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Archive 2015 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)

  
 
e6filmuser
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Having recently posted images of the larvae feeding on my asparagus plants, I checked the plants again, in search of better angles of view than previously.

There were larvae present but I had photographed only one when I noticed that one had a pale dorsal bulge. The process that I witnessed over about the next hour is summarised in these new images.

I show the initial bulge and split skin, through to the active larva after emerging. The larvae moved around rather rapidly after the preceding, almost imperceptible emergence, and the image is not as I would like.

Almost all of this was shot with the battery warning light flashing throughout and the need to frequently turn off the camera to conserve power.

I used my extended Printing Nikkor 105mm (at f11) setup, with a FOV around 10mm. I used twin flash but the cramped location gave the second flash a few knocks and it may not have shone much light on the subject for some frames. Hand-held.

Where I could get the nearby larva also in focus I did so but, otherwise it was a useful OOF background.

The amount of cropping varies from none to significant, as may be judged from the magnification of each image.

Harold



© Harold Gough 2015





© Harold Gough 2015





© Harold Gough 2015





© Harold Gough 2015





© Harold Gough 2015




Aug 19, 2015 at 12:37 AM
e6filmuser
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Three more:





© Harold Gough 2015














Aug 19, 2015 at 12:39 AM
LordV
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Wonderful sequence Harold - not seen a caterpillar moulting before !
Brian v.



Aug 19, 2015 at 01:11 AM
e6filmuser
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


LordV wrote:
Wonderful sequence Harold - not seen a caterpillar moulting before !
Brian v.


Thanks, Brian.

It was sheer luck that I was there at the right time. The breeze was getting up a bit towards the end.

Harold



Aug 19, 2015 at 01:14 AM
morris
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


2 and 3 for me Harold

Morris



Aug 19, 2015 at 07:33 AM
e6filmuser
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


morris wrote:
2 and 3 for me Harold

Morris


Thanks, Morris.

I have a fondness for the first one, in that it alerted me to the situation.

Harold



Aug 19, 2015 at 08:15 AM
birdied
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Wonderful Harold ! Have never witnessed this before, so interesting.

Birdie



Aug 19, 2015 at 12:05 PM
e6filmuser
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


birdied wrote:
Wonderful Harold ! Have never witnessed this before, so interesting.

Birdie


Thanks, Birdie.

I knew that butterfly ecdysis, larva to pupa, was well documented but had, and still have, no idea how well known this story might be. I shoot first and ask questions later.

Harold



Aug 19, 2015 at 12:26 PM
Dalantech
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Really nice set Harold -partial to the first three frames


Aug 19, 2015 at 03:30 PM
e6filmuser
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Asparagus Beetle Larva Ecdysis (Moult)


Dalantech wrote:
Really nice set Harold -partial to the first three frames


Thanks, John.

The larvae are generally very sedentary, possibly feeding at night. The freshly-merged one seemed compelled to walk, presumably to fresh grazing

The main difficulty is air movement, the stems being about as flexible as the long flowering stems of tall grasses.

Harold



Aug 20, 2015 at 01:30 AM





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