Nocturnal Macro Photography at Pipeline Road, Panama (pt. 2)

On this second part of our nocturnal macro account we feature photos of our collaborator Julio Gonzalez. As you might see we usually share subjects; this is a practice that ethical wildlife photographers have to keep in mind.

We always treat our subjects with care, and respecting their needs and space. We both find subjects but always consider that the other will like to photograph them too. Sometimes we both get good pictures of the same subject but sometimes only one of us, sometimes a subject leaves or move, or the other is just not interested in the subject.

The important thing on these macro adventures is to share and of course know and document new species on each incursion.

 This Grasshopper (Caelifera) was sporting a Mite (Acari) on one of its antennae.

We found several Seed Beetles of this species (Speciomerus giganteus), most of them were sensitive to the light and flew away as soon as we tried to approach them, but this guy in particular was very tolerant and collaborative.

At simple sight this Jewel Beetle (Buprestidae) looked liked a brown unattractive bug but a good shot like this reveals an interesting combination of iridescent colours.

Another insect that seemed simple but a closer look revealed a lot of details is this Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae).

Julio spotted this presumed Tortoise Beetle (Cassidinae). That subfamily of leaf beetles (Chrysomeloidea) includes both the leaf-mining beetles as well as tortoise beetles. This species was all black and mimicked a dropping.

A Beetle (Coleoptera) which is very common in Panama

Miguel spotted this Katydid (Tettigoniidae) hanging around close to an emptied exoskeleton. They have incomplete metamorphosis: they repeatedly moult (undergo ecdysis), becoming larger and more like an adult.

Straight-snouted Weevil (Arrhenodes sp.). Brentidae is a cosmopolitan family of primarily xylophagous beetles also known as straight-snouted weevils. They are most diverse in the tropics, but occur throughout the temperate regions of the world. They are among the families of weevils that have non-elbowed antennae, and tend to be elongate and flattened, though there are numerous exceptions.

Stick Insect (Phasmatodea)

Longhorn Beetle (Taeniotes amazonum) 

 Unknown anuran (Anura)

Fireflies (Lampyridae) tend to be brown and soft-bodied, often with the elytra, or front wings, more leathery than those of other beetles.