A Dozen Of …
… flies. I think they are flies. A male and female, I think.
Otherwise I’m not thinking any more today.
*A few pix of nearby larva added below.
Him, I think … with two short antennae and blue eyes.
*Click on the pictures for a proper look …
Him again …
Notice, not a lot of thinking going on …
And her, I think … with one long antennae ending in a bright yellow bulb, with pinkish eyes.
From various angles and backgrounds as could be managed … she was a good model for a while.
No thinking here …
… or here.
Taking the opportunity to clean those wings, whether they need it or not.
Hello little one … She got restless and came up to the lens and tried to climb on.
She is a beauty, in her own right. The only ‘right’ that matters. Whatever that means. No thinking now …
At some point she ended up on my hand, enjoying the warmth maybe. Eventually I put her up where she’d catch the sun in the morning.
Larva (spitfires?) found on the same tree as the ‘female’. They do this thing, pointing their tails up, makes one wary …
Found on a nearby tree, maybe a different sort altogether – not my field.
Or these …
Also found on the same tree at another time. Larva of something …
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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Nature's Place 
As usual, an excellent set of pictures, How do you sleep at night Mark, knowing tat all these insects are at large in the neighbourhood, I am amazed that you have the patience to, not only photograph them, but to just find them. regards.
Thanks John.
I sleep fine, they are my nature after all … It’s not patience, just being able to stand and do nothing for a short time while they get comfortable with my presence and reveal themselves. And when you know them well enough you can make them more at home and they come more frequently, and go.
Dear Mark, thanks for photos very inspiring. Your photos are very sharp and i never seen one shots with a max. depth of field without stacking. Can you share technical data (max. zoom, shutter / aperture / iso selections)
Hi Uygar. It’s all here – https://beingmark.com/macro-illustrated/ – more or less, including some useful links in recent comments.
The thing to do is just get some gear and do it. Experiment and refine. Practise makes perfect, as it gets …
Nature is really amazing!!! Nice pictures.. 😊
Yes it is. Thanks.
Love your closeup photos and the detail you capture! And the closeup techniques you use to photograph them
Thanks Reed.
Incredible pics that help us enter the little beasties reality, thank you Mark.
I do often wonder what the little creatures (and the big ones like dogs and horses etc) “think”. How they express to themselves warmth, comfort, youth/vigour, a mate sensed, a full belly. Can’t help it.
The smaller creatures probably never think anything, being entirely engaged in what they are or are doing – instinctive being. No need to communicate anything to self as they are not divided from it – no separate self to confuse and complicate, and all the trouble that comes from that.
Dogs and horses are another matter. I don’t doubt they think in their way – being so close to people, broadly mixed with or as feeling based on association by previous experience. They remember. A rudimentary self awareness, I think, with its potential for inner conflict. Is why we can cognise larger animals suffering when mistreated, by people.
My take on it anyway …
Thanks Lissa.
Brilliant photos Mark.
Thanks Kim.
Love these, Mark! Especially the lack of thought :), and the female trying to climb the lens. (Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.)
Thanks Cate. She was probably looking for warmth and shelter, had enough of her reflection in the lens.
Amazing capture as always, Mark. The sight of those larvae gave me goosebumps! Felt like they were crawling up my arms! And I’m a Biology teacher. Haha. Love almost all creatures except for a very few special ones like worms and worm-like animals. So I guess I’m normal ;)
It’s where we get our notions of ‘alien’, I think.
Thanks Star …
Sawfly Mark which is a wasp rather than fly (:->! What the heck – wonderful life style images.
Thanks Ken. :-)
Old habits die hard …
Oooo, I think they might be Hymenoptera- sawfly Mark. Great shots as always!
Thanks Deb. I knew they were something like that, course I did …
That is not a fly; flies suck, instead of chewing like this creature. It also has three eyes too many, and the wrong type of antennae. My guess would be that it is a wasp of some kind, most likely a male, but it belongs to a family that’s far too esoteric for me to guess.
Yes, it’s a Sawfly. It’s got ‘fly’ in the name so it must be …
There’s two of them.
Thanks CS …
They are Sawflies :-) The second is perhaps a Brown Eucalypt Sawfly? A close relative of Bees, wasps, and ants. I don’t see the adults very often, but the larvae are quite common. They look a little like weird caterpillars, and are sometimes called “spitfires”. I don’t know about genders, though :-D
Thanks Teale. Yes, got that now, for now. I have seen many of the larva and got a few pictures but can’t find them now, those with the pointy tails that congregate and look so menacing. If I find any I’ll put one up here.
Two pictures of larva added below.
Awsome creatures and amazing photography, again and again.
Thanks PB …