The importance of bees cannot be understated. In the US alone, the Department of Agriculture estimated that bees pollinate about 80% of flowering crops, constituting about 1/3 of everything Americans eat. Their ability to pollinate has a tremendous environmental and economic impact on the entire globe. And now their influence is spreading to the…
Markus Reugels is a German photographer best known for his incredible high-speed photography (we’ve featured Reugels work previously here and here). He is also an accomplished macro photographer with an impressive gallery of over 72 photos on Flickr entitled, Insects & Animals. Below you will find a small selection of the Sifter’s personal favourites.…
Photograph by Bob Henricks Caddisflies are an order (Trichoptera) of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. They can be described as small moth-like insects with two pairs of hairs membranous wings. One of the most interesting characteristics of the caddisfly is the ornate and highly intricate protective cases they build as larvae. The caddisfly…
The Golden Tortoise Beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) is a widely distributed North American insect with a typical size of 5 -7 mm. Recognizable by their golden colour, they have the ability to change colours when disturbed. This color change is accomplished by microscopic valves controlling the moisture levels under the shell. Their preferred food are…
Thomas Shahan is one of the most popular macro insect photographers on Flickr. His 250+ gallery has garnered hundreds of thousands of views and he has brought a level of detail and beauty to these insects that is truly astounding. Hailing from Oklahoma, USA, Thomas uses photography as a tool to raise awareness and…
Photograph by HOPE ABRAMS (Hopefoote on Flickr) The crafty little caterpillar above is known as a wavy-lined emerald moth or camouflaged looper (Synchlora aerata). It is a species of moth of the Geometridae family and can be found in most of North America. The wingspan is about 17 mm and adults are green…
Photograph by Digital Photo Blog @ digitalphoto.cocolog-nifty.com Japanese photographer Yuki Karo captured these stunning long exposure photographs of mating fireflies in and around the Maniwa and Okayama Prefectures in Japan between 2008 – 2011. Shooting long exposures at night can be challenging, but Yuki has done well to capture this beautiful moment in…
The Glasswinged butterfly (Greta oto) is a beautiful brush-footed butterfly and is a member of the: subfamily Danainae, tribe Ithomiini, subtribe Godyridina. Greta oto adults exhibit a number of interesting behaviours, such as long migrations and lekking (gathering of males for competitive mating displays). The wings are translucent, with a wingspan of 5.6 to…
Photograph by KEN RIPPENGALE Deilephila elpenor, known as the Elephant Hawk-moth, is a large moth of the Sphingidae family. The species is found throughout Britain and Ireland. Its range extends across Europe, Russia, and into China, northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, Japan and Korea (though not Taiwan). Introduced specimens have been found in…
Photograph by IGOR SIWANOWICZ Mantodea (or mantises) is an order of insects that contains approximately 2,200 species in 15 families worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. A colloquial name for the order is “praying mantises”, because of the typical “prayer-like” stance, although the term is often misspelled as “preying mantis” since mantises are…
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