Aphid massacre

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Charles Krebs
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Aphid massacre

Post by Charles Krebs »

Haven''t been able to photograph much lately but here are few new shots. Over the course of a few days I observed a blackberry shoot with a very robust aphid "infestation". Very quickly the aphid predators arrived on the scene. I've seen syrphid fly, lady bug and lacewing larvae devour aphids on many occasions, but it is usually pretty "messy". Here are a couple of quite old shots:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=7685
http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... php?t=5187

But what was fascinating to me about this carnage was how there were so many aphids that were essentially intact, in place with their stylets still in the plant stem, but their bodies had been sucked "dry". (They reminded me of those flexible juice bags the kids stick a straw into, and they collapse as they drink them. :roll: ) The first two stereo shots show this.

After a few days there were also quite a few parasitised aphids, as seen in the form of a brown "aphid mummy" in shots 3 and 4. Carefully peeling one open revealed the wasp pupa inside.


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Smokedaddy
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Post by Smokedaddy »

Very interesting. Excellent images as usual as are the stereo images.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Very nice! I don't recall seeing a dissected mummy showing the wasp, before now.

--Rik

Jacek
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Post by Jacek »

SUPER !

carlos.uruguay
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Post by carlos.uruguay »

Excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!

Troels
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Post by Troels »

Wonderful pictures and very interesting!!
Troels Holm, biologist (retired), environmentalist, amateur photographer.
Visit my Flickr albums

Sumguy01
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Post by Sumguy01 »

:smt038 Very nice set.
Thanks for sharing.

JH
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Post by JH »

Interesting! The stereos are informative.
Best regards
Jörgen Hellberg
Jörgen Hellberg, my webbsite www.hellberg.photo

vasselle
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Post by vasselle »

Superbes images
Microscope Leitz Laborlux K
Boitier EOS 1200d

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