Wierd Bug Macros FZ-50 and Raynox 250

[Sunshack]

Every morning I take a walk around the house with the camera. Two macros have me saying "What the Heck?"

What do you all think?

First just a dew drop I thought... Maybe spider and frass?



Some type of wasp with a parasitic twin? I have no idea. Sorry, it was already dead.

 

[AmanitaM]

One weird bug macro, anyway... Your first photo seems to be plant material that has fallen in a clump into the spider web. Something with tiny flowers was blooming in the area not too long ago.

Your second bug is a weird-looking Chalcid wasp. It has greatly swollen leg segments on its hind legs. I wonder whether those legs even function? Perhaps they have something to do with mating? Anyway, chalcids are known to parasitize various insects, from beetles to aphids, which is easily done, due to the small size of these wasps and their larvae. Once the adults emerge from the host, they prefer the nectar of flowers.
Adult chalcids of 0.5 mm are known to exist. The biggest ones are 1 cm.
Chalcid Picture:



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[Sunshack]

That is one weird looking wasp. Thanks a ton for the info. You all have taught me a lot about photography and bugs.

 

[Erik Ohlson]

1. 1 looks like either the web's spider or a captured insect infected with a fungus -- looks like spore bodies sticking out of the dewdrop.

Very interesting about the chalcid wasps.

In addition(?) to whatever the one shown by AmanitaM, various species of chalcid wasps cause many of the galls one sees, including those on my post from a couple of days ago, if you're interested:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1033&thread=24518586

Turns out that the consesus is that the last one of my shots IS an insect egg.

BTW - I've never actually seen the wasps which inhabit these galls - just the galls so far, except two empty pupae shown in my other gall post.

Thanks for the Original Post, and the reply!

Cheers -Erik
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