Wooly aphids! Get your genuine wooly aphids here!

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rjlittlefield
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Location: Richland, WA, USA
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Wooly aphids! Get your genuine wooly aphids here!

Post by rjlittlefield »

I found these while out backpacking last weekend. On alder, I think, right next to a creek.

Image

It was a bit tricky to get a decent picture of these things. For one, the critters who were neatly lined up were in the shade. It was fairly dark and low contrast, and I wasn't carrying a flash.

"No problem!" I say, "I'll just bend a branch out into this little patch of sunshine."

A wonderful idea, except for one detail.

It turns out that unlike ordinary aphids, these critters are highly mobile. A bit of unnatural vibration, and they're on the move. I clocked them at 5 mm/second, 10 when they're really excited. This little chunk of animated gif is at 3X actual speed, but you get the idea.

Image

The trick finally turned out to be looking around harder, and finding a tastefully arranged bunch of bugs on a branch that was already in the sun. I shot a small set of pictures trying not to move around too much, and it turned out that three of them were close enough to the same view that Helicon Focus could do a good job stacking them.

I also took some bugs home and followed them around for a while with a flash until (by chance!) they happened to get into a good position when I snapped the picture.

Here are both results -- on top is in the field in direct sun, bottom is on my kitchen table with flash at 6 inches.

Image

Those of you who have been tracking the forum for a while may remember some spirited discussion a few months ago, regarding the ID on some critters that Ken shot, and whether they were really springtails or some kind of wooly aphid (Adelgidae). Hopefully, these won't stimulate quite so much controversy. Family Pemphigidae, I believe, and almost certainly not related to any human illness. :lol:

--Rik

Canon 300D and Sigma 105mm macro, mostly at 1:1.
Reworks and reposts of my images in this forum are always welcome, as are constructive critiques.

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MacroLuv
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Post by MacroLuv »

Yummy. Some kind of cotton candy? :D

rjlittlefield
Posts: 727
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 11:57 pm
Location: Richland, WA, USA
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Post by rjlittlefield »

I understand that it's wax, extruded from a lot of little pores on the abdomen. They must just keep squirting this stuff out, sort of like really low quality spider silk!

--Rik
Reworks and reposts of my images in this forum are always welcome, as are constructive critiques.

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Beetleman
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Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by Beetleman »

Excellent photos Rik. I like the last one because you can see some of the animal.
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda
Canon PowerShot S1 IS with Canon 250D closeup lens

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Ken Ramos
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Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 7:58 pm
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Ken Ramos »

Rik brought up:
Those of you who have been tracking the forum for a while may remember some spirited discussion a few months ago, regarding the ID on some critters that Ken shot, and whether they were really springtails or some kind of wooly aphid (Adelgidae). Hopefully, these won't stimulate quite so much controversy. Family Pemphigidae, I believe, and almost certainly not related to any human illness. :lol:
I certainly hope not but I don't think Dr. Bugman will show up again :twisted: but you never can tell... :roll: Thanks for showing what a "real" wooly aphid looks like. :D They look nothing like what was shown in my photo and I have yet to find anyone, anywhere, who knows what it is! :? There has to be some et...? bug expert who knows what I have photographed some where. I find it hard to believe the little moss denizens have gone unnoticed since the invention of the microscope. :lol: Thanks Rik, great photographs! :D
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Kenneth Ramos
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
Kens Microscopy
Reposts of my images within the galleries are welcome, as are constructive critical critiques.

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