Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Friday

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AlP
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Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Friday

Post by AlP »

Nuthin fancy as usual. While walking into the house Tuesday night this little gaffer tried flying into my ear. Not wanting to waste an opportunity I captured the rascal to shoot in the morning. (snap at 1x, 3 image handheld stack).
green lacewing dorsal 1x copy 1024.jpg
I noticed something funny on the lid of the petri dish which I louped at 10x, hhmmm... (image 4.5x, 18 steps at 90µm)
green lacewing eggs 4.5x 18 steps 90µm copy 1024.jpg
"She" left me a couple of dozen presents (image at 10x, 82 steps at 10µm).
green lacewing egg 10x 82 steps 10µm copy 1024.jpg
Momma was anxious to get back to freedom. Having shot numerous lacewings over the years and spotting a mirror nearby, ah what the heck, a lame picture for the kids... hers. (single snap 1x)
green lacewing face copy 1024.jpg
With my luck, I'll probably miss each "birth", but I'll keep my eye out.
Last edited by AlP on Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:37 am, edited 5 times in total.

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents"

Post by AlP »

Not sure if I am doing this right. Anyway, an updated snap of one of the eggs. Eggs were laid August 31st. Now four days later and I can see little feet and maybe the eyes. 5x (heavy crop), 14 steps at 80µm with the Canon MPE 65mm. I am not going the microscope objective route as the depth of field is waaaay to shallow and I want to be able to scan all the eggs freely and with luck have a larva emerge from the egg sac in a single shot
green lacewing eggs 5x f8 copy 1024.jpg
.

Cvrc
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents"

Post by Cvrc »

Great shots, make first one normal macro of exiting larvae, I hope you get lucky. :)

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Hatchlings

Post by AlP »

Several hatchlings this morning, five days after the eggs were laid. Single shots at 5x with the Canon MPE 65mm.
green lacewing hatchling 5x copy 1024.jpg
green lacewing larva 5x copy 1024.jpg

Pau
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Hatchlings

Post by Pau »

Wow! Excellent series, most enjoyable in special the last one showing a happy end.

Being ferocious aphid predators, would be nice seeing these larvae in action.
Pau

wwheeler48
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Hatchlings

Post by wwheeler48 »

Success! This has been a great thread to follow. Oh, and nice images, too.

Lou Jost
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Hatchlings

Post by Lou Jost »

Excellent work. Maybe they will eat their eggshells? Many insects do.

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Hatchlings

Post by AlP »

Thanx for the comments. Anyway... the carnage begins. It took the first one about 10 minutes to figure out how to "get an aphid". These images were taken at 11 am. I just looked now (10:17 PM) through the microscope and they seem to have got the predator and prey figured out. Single image at 3x.
Green Lacewing larvae eat aphid 3x 1024.jpg
A little closer view at 11 am at 5x single shot. Larvae just under 2mm. Interesting note, I saw one of the larva actually drink some of the honey dew that was secreted by a nearby aphid (things you see when you don't have a camera).
Green Lacewing larva eat aphid 5x 1024.jpg

rjlittlefield
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Feeding

Post by rjlittlefield »

Very nice -- lovely behavioural stuff!

The mandibles of these beasts are interesting, see https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=27780 for a study of those.

(Lots of stereo there -- perhaps another use for your 3D theatre system.)

--Rik

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dy5
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Feeding

Post by dy5 »

All wonderful photos, especially of the emergence!

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Feeding

Post by AlP »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Mon Sep 05, 2022 7:42 am
Very nice -- lovely behavioural stuff!

The mandibles of these beasts are interesting, see https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=27780 for a study of those.

(Lots of stereo there -- perhaps another use for your 3D theatre system.)

--Rik
Whoo-hoo, can never have enough 3D! I'll be sure to look at these tonight, thanx.

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Feeding

Post by AlP »

Hhmmm, not sure why 3 larvae had to gorge on the same aphid, plenty around. Single image at 3x this morning Monday.
three lavae eat 3x copy 1024.jpg
Interestingly, I found this "Jabba The Hut" aphid, queen perhaps. It is 1mm. 4x, 30 steps at 100µm.
Big Aphid 1mm 4x 30 steps 100µm copy 1024.jpg
As much of a front view as I could get, 4x, 20 steps at 100µm. Prior to this image today (Monday) it was surrounded by numerous aphids.
big aphid 1mm 4x 20 steps 100µm copy 1024.jpg

rjlittlefield
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Monday

Post by rjlittlefield »

Aphids are commonly afflicted with parasitic wasps, which eventually expand and harden the host aphid to create a "mummy" from which the wasp eventually emerges.

Your "Jabba The Hut" aphid looks to me like it may be nearing the end of that path.

--Rik

AlP
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Monday

Post by AlP »

rjlittlefield wrote:
Mon Sep 05, 2022 11:22 am
Aphids are commonly afflicted with parasitic wasps, which eventually expand and harden the host aphid to create a "mummy" from which the wasp eventually emerges.

Your "Jabba The Hut" aphid looks to me like it may be nearing the end of that path.

--Rik
Too funny. After I just posted my last update I got an e-mail from an entomologist who stated "The bloated aphid may be parasitised. It is common for a parasitised aphid to become enlarged and the exoskeleton to become greyish and paper-like. Look for a clean round hole in the upper back when the parasitoid wasp emerges. If the hole is ragged, then it had a hyper-parasite (a wasp that parasitises the wasp in the host aphid)." Dang, something else to keep an eye on.

rjlittlefield
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Re: Green Lacewing And "Presents" - Update Monday

Post by rjlittlefield »

Very cool -- I did not know the part about a ragged hole indicating a hyper-parasite.

--Rik

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