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Leaf-Dwelling Crab Spider Diaea dorsata
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,378 Major grins
Each year I find at least one Crab Spider (Thomisidae) in our garden and it is always the white species (which can paint itself yellow) Misumena vatia. It is very much a flower spider, lurking inside a pale Hollyhock flower or among white umbels. It is quite a large species, around 1cm long. It is averse to being approached by us and quickly dodges around the back of petals.
Yesterday I was approaching a Clematis, from which I wanted some pollen for possible hybridisation. Before I could touch a flower I saw some movement on one of them and a splash of green colour associated with it. A close look showed the source to be a green crab spider with a brownish abdomen. I knew it was one I had not seen before. It was about half the size of a Misumena.
I fetched my camera, fitted with my Kiron 105mm macro lens, extended to maximum magnification (2:1 at the sensor). Flash was fitted and switched on and the camera in manual mode.
The flower was at about my knee height. So, as the spider moved rapidly from front of petal to back and back again, I spent a lot of time slithering around on the ground to try to frame it. Frequent air movement, in turn moving the flower, made life even more interesting.
The evolution bit: although the spider was green and brown for camouflage, it was on deep blue petals. (Males are more extensively brown).
A lot of the images were far from being keepers but enough were successful. I have to accept that, except in head-on view even f16 (f22 with crop factor) both pairs of front legs will not be sharp at the same time.
EM-1, twin TTL RC flash, hand-held.
The crosseye stereo was not shot as such and could be better.
Harold
Yesterday I was approaching a Clematis, from which I wanted some pollen for possible hybridisation. Before I could touch a flower I saw some movement on one of them and a splash of green colour associated with it. A close look showed the source to be a green crab spider with a brownish abdomen. I knew it was one I had not seen before. It was about half the size of a Misumena.
I fetched my camera, fitted with my Kiron 105mm macro lens, extended to maximum magnification (2:1 at the sensor). Flash was fitted and switched on and the camera in manual mode.
The flower was at about my knee height. So, as the spider moved rapidly from front of petal to back and back again, I spent a lot of time slithering around on the ground to try to frame it. Frequent air movement, in turn moving the flower, made life even more interesting.
The evolution bit: although the spider was green and brown for camouflage, it was on deep blue petals. (Males are more extensively brown).
A lot of the images were far from being keepers but enough were successful. I have to accept that, except in head-on view even f16 (f22 with crop factor) both pairs of front legs will not be sharp at the same time.
EM-1, twin TTL RC flash, hand-held.
The crosseye stereo was not shot as such and could be better.
Harold
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Comments
Thanks, SB.
I am astonished at how well they came out, in view of all the petal movement in the wind.
Harold