Birth of the Alien Movie (Actually the Wheel Bug but you'll get the idea!)

[Warren Spreng]

I was working out in my yard and noticed what I thought was a bit of moss growth on the underside of my large maple tree. When I got up closer I noticed it was moving! At first I thought this was some sort of ant and then after a bit of research discovered that these are Wheel Bugs emerging from the eggs which reminded me so much of the Alien movies that it about creeped me out! I wanted to post a couple since one nicely showed the emergence of one and gave a rather creepy feeling with the OOF horde in the BG, and the angle from above that shows the new borns, along with a couple that have been out a little while to the fully hardened shell of the jet black and blood red thorax and abdomen. Canon 7D II, Canon EF-S60mm, ISO 3200, f/8, 1/640, HH, AF. Highlights reduced in LR, cropped and cloned out some bright reflections in PS CC. One pass of High Pass Filter.

[John Robinson]

Wow Warren- thats creepy! Never heard of these before. Good to see the different planes of focus in the two shots. Amazing antennae too. Great natural history stuff.!
John

[Warren Spreng]

Wow Warren- thats creepy! Never heard of these before. Good to see the different planes of focus in the two shots. Amazing antennae too. Great natural history stuff.!
John

Thanks John! I have read they are one of the largest true bugs in North America. The adults can be up to 1.5 inches in length and can deliver a nasty bite if handled, but otherwise are a very beneficial insect.

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Warren,
These are cool images of a bug that I am unfamiliar with. I think I like the second one best with more bugs in focus.
Allen

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks Allen. I don't often see these but when you see an adult you will definitely remember it as one of the ugliest bugs you have seen. This is a shot I posted last year of an adult.

[Adhika Lie]

Warren, these pictures gave me the creep and make me all itchy. That said, I think they are beautifully composed! there is a sense of movement in the first picture. The bug kind of swirled from the eggs to the right and then to the left via the front of the eggs. The shell hardening process is also evident in the picture. Like John said, it's a really great natural history stuff.

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks Adhika, I'm glad to know my pic represented exactly what I wanted it to! I was itchy for hours after taking the shots! That first shot was to make sure the viewer could get the sense of the "goopy" but intricate egg cases, as well as depict the activity that was occurring as the antennae were waving all over the place and the newly hatched young were climbing all over each other. My wife was fascinated with those egg cases, particularly the white caps which come off like plugs when the young emerge.

[Adhika Lie]

Warren, now that you mention it, have you ever thought of a longer exposure shot to capture that sense of movement (maybe bring down to the base ISO and let the shutter speed falls...)? Or even stack multiple exposures to create that shot. That would be more of an abstract shot than a nature documentary shot, but I thought it would be a really cool one, especially in the first composition. Okay, I am still itchy!

[Warren Spreng]

Interesting thought Adhika, not something I have tried before but after seeing your beach shot I do want to try something where I can get some blurred images like water with a static background.

[Diane Miller]

Try a video! Creepy bit wonderful!! I love the second shot. Great focus and exposure.

[shane shacaluga]

Great find and awesome to see the buglings in various stages of hardening after emerging from the eggs!

TFS

[Warren Spreng]

Try a video! Creepy bit wonderful!! I love the second shot. Great focus and exposure.

Thanks Diane! I thought about a video and then thought the picture creeps me out enough, a video would definitely make my skin crawl!

[Warren Spreng]

Great find and awesome to see the buglings in various stages of hardening after emerging from the eggs!

TFS

Thanks Shane!

[Steve Maxson]

Not creepy at all - just very interesting (said the biologist). For those not familiar with this species, it is a type of Assassin Bug (family Reduviidae) and as such, preys on other insects. It uses its stout beak (see the adult image in pane #5) to stab its prey and then injects digestive enzymes and sucks out the prey item's innards once they are liquified. These are common in the south-central US and range north to Illinois, Indiana and New York.

Warren, this was quite the find and you took good advantage of it! Both images have their merits, but I think I prefer the second - as Allen notes above - because more of the insects are in your DOF.

[Warren Spreng]

Not creepy at all - just very interesting (said the biologist). For those not familiar with this species, it is a type of Assassin Bug (family Reduviidae) and as such, preys on other insects. It uses its stout beak (see the adult image in pane #5) to stab its prey and then injects digestive enzymes and sucks out the prey item's innards once they are liquified. These are common in the south-central US and range north to Illinois, Indiana and New York.

Warren, this was quite the find and you took good advantage of it! Both images have their merits, but I think I prefer the second - as Allen notes above - because more of the insects are in your DOF.

Thanks Steve, and great write up on the bug!

[Nancy Bell]

I am totally with Steve, this is a super find and so fascinating! Good thinking to get your camera!

[Warren Spreng]

I am totally with Steve, this is a super find and so fascinating! Good thinking to get your camera!

Thanks Nancy!