Do you know how small 1mm is? It is tiny, minute, extremely small!! I noticed these eggs on the Transvaal Gardenia bud and that is the size they are. If you look at the previous post, the bud I showed there is about 2 1/2 inches (40mm) in length. These are the small white dots you can see on them.
I then looked at the black dots and discovered them to be not marks on the skin as I thought they were but the larvae of something!! I need a microscope as some of these things I am finding are much too small for the macro lens!!
These are also 1mm in length, some of them just hatching.
At first I thought it was the larvae of the
Twig Wilters I found on the same tree last year and did a post on and again
this one later in the year, but the eggs are definitely not the same unless the white ones are larvae and not eggs!!
It seems as if they turn dark almost immediately as their shell hardens and start to feed off the bud they hatched on as can be seen by these gorge marks in them.
Because they are so small, this was about the best picture I could get of them. I brought one of the buds home as I want to record further developments and will do a post again on them at a later stage.
On the same branch were some eggs which looked a bit different to those above. I wonder what they are?????
I then looked at the black dots and discovered them to be not marks on the skin as I thought they were but the larvae of something!! I need a microscope as some of these things I am finding are much too small for the macro lens!!
These are also 1mm in length, some of them just hatching.
At first I thought it was the larvae of the Twig Wilters I found on the same tree last year and did a post on and again this one later in the year, but the eggs are definitely not the same unless the white ones are larvae and not eggs!!
It seems as if they turn dark almost immediately as their shell hardens and start to feed off the bud they hatched on as can be seen by these gorge marks in them.
Because they are so small, this was about the best picture I could get of them. I brought one of the buds home as I want to record further developments and will do a post again on them at a later stage.
On the same branch were some eggs which looked a bit different to those above. I wonder what they are?????
How interesting Joan. I have to say I thought they were just marks on the bud. I hope you can follow the life history and find out what they all are. Diane
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will be going back there a couple of times to get some updates for us. *wink*
ReplyDeleteJoan your finds are getting smaller and smaller I thought you loose your eye sight as you get older LoL !! it just shows you if you don't look properly then you miss so much :))
ReplyDeleteThats what I also thought Diane until I saw the shots on the computer and got out the macro lens. :)
ReplyDeleteI sure will Jonker. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL!! I think I should get a microscope don't you Philip. A pity they are so expensive here.
ReplyDeleteI might loose my teeth but never my eyesight. At least I hope so. LOL!!
Thanks to your great eye you always show us the most interessing things!
ReplyDeleteIt is so kind of you to say so Jose. Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteReally cool Joan... I guess you'll have to get a bigger lens... My Grandpa used to have a lens that could make the mint mark on a penny fill up the whole frame... It was really sweet! It stopped me from chewing my finger nails! LOL!
ReplyDeleteGreat work as always!
Absolutely nothing wrong with your eyes. So tiny, yet you spotted these little critters. Look forward to an update on these things. Something new for the bug site.
ReplyDeleteSuper sleuth does it again. FAB.
ReplyDeleteOh I do love a mystery...great photos considering how small they are Joan...
ReplyDeletesuper fotografi,felicitari
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. I sure could use a lens like that. Lets face it, they dont make 'em like they used to!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gaelyn. It seems that just when I think I have seen it all, something new crops up and I love it. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL!! Thanks Frank. These finds are always exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle. They did not turn out too bad at all. I did not think I would actually be able to get pics of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Luuuuuua. I like the pictures on your blog too. It seems like everyone is enjoying the summer.
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely small! Like looking through a microscope. You have a good eye and capture the most interesting things.
ReplyDeleteWell-done Joan! In spite of their small size, you captured them very nicely.
ReplyDeleteI guess I was right about the "bug" part.
ReplyDeleteThe galls on the Goldenrod here are everywhere now.
B.
You sure were Becky. :)
ReplyDelete