Tag Archive | Sleeping Bees

Weekend Expedition 31: Sleeping Hymenoptera!

IMG_0865

What is the perfect arthropod photographic subject? Cute jumping spiders, powerful robberflies, shiny tiger beetles? I would argue that all these are great, but they are not very easy to do full photographic justice to. No, what you need is something that stays still for long periods of time, at a handy angle for posing against the light, and is pretty to boot! Sleeping bees and wasps fit this bill perfectly! Many solitary bees and wasps perch with their mandibles locked into a plant substrate. making for some fine shooting opportunities. I was lucky enough to come upon two sleeping aggregations with Coelioxys bees and Ammophila wasps at Island View Beach on Friday morning. Because they were so still, I was able to try many kinds of shots with them, I hope you will enjoy seeing them as much as I loved taking them!

IMG_0631

The colours of the dawn sky show from the east , while a diffused flash and a fill card light the subject. This is Coelioxys rufitarsus, one of the parasitic Megachilids. These beauties lay their eggs in other Megachilid nests, and their larvae consume their host’s provisions.

IMG_0640

IMG_0644

IMG_0681

This Ammophila was shot using my standard lighting using the Monster Macro Rig.

IMG_0631

IMG_0716

IMG_0726

IMG_0708

I love the elegant pointed abdomens of these awesome bees!

IMG_0744

This shot of the two sleeping insects was shot from the tripod with all natural light, 1/8 sec, f13.

IMG_0762

Tripod shot of the aggregation, silhouetting them against the dawn sky.

IMG_0918

This shot shows the Coelioxys waking up.

IMG_0933

When I have the time and a great subject, I like to compose some “cover shots”.

IMG_0954

Of course I also shot them on white!

IMG_0591

IMG_0961

IMG_1022

This is the second aggregation, a bit further up the beach.

IMG_1030

IMG_1053

IMG_1058