Know what you mean. Recently photographed a Black Widow on the web and on the nest. Moving to Arizona where the spiders are HUGE and in my face helped in an odd way. Being bitten by a Brown Recluse and surviving without too much of a struggle also helped. Painful, memorable, 3 months of crud, but su...

Wow! Neon fluorescence! Black light not needed....

Oh, jeeeezzzz... I'm an arachnophobe as well...
still - neat shot - I think. I guess.
Oh, jeeeezzzz....
gross.
neat.
i think.

(best wishes to Sue - been there...)

Just lovely, Rey! Couldn't be better if you had posed it. Very well done!

Thanks again! Danny - the sight has more or less returned to my left eye sort of maybe - just don't creep up on my right, or at night when it's back to cross-eyed doubled again. Heaven help you if you are in a car to my right at any time. Actually the nifty fresnel prism lens glasses they designed f...

Thanks guys! Ken, I'm pretty sure its neither a Bess nor Ground beetle. The taxonomy is on the tip of my alleged mind, but can't find it at the moment. If I totally blank, I'll call in Bugman from the University of Arizona and annoy him with a dorsal and ventral view with ruler measurement to confir...

Looks like one to me. What an endearing shot! Once again, colours and balance are perfect and the composition is to best advantage. The leaf on the left, which some may find intrusive, works well for me as it echos the shape and texture of the hopper, but in receding tones. Very nice!

http://www.danielsimage.com/macro/beetle-fly.jpg I haven't been shooting or commenting lately because of my neuro and associated vision problems (likely to remain true for awhile), but I couldn't resist this one that I shot this afternoon. The beetle is a little over 3 1/2" (9cm) long. Very large i...

Gorgeous shot, Ken! The colors and textures offset nicely and the hole in the leaf is a graphic bonus!. You handled the blacks really well while maintaining true colors elsewhere.

(see disclaimer...)

Tom, I am so sorry. As I wrote privately to you when my vision suddenly went south due to ongoing neuro problems, you and Danny and I could become the lame, the halt and the blind (me) and set an example for everyone else. I have faith that you will return stronger than before. Maybe you and I can f...

Just gorgeous, Tom! The definition and and light are superb. Welcome back to the "big" world...

Looks like a sort of meal moth to me from the shape, color and the cervical shield. I could be totally off and I'll wait for someone more knowledgeable to ID it for sure. Really crisp shot with wonderful detail!

Beautiful silky colors! While I'd personally prefer a little more DOF, it is really fascinating and pretty as it stands. Very nice!

Tom, I can't wait! Though I frequently visit the microscopy forum (without commenting since, even though I'm more than familiar with all the organisms, I don't shoot micro and can't comment on technique and have never tried it myself) and admire the work there and have always admired your crystal ma...

In the absence of milkweed here, these guys populate oleanders (which also have pods with downy material and are toxic). About 3/8" (11mm).

Nikon, f4.1 @1/1000, ISO 100

Comments always welcome