Dgrin Mini-Challenge #279 - Spineless Wonders

DavidRGillespie

In looking back at previous challenges, it struck me that we have not done anything with insects, spiders, and other critters in a while.
So here is your chance to drag out the weird and wonderful animals you have encountered and photographed. Rather than limit the challenge to
some specific group, I thought it would be fun to include all of the animals without backbones.

Subjects might include (but are not limited to): Insects, spiders, millipedes, crabs, snails, slugs, sea stars, sea anemones, corals, jellys...
If it doesn't have a backbone, its in (so no birds, snakes, fish, mammals). Some examples from my files below:

Lily leaf beetle

Dung fly

Pacific sideband snail

sea anemone

Sally lightfoot crab

Mini will run until **February 12, 1800 PST
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JAG

What a great challenge! I like all of your examples Dave @DavidRGillespie . I don't have very many good ones, but here are mine.

1 Dragon lace

2 Bumbling along

3 Blue Jelly

DavidRGillespie

Joyce, @JAG , Thanks for starting this off. These are just lovely.

Cavalier

Great topic, Dave. Here are my entries.

I had the opportunity for a close study of a Preying Mantis over a period of a couple of days in my garden. She provided many poses for me, including a feast of a bumble bee and what looked like stretching exercises. After she finished the bee she caught, I found a dead bee close by and offered it to her with tweezers. She grabbed it and studied it, then threw it away - not fresh! These are two of my favorite looks.

Watching my every move.

And a swallowtail butterfly:

Not an entry - this was one of her morning stretches - getting in shape for the day:

DavidRGillespie

Wonderful images. Thank you Jo @Cavalier

sarasphotos

While spinless creatures are not necessarily "mine", I did find a few qualifying shots. And I apologize in advance for my lack of botanically-correct names (my college majors were in the arts, not the sciences...). :-)
1) Spider on a rose

2) Dragonflies dancing on water

3) Mmmm... is there something tasty in there?

DavidRGillespie

Great images, Sara @sarasphotos . Names are nice, but not necessary. If anyone wants to confirm a name, send me a mail message and I will respond privately.

lkbart

Jellyfish

Tale of two anemones (the one in front is deflated to allow the clownfish to lay their eggs)

Future swallowtail

grandmaR

1) Basket Stars

2) Colorful Costa Rican Crab

3) Conch Fisherman in the Bahamas

DavidRGillespie

Thank you @lkbart and @grandmaR . Great additions to the set. GrandmaR, I really like the conch fisher. Its nice to see the interaction between invertebrates and humans.

slpollett

I have a small patch of flowers on my back patio that seems to explode with color every fall. I usually get an assortment of butterflies attracted to the blooms. When I have the time, I love to spend it out there trying to get as many butterfly pics as I can. Sometimes I get lucky. Here are a couple of my favorites:

1.

2.

3.

Sherry

bfluegie

I don't have anything to compare with what has been posted so far but it's all for fun so I'm going to share anyway.

1. Sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), Oregon coast
   

2. Purple sea star (Pisaster ochraceus), Oregon coast
   

3. Bumble bee, possibly nectar drunk. This bee was very active on the flower then it suddenly tucked in its wings and wouldn't move. I was able to get very close and still no movement. All I could figure was it had a few sips too many and had to take a break.
   

DavidRGillespie

Thank you Sherry @slpollett and Barbara @bfluegie. I have not seen sea stars with all their arms for years due to an outbreak of wasting disease on the west coast.

bfluegie

I had to dig up some older photos for this challenge because the theme is outside my typical forte. I hadn't heard about the wasting disease until I decided to identify the stars. I do hope they eventually make a comeback. I read that there have been outbreaks of this disease in the past, but none this severe. I really enjoyed seeing the sea stars in the tidepools during my visit. I think I saw some bright orange ones as well but don't have any photos.

pegelli

Great theme !

1: Whizzing around the bend

2: Connect the dots

3: Protecting the fort

DavidRGillespie

Thanks Pieter, @pegelli I don't think I have ever seen a snail leave "footprints" quite like that.

Gatto

DavidRGillespie

Thanks for posting @Gatto Lovely detail in these images

wiredcur

Nikon D90
old manual 100mm fixed lens with 12mm or 8mm extension tube (photo was from 9 years ago)
lighting is from a hacked disposable camera

DavidRGillespie

Thanks @wiredcur . That is a neat perspective on a slug,

redleash

Some creepy stuff--and amazing photography.

Here are my humble efforts:

1. Pollen Count
   

2. Hungry
   

3. It's Not Easy Being Green
   

DavidRGillespie

Thanks @redleash . The bee shots are very lovely. Unfortunately, the frog, although a nice shot, does not fit the category (invertebrates).

redleash

Oops--guess I should go back to third grade science!

DavidRGillespie

@redleash - no panic Lauren. Too bad there wasn't a dragonfly hovering over the frog

DavidRGillespie

Just under 24 h left in this mini, but there is still time!

sapphire73

Time keeps slipping away from me but here is one contribution to this fun mini. (Please do not consider as an entry. Thanks.)

1. Garden Visitor
   

I came upon this visitor while walking around a garden in England with my Fuji XT-2 and an unfamiliar Fuji lens (55-200 mm). I had purposely left my Canon at home (with a wider array of lenses) to become better acquainted with the Fuji system. So I did the best I could to get a quick capture with this lens.

DavidRGillespie

Thanks @sapphire73 Gretchen. Included or not, this is a nice shot, just under the wire!

DavidRGillespie

And.....the Mini is closed. Thanks everyone for great images. I will get the results posted shortly