Red Tube Tail Thrips on Trametes versicolor, polypore

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:31 pm

Canon EOS 30D w/EF-100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, Canon 430EX Speedlite ETTL, PP: Photoshop Elements 4 Location: wooded area behind my place of employment. Don't tell da' boss

Edit: for indentification correction, in subect header

P_T · Post by **P_T** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:20 pm

They look like a bunch of chilli.

Nicely captured Ken, what's that thing they're standing on?

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:25 pm

P_T asked:

...what's that thing they're standing on?

Bracket fungi (Trametes versicolor, aka "Turkey Tails"), growing on an old fallen tree limb.

Thanks P_T

Michigan Michael · Post by **Michigan Michael** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:36 pm

Very nice, Ken. I especially like the first one.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:42 pm

Thanks Michael, sort of reminds one of a dinner plate with steamed crawdads on it...doesn't it.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:44 pm

Nice shots Ken.

They look like a cross between a maggot and a bloodworm, the fish should go wild for those!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:47 pm

Those are without a doubt some of the most bizarre larvae I have ever seen!

Does anybody know what they are?

--Rik

ETA: I see some other people asking about similar looking critters. http://www.whatsthatbug.com/beetles21.html (08/29/2008)

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:02 pm

I was surprised to see that in the beetle section at bugguide. I'm certainly no expert on larvae but I would almost have put money on these being fly larvae, they look so much like maggots for fishing, died red. And I think fishing maggots are normally blow fly larvae of some kind.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:50 pm

Ah, but look close -- these things have segmented thoracic legs and threadlike antennae. The legs alone are enough to rule out fly larvae.

--Rik

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:04 pm

Ken Ramos wrote:Thanks Michael, sort of reminds one of a dinner plate with steamed crawdads on it...doesn't it.

Heh,food again!

You know I photographed a fungus like that on an ash tree the other day. I'd post it on here but its nowhere near macro!(hey you think we could do with a non macro section?)

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:44 pm

Found them, http://bugguide.net/node/view/216069

Thanks everyone!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:31 pm

Excellent find, Ken!

--Rik

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:50 pm

rjlittlefield wrote:Ah, but look close -- these things have segmented thoracic legs and threadlike antennae. The legs alone are enough to rule out fly larvae.

--Rik

As would be the external, proboscis-type mouthparts, if the angle of view showed them.

harold

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 6:39 am

Excellent colors and detail Ken. A very unusual find. I have never seen any of these things. Are you using a defuser on your flash?

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 9:01 am

Doug asked:

Are you using a defuser on your flash?

I can't remember if I did or not on this shot, though I think I may have had the flash powered down by -1/3 stop.

Thanks Doug!