The only down-side about them is that they are scavengers, they will eat ANYTHING including each other, if they are hungry enough they will even try to eat humans though they don’t like the taste. I like boxelder bugs particularly because they are cute, and they are more docile than carpenter ants, they don’t even hurt the environment they inhabit. When I find an insect in my house rather than kill it I simply put it outside, it is wrong to kill an insect for absolutely no reason. I believe that all forms of life deserve a place on this planet, even pesky mosquitos or cockroaches. There are too many creepy or ugly insects around but these ones I can enjoy. I thought I’d say that these little guys are really nice bugs. I’m looking forward to using this flash system outside, so I can capture images of insects, flowers, and other small things when the available natural light isn’t quite as good as I might want. All these shots were hand-held at 1/250 sec exposures. The bugs were photographed walking around on the white plastic (acrylic?) diffuser that came with the flash system. I had an 8mm extension tube on for all but the second photo shown here. Photography notes for those of you who care… These photos were all taken with the “standard” set-up of the R1 system, with two speedlight flashes, mounted at “9 and 3” at the front of my Nikon 105mm macro lens. Plus, they make very accomodating photo subjects in the dead of winter. As with every other insect species I know of, they have an fascinating life story, and they’re just trying to make their way through life like the rest of us. I guess I can live with that, and – with the exception of those you squish – so can the boxelder bugs. I understand that many of you won’t ever become fans of boxelder bugs. Their function is still a topic of debate among entomologists. Those smaller eyes are ocelli, or simple eyes, that (we think) can discriminate only between light and dark. Note the small eyes behind each of the main eyes. Here’s my next problem: Now that I’ve got a flash system to help me get better close-up insect photos, where am I supposed to find an insect to photograph during the middle of February in Nebraska?Įnter the friendly neighborhood boxelder bug… After considerable wandering about in the world of internet photography websites and equipment reviews, I am now the owner of a Nikon R1 Wireless Close-up Speedlight Kit.
However, during the last couple years, I’ve been weakening, and looking at recent images from people like Clay Bolt and Piotr Naskrecki finally pushed me over the edge. Until now, I’ve just relied on natural light to illuminate the flowers, insects, and prairies I photograph. I finally broke down and bought a close-up flash system for my camera. They’re fascinating creatures and present no danger to you. Most importantly, please don’t let boxelder bugs frighten you. I’ve also written a separate post with more information on boxelder bugs if you are someone looking for that. The many comments added to this post since then have been tremendous, heartwarming, and are worth reading. Part of the Insect Identification network of sites that includes, , and : When I wrote this post back in 2013, I had no idea so many people would find it while looking for information on these harmless little critters who often like to share our living space. was used in the generation of this content site is 100% curated by humans.
Any beetle images and site inquiries can be submitted to beetleidentification at. By submitting images to us () you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Disclaimer as it pertains to "User-Submitted Content". The material presented across this site is for entertainment value and should not be construced as usable for scientific research or medical advice (insect bites, etc.) Please consult licensed, degreed professionals for such information. The logo, its written content, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and is protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
0 kommentar(er)
