Journal

Sparkling Jewels in Wet Mornings

on
15 May 2011

You might remember that wading through long grass early in the morning will result in wet shoes and socks. That would be due to morning dew, and it can be an element of exquisite beauty when wrapped around macro subjects.

The extent of the morning dew varies for each location, but would generally dry up by 8am. It would typically be much more if it had rained in the previous night.

Ant in Morning Dew (Formicidae) - DSC_7548#1 Dead ant wrapped in morning dew. The ant had died from mind-controlling cordyceps fungus infection, which causes it to climb to the tip of leaves where they cling on til their deaths. The vegetation behind can be seen via the huge droplet of water as well!

A video to explain the effects and nature of cordyceps fungi.


Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) - DSC_7148#2 A wolf spider mother carrying her egg sac, warming up in the early morning sun

Ant infected by cordyceps fungus (Formicidae) - DSC_5909#3 Another ant with morning dew, shot at the same location

Leaf Footed Bug? - DSC_5481#4 Leaf footed bug donning a string of morning dew droplets!

Bird Dung Spider (Pasilobus sp.) - DSC_4113#5 Morning dew is most apparent on spider webs, here’s a Bird Dung Spider slowly dismantling it’s dew ridden web early in the morning. More pics on this subject in The Walking, Drooling Bird Dung.

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) - DSC_2972#6 Another wolf spider wearing some pretty crystals

Spider Moult - DSC_1679#7 Molt of a huntsman or nursery web spider.

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) - DSC_1687#8 The common wolf spider, occupants of the numerous hammock webs at Admiralty Park

Orb Weaver Spider (Cyclosa ginnaga) - DSC_6998#9 A beautiful jewel-littered web of an orb weaver

Other subjects of the day from Venus Drive… after the dew had dried up. 😛

Moth - DSC_7523#10 Leaf hopper from an uncommon angle. Looks like a shocked parrot!

Cockroach? (Blattodea) - DSC_7537#11 Cockroach??

DSC_7593#12 Unidentified fly resting on a car. So sorry for the fingerprints I left behind!!! Anyone with an ID to this?

DSC_7603#13 Front shot, looks like the Esplanade!

Crane Flies (Tipulidae) - DSC_7620#14 A pair of huge mating craneflies

Beetle - DSC_7643#15 Cute tiny beetle, about 3mm in length

Nightjar (Caprimulgidae) - DSC_7656#16 A Nightjar, well camouflaged when resting on a pile of dead leaves. So big, yet most of us missed it initially! This is a nocturnal bird and it was probably sleeping, even thought the eyes opened wider as we got closer.

Nightjar (Caprimulgidae) - DSC_7669#17 Since I’m doing macro shoots, couldn’t leave without taking a close up of this bird!

Jumping Spider (Telamonia elegans) - DSC_7687#18 Two-Striped Telamonia, a common but beautiful jumping spider, with blue tinted legs.

The complete album can be viewed here.

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2 Comments
  1. Reply

    Daddy Bear

    19 May 2011

    Great series and write up, Nicky!

    Never knew the fungus so powderful…….

  2. Reply

    Nicky Bay

    19 May 2011

    Thanks Adrian! Now u know why there are so many ants dead and clinging onto the tip of leaves!

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NICKY BAY
Singapore

Hi my name is Nicky Bay. I am a macro photographer, instructor and book author, travelling the world to document the vast micro biodiversity that nature has to offer. Follow my updates and discover with me the incredible beauty and science behind our planet's micro creatures!

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