Leafhopper head and details

Images taken in a controlled environment or with a posed subject. All subject types.

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Beatsy
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Leafhopper head and details

Post by Beatsy »

I seem to be in a constant state of "test stacking" after tweaking my macro rig in one way or another (mostly improving vibration resistance or lighting these days). Anyway, I thought this image came out well, so thought I'd share it.

The head of a leaf hopper with insets at 100% crop factor. A 250-image stack taken with a 10x Mitty in APS-C crop mode (135mm tube lens for 6.75x on sensor). The final image was rotated and cropped again to get rid of legs that I couldn't be bothered to retouch - so the horizontal FoV is about 2mm.

Image

Saul
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Post by Saul »

Antenna "base" is very interesting
Saul
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Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »

Saul wrote:Antenna "base" is very interesting
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I thought that looked interesting too. Here's a crop from a quick and dirty stack done with a 50x Mitty. Not much more to be seen, but slightly better detail. Looks like there's more interesting structure in the hairs too (not a stacking artifact), but I can't get any closer on the macro rig. Forever tantalised... :)
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Saul
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Post by Saul »

Beatsy wrote:...Not much more to be seen, but slightly better detail....
Steve, thanks for the photo. Interesting, what does mean these "baby" antennas ? If main is broken, another will grow ? Or do they perform another function ?
Saul
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Beatsy
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Post by Beatsy »

Saul wrote:...Interesting, what does mean these "baby" antennas ? If main is broken, another will grow ? Or do they perform another function ?
I don't have the faintest idea Saul. Your theory is as good as any IMO :)

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

One important general trait of insects (except Ephemeroptera I think) is that once they molt into their winged form, they never molt again. This general principle tells us that no, the antennae of this adult leafhopper cannot grow back if broken. None of the adult parts that are molded into the exoskeleton can grow back. Butterfly wings only get more ragged. Leafhopper structures can only get more worn out....

Olympusman
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Leafhopper

Post by Olympusman »

Geez! That 50X almost looks like an electron micrograph. Extremely awesome!

Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

What always amazes me about your stacks is that the lighting looks "normal", that object could be as big as a lobster. You don't have the usual lighting artifacts that give the game away...

Troels
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Post by Troels »

Interesting! Those spiralized hairs are amazing.
Troels Holm, biologist (retired), environmentalist, amateur photographer.
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