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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Kuhl's Flying Gecko

This has got to be the coolest gecko I have ever seen (and touched) in real life! I was scanning a tree trunk for any potential macro subject(s) when, from out of nowhere, this amazing Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli), landed onto the very same tree in front of me!

Look at the cool patterns, shapes and colors on this gorgeous gecko! It was wagging its tail much like a puppy too at first.


Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli). Location: a forest in Selangor.
Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli)IMG_3236 copy

Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli)IMG_3195 copy

After taking like many many shots of this gecko, I thought to myself, why not try to touch it, so I did. Surprisingly, it was quite docile.
Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli) R0019639 copy

I even put it on my hand :).

You can see the flaps on the sides of its body, flattened tail and webbed feet in this image, and in the last one as well.
Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli) R0019643 copy


It was hard to say goodbye to this beauty, but I knew it belonged in the wild so I let it go!
Kuhl's Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli) R0019642 copy




Sunday, November 4, 2012

Hisham's Macro Rig

Hisham Marmin's Macro rig. You can find his blog here, and his Facebook page here.

You can also find more macro rigs here.

His macro rigs consists of Pentax K5, SMC Pentax D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR3, Pentax AF160C Macro Ring Flash. However, instead of using the ring flash the way it is intended to be, i.e mounted onto the front of the lens, this is what he does. The images here should be self explanatory! 

Side view. Yes, it's another great example of adapting the concave diffuser I use for my MP-E65/MT-24EX for a lens with bigger working distance.
more macro rig R1014770

You can also see that he uses a wooden ruler, a few rubber bands, and surgical tape to put the whole rig together.
Hisham's macro rig R1014771

Front view
hisham's macro rig front view R1014773

R1014774

R1014783

R1014785

You get O shaped catch light in the subject's eyes if you use the ring flash the conventional way i.e directly on the front of the lens.
6802039718_f360af2ab0_o copy

However, by holding the ring flash on a ruler and diffuse the light with a concave diffuser, you get very nice, even light like this!
6922092266_eff7fb0ba8_o copy

Other sample images:
hisham's macro rig sample images long legged fly 8029656439_c1d1b6a603_b copy

hisham's macro rig sample images dragonfly 8028967690_c995a55d7f_b copy

Fly
hisham's macro rig sample images fly 8027293439_715780fbe3_b copy

Jumping spider
hisham's macro rig sample images jumping spider 7293468056_b4dc9f99e8_o copy

More macro rigs here.


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Friday, November 2, 2012

Epeus sp. jumping spider life cycle


An incomplete documentation of en Epeus sp. jumping spider' life cyle:

Oct 6, 2012: I found this very gravid mom-to-be.
a very pregnant mom-to-be Epeus sp. jumping spider IMG_0720 copy

The same Epeus sp. pregnant jumping spider from a different angle.
Epeus sp. pregnant mom-to-be jumping spiderIMG_0723 copy

Oct 13, 2012 - mom and her eggs. Mom was seen chasing away an ant that close too close to ber eggs.
Epeus sp. mom guarding her eggs and chasing away an ant IMG_1128 copy

mom Epeus sp. jumping spider chasing an ant away IMG_1129 copy


Oct 20, 2012: Mom with her newly hatched spiderlings.
Epeus sp. mommy jumping spider with her newly hatched spiderlings IMG_1573 copy

Oct 27, 2012: only spiderlings' molts were left on the leaf. Mom and her spiderlings have moved on.

=============
A different specimen:

Aug 14, 2011. Mom guarding her egggs.
A beautiful mom and her babies......IMG_4234b copy


A beautiful mom and her babies......IMG_4231 copy


Aug 21, 2011. The spiderlings hatched.
A beautiful mom and her babies......IMG_4496 copy

A beautiful mom and her babies......IMG_4497 copy

 Aug 31, 2011, only these were left on the leaf. The spiderlings must have molted and left the nest to start their own lives.
 Aug 31, 2010 Update: Green Jumper Mom and Eggs/Spiderlings - all that's left......IMG_4848 copy

For similar documentation on Lichen huntsman life cycle click  here.

More arthropod moms with babies in this post.


More tropical spiders.

Other spiders related posts:

1. Ant-mimic crab spider eating weaver ant
2. More ant-mimic spiders
3. Wonderful jumping spiders
4. Ant-mimic crab spider - mating!
5. Male red ant-mimic jumping spider
6. Tropical spiders
7. Jumping spider life cycle
8. Lichen huntsman life cycle