor.


60. Big-jawed spider (Tetragnatha sp.) Buy this Photo
    Despite being very common, the overly large chelicerae of Tetragnatha have always been great macro subjects. This one had particularly hairy chelicerae.


61. Tube trapdoor spider (Damarchus workmani) Buy this Photo
    A close up of this adult mygalomorph reveals a cluster of mites around the chelicerae. This appears to be very common for mygalomorphs, which made me wonder if they just had dirty mouths? On a separate note, I did not see any trapdoors at the entrances of the burrows of these nemesiids. How did this common name come about?


62. Comb-footed spider (Chrysso sp.) Buy this Photo
    A parasite clings onto this comb-footed spider's abdomen. Not sure if it had hatched from within the abdomen?


63. Eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) Buy this Photo
    Probably the most stunning crab spider in Singapore, we found this mother-to-be struggling to hold her nest together as the bottom leaf had been broken off by careless photographers who wanted to get shots of the mother with the egg sac. Luckily, we were able to perform a minor "surgery" and mended the nest to keep her from view of potential predators. Nature photographers, please remember to exercise caution when photographing such subjects. Some may only get a single chance to reproduce in their life time, so let's try to make it count. Read more on macro photography ethics.


64. Sac spider (Clubionidae) Buy this Photo
    I was lucky to spot the sac spider in 3 different stages of life in the same area, and put all of them together in a single image. 1. Shows courtship, 2. Shows the mother guarding her row of eggs, and 3. Shows her guarding her newly hatched spiderlings. The last photo clearly shows the "sac" that the spider builds under the leaf.


65. Scorpion (Lychas scutilus) Buy this Photo
    Another common subject, but this time I got round to taking close ups of the mother's face with the baby scorpions climbing over her head to highlight the difficulties of motherhood. ;)


66. Harvestman (Opiliones) Buy this Photo
    Just another harvestman, but with an "X" over the face!





Hemiptera - Bugs

Some of the most photographed critters as their morphology can be extremely varied.


67. Treehopper (Membracidae) Buy this Photo
    I find membracids to occur in the most bizarre variety of shapes. This one was mimicking a tiny twig, with a little leaflet at the tip!


68. Derbid planthopper (Derbidae) Buy this Photo
    One of the things I realized about derbid planthoppers this year, was that they never had the "cross-eyed" look when I shot them at night. Here's how their crossed-eyes looked like in the day.


69. Treehopper (Membracidae) Buy this Photo
    This thorn-mimic treehopper had pinkish patches that made it stand out from the common ones.


70. Planthopper (Fulgoromorpha) Buy this Photo
    A surprise find in a concrete drain! This planthopper has a large inflated structure in front of the head that resembles a snout.


71. Fulgorid planthopper (Penthicodes sp.) Buy this Photo
    Often found on tree trunks, this is one of the most colourful of planthoppers in our local forests.


72. Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) Buy this Photo
    Sometimes, it was more fun to take macro shots of a bug standing on a larger bug.


73. Scale Insect (Coccoidea) Buy this Photo
    Usually ignored, we finally decided to take shots of this flat little thingy on leaves. Now, where are the eyes?





Hymenoptera - Bees, Wasps, Ants

Some of the most skittish subjects come from this order.


74. Cuckoo bee (Thyreus sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another regular in my annual series, the sleeping blue cuckoo bee is definitely one of the most photogenic subjects in this series!


75. Wasp (Stenogastrinae) Buy this Photo
    We usually see them at rest on their nests at night. Look at the waist to die for!


76. Mantis parasitic wasp (Podagrion sp.) Buy this Photo
    Another parasitic wasp dedicated to laying eggs into the ootheca of mantises. Check out a much clearer oviposition shot that I took last year.





Coleoptera - Beetles

In the urban environment, the types of beetles seen can be very limited.


77. Cicada parasite beetle (Rhipiceridae) Buy this Photo
    Famed for their fanned antennae, these beetles are a common crowd favorite!


78. Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) Buy this Photo
    We like to call this the "oil-spill" beetle for the vivid reflections on its elytra and pronotum. This poor fella had clusters of mites sucking on it!


79. Tortoise beetle (Cassidinae) Buy this Photo
    The type of shot loved by photographers but not a favorite with entomologists. The tortoise beetle usually hides its head when at rest, and may stick its head out when ready to walk. Here's a shot of it in flight that I shot last year.


80. Tiger beetles (Cicindelinae) Buy this Photo
    I once blogged that these are the fastest running land creatures on earth. But when we find them at night... they are really quite docile! You can even spot a mating pair in this mess of tiger beetles.


81. Fungus weevil (Anthribidae) Buy this Photo
    Ultraman reborn. Our favorite eyes from a beetle!





Diptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Phasmatodea

Other mini beasts that I have not been shooting much of.


82. Soldier fly (Stratiomyidae) Buy this Photo
    Shooting compound eyes is a common goal in macro photography. No annual series is complete without a close up of these arresting eyes!


83. Mantisfly larvae (Mantispidae) Buy this Photo
    We had seen the tiny eggs before, but realized that we might have missed out the larvae as they were incredibly small and almost not visible with the naked eye!


84. Crane fly (Tipulidae) Buy this Photo
    The crane fly is a pain to shoot when they decide to dance ecstatically while we try to focus on it. Once in a while, we manage to get shots of the compound eyes as well!


85. Long-legged fly (Dolichopopidae) Buy this Photo
    These fast-moving flies are often spotted zipping around in the day. This looks like a different species from the usual ones, and stood still enough for us to take some record shots.


86. Mantisfly (Mantispidae) Buy this Photo
    Half mantis, half fly. Believe it or not, we found it on the ceiling of our hotel in Cameron Highlands.


87. Common flashwing (Vestalis amethystina) Buy this Photo
    Close ups of damselflies have a certain allure to many. They really are photogenic!


88. Lacewing (Chrysopidae) Buy this Photo
    The most beautiful lacewing that we found this year!


89. Pointed snout cicada (Mogannia sesioides) Buy this Photo
    Not the usual cicada. This has a weird pointy "nose"!


90. Leaf insect nymph (Phylliidae) Buy this Photo
    This tiny leaf insect nymph was hiding under a single blade of grass. Simply adorable!





Reptilia - Reptiles

Not my usual subjects as my normal setup allows only subjects of up to 1.5 inches long in the frame. Nevertheless, the occasional close up opportunity may come by once in a while.


91. Malayan bridle snake (Dryocalamus subannulatus) Buy this Photo
    The classic "S" retracted position would usually have me stepping back with caution, so just some record shots of this lovely serpent!


92. Changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor) Buy this Photo
    So this is what supper looks like!


93. Earless agamid (Aphaniotis fusca) Buy this Photo
    This agamid was sleeping so sweetly that we had to take shots of it!!





Larvae, Caterpillars and Chrysalises

These could be from any order, but largely lepidopterans.


94. CaterpillarBuy this Photo
    If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!


95. CaterpillarBuy this Photo
    Bad hair day? But the hair is so straight that some considered this to be a good hair day. :P


96. CaterpillarBuy this Photo
    Hello Kitty comes in many different forms...


97. Milkweed butterfly chrysalis (Euploea sp.) Buy this Photo
    Had always wanted to take shots of this amazing mirror-like chrysalis, but only a day shot would do it justice. You can see my reflection on the chrysalis itself!


98. Poop barricadeBuy this Photo
    Never got to find out what this was, but the surrounding yourself with a defensive wall of poop is something new to me! Please let me know if you have any clue to what this might be.


99. Caged pupa (Cyana sp.) Buy this Photo
    Metamorphosis almost complete. The wings, eyes and antennae are already visible! The cage made of spines from the larval (caterpillar) stage has served its purpose well, protecting the pupa from potential predators.


100. Unknown larva/pupaBuy this Photo
     Looks like a larva in a mystical hue of blue preparing for metamorphosis?

Thank you for enduring the entire series! I hope this series triggers more people to be interested in the fauna of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Please feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear from all of you! And, if you like this post, remember to share it with your friends as well!

Haven't had enough? You can also view my 2013 Macro Highlights.