A Crooked Dozen …
Weevil on cut branch overlooking its domain with fruit fly, from rotting fruit below, passing by in the night.
*Click on the pictures for a proper look …
Hopper with a back-pack. Haven’t seen the likes before, the back-pack – looks like a fungus. Couldn’t get closer.
Wouldn’t stay still for long so got what I could between jumps and scramblings. Seemed vital and healthy enough …
Couldn’t get close without provoking it so here’s a crop.
An unusual sight, stingless bees at war. To the right of the nest entrance the ground was littered with pairs fighting and dying.
It went on for days, this battle where the dead were clearly disposed of away from the nest. Could just be extensive house-cleaning.
Caught in a web, this shield bug would have fed a small spider for weeks. See it just below and centre.
A cavernous shell anchored to the tree makes a good home for a while. Good hunting ground too, for the tiny one.
Got itself caught up where no spider had been for a while. I helped it out. No need for it to die just yet.
Placing the stick where it could grip it the fly was stronger than the web. It got free of the remains and away it went.
And beneath it all … mystery.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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Nature's Place 
The bees fighting interested me. Some species of ants fight to steal territory and larvae from rival nests, but I haven’t heard of bees doing this before – so I searched online and found lots of articles about stingless bees fighting! E.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29694513 – fascinating.
Interesting what such small creatures get up to. Just like people really.
It’s our nature in more ways than one.
I find it fascinating that some bugs look exactly how they are named, like the ‘shield’ bug for example. Isn’t it an exact replica of a tiny shield?
Yes, I prefer the common names too. They usually make sense compared to the scientific names.
Wow, that hopper parasite is really interesting! Have you found out any more about it?
Hi Deb. Yes, see Ken’s comment.
Hi Mark – The dark mass on the hopper is indeed a wasp parasite belonging to the family Dryinidae. This wasp larva feeds externally on its hots forming a U-shaped protrusion. The host stops growing and does not moult into adulthood. Dryinid wasps specialise in parasitising adults and nymphs of leafhoppers only.
Hi Ken. Thanks for that. Interesting stuff. The hopper didn’t seem to have any difficulty hopping with the extra but I’m sure it has its effect.
I’ve never seen a parasite on a hopper, will have to keep my eyes open.
Interesting images! I enjoyed the narrative.
Thanks Noel.
monkey love picture what mark take & wonder what camera machine mark use for capture image.
Exif is in the images – Panasonic DMC-G6, Olympus 60/f2.8 macro lens + achromat, etc. See here for more details – https://beingmark.com/macro-illustrated/
Thanks S M …
<3
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Nice set. The hopper is interesting… Te dark mass almost looks segmented – I wonder if it was some kind of parasite! I’m always amazed at what detail can be found in the smallest things!
I added a crop for a closer look.
Yes, it is interesting the detail in the smallest thing. It speaks to design … and mystery.
I suppose all macro photographers are amazed by tiny details that aren’t easily visible to the naked eye at one stage or another. It’s probably why some get into using microscope objective lenses etc. You could probably find out more about whatever it is by posting to a forum like the Amateur Entomology Australia Facebook group, or perhaps your local museum. If I had to guess, I’d say that it’s a parasitic wasp larva, or similar.
See Ken’s comment above.
Detail is interesting but I don’t think it’s the reason in itself. In the world of things macro takes one into the unexplored, it’s an adventure if you like, the detail symbolises the attraction of the unknown or mystery. Of course, the mind being addicted to naming as it is, for many it is reduced to an intellectual process.
I prefer to stay with the mystery, as much as possible. See things as they are, sensible objects representing aspects of one nature in many forms, and resist the impulse to always name and categorise.
So many creepers and fliers that I haven’t seen before. I love this little world of yours. :-)
It’s an amazing nature for sure.
Thanks Sally.
Wow! Amazing detail!
For sure … it is.