Euryplatea nanaknihali, world's smallest fly
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Euryplatea nanaknihali, world's smallest fly
Interesting article at the NY Times:
"Scientists have discovered the world’s smallest known fly: a tiny, parasitic native of Thailand that appears to decapitate its host ants."
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/scie ... odayspaper
(Click the photo/illustration to enlarge it.)
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The following article, linked at the page above, is also interesting. Namibian crop circles?!?!
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/scie ... ef=science
"Scientists have discovered the world’s smallest known fly: a tiny, parasitic native of Thailand that appears to decapitate its host ants."
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/scie ... odayspaper
(Click the photo/illustration to enlarge it.)
---------------------
The following article, linked at the page above, is also interesting. Namibian crop circles?!?!
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/scie ... ef=science
-Phil
"Diffraction never sleeps"
"Diffraction never sleeps"
I just mailed the article to a friend who's on holiday in Thailand. Asked to bring or send me one... if he finds one ....
Fred
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I did some Googling and found more info re the fly, including a FREE journal article in PDF form, from the July 2012 issue of "Annals of the Entomological Society of America":
http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/del ... 959743F38D
If this link fails, start at the link below and drill down to the article PDF:
http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com ... 4/art00005
A fairly good, basic news article is here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/0 ... 43539.html
An excerpt:
"While it's not the smallest insect (that title belongs a species of fairy wasp, coming in at 0.14 millimeters in length, about the size of a human egg cell), it is the world's smallest fly."
http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/del ... 959743F38D
If this link fails, start at the link below and drill down to the article PDF:
http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com ... 4/art00005
A fairly good, basic news article is here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/0 ... 43539.html
An excerpt:
"While it's not the smallest insect (that title belongs a species of fairy wasp, coming in at 0.14 millimeters in length, about the size of a human egg cell), it is the world's smallest fly."
-Phil
"Diffraction never sleeps"
"Diffraction never sleeps"
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With such a small creature, how on earth would one photograph it in the field? I don't see how a person could see one except by accident while photographing something else.
I think I recall correctly that others have photographed very small phorid flies while photographing another bug...
Perhaps one would have to somehow capture a "herd" of such tiny flies and then devise a way to both keep them safely in captivity and to photograph them.
Alternatively, one could try to obtain specimens and engage in studio photography. But how could one prepare specimens for studio work when the bug is so small?!?!
I think I recall correctly that others have photographed very small phorid flies while photographing another bug...
Perhaps one would have to somehow capture a "herd" of such tiny flies and then devise a way to both keep them safely in captivity and to photograph them.
Alternatively, one could try to obtain specimens and engage in studio photography. But how could one prepare specimens for studio work when the bug is so small?!?!
-Phil
"Diffraction never sleeps"
"Diffraction never sleeps"
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- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
- Location: Reading, Berkshire, England
Phil,
I see no reason why a specimen could not be glued to a card, or card point, in the conventional way. Once set (dry) it could be removed by dissolving the glue and (it would be very fragile) mounted for photography. Small insects can be carried around over tiny distances by using the surface tension of a droplet of water e.g. on a very fine needle to hold them.
The most difficult thing would be to not breathe out at the wrong moment!
Harold
I see no reason why a specimen could not be glued to a card, or card point, in the conventional way. Once set (dry) it could be removed by dissolving the glue and (it would be very fragile) mounted for photography. Small insects can be carried around over tiny distances by using the surface tension of a droplet of water e.g. on a very fine needle to hold them.
The most difficult thing would be to not breathe out at the wrong moment!
Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.
While they're asleep, I guess. Springtails aren't easy to photograph, either, but there are photos of them.DQE wrote:With such a small creature, how on earth would one photograph it in the field? I don't see how a person could see one except by accident while photographing something else.
That doesn't sound impossible. There's gear for that (micromanipulators and such).Alternatively, one could try to obtain specimens and engage in studio photography. But how could one prepare specimens for studio work when the bug is so small?!?!