Flies really Bug me !

[PhilCook]

Unknown insect about to make a meal of fly, there is a series of it gradually bringing the fly to it's mouth, but this one will have to suffice

Nikon D300 + Tamron 90mm macro...f 11, ISO 400, I/800, + 0.3EV...hand held, natural light...basic PS editing

[nzmacro]

Aww heck nice avatar

Some type of Ichneumon wasp by the looks and a good behaviour shot I must say. White in the flowers a little hot in some parts, but the rest makes up for it in sharpness. Nice work with the Tamron 90 and a good ratio.

All the best.

Danny.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Phil. Nice behavioral image! This is a species of Hangingfly (Order Mecoptera, Family Bittacidae). They resemble Crane Flies, but have 2 pairs of wings rather than one. They feed on small insects that they capture with their hind legs. They grasp the prey item in their hind leg and bring it up to their mouth to feed - just as you describe. Good sharpness on your subject and nice comp. The light is a bit harsh - in a perfect world you could have used a diffusion screen to soften if, but opportunities like this are often fleeting and a person only has so many hands. You might consider carefully cloning some of the specular highlights on the Hangingfly. That can get pretty tedious, but your image is strong enough that it might be worth spending some extra time on it..

[Jonathan Ashton]

Good composition and well focused, it's a pity the light was so harsh, nevertheless a very nice shot, I was interested to read that it was a hanging fly - never heard of one before, it has made me want to look up some more info to see if there are any in the UK.

[Bob Miller]

Phil....nice capture here! Your subject is beautfully exposed ....too bad about the harsh light! TFS this image!

[Dave Leroy]

An interesting looking creature and nice behavior shot. Nice and sharp as well at HH.