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Found these little suckers having a bit of a chew. Every so often they would all stand straight up and wave around before returning to eat.

Very strange behavior.

look a bit like those things that walk around in convoy, head to tail

Rel will be able to help id these

Steve

I think they are a type of sawfly larvae, the waving around is part of their defences. If you put your hand close you will find they wave around at it, and if its close enough they will squirt some nasty irritating liquid onto you!
Dont get it into your eyes!
Also kown as spitfires, due to the spitting (squirting) of the liquid.

Gordon

Yikes, they look hungry.

Good shot, by the way!

Great shot !!!! Damian and I are divided - 50/50... could be sawfly larvae (this is the normal defensive behaviour exhibited by sawflies, several species actually exude a punjent liquid from their butts to put off any predators that come near them), but, without seeing the head clearly, can't totally dismiss the possibility that they be beetle larvae ..... and I'm not up enough on the larvae of all of sawfly species to say they definitely are or aren't....

sorry

but brilliant shot Mark !! Was this taken with one flash on the bracket?

Rel

Great shot Mark

Was it shot in the Dark or did u get that dark backdrop effect some other way?

blacknstormy wrote:Great shot !!!! Damian and I are divided - 50/50... could be sawfly larvae (this is the normal defensive behaviour exhibited by sawflies, several species actually exude a punjent liquid from their butts to put off any predators that come near them), but, without seeing the head clearly, can't totally dismiss the possibility that they be beetle larvae ..... and I'm not up enough on the larvae of all of sawfly species to say they definitely are or aren't....

sorry

but brilliant shot Mark !! Was this taken with one flash on the bracket?

Rel

Sheesh, I was counting on you too

ANd yes, one on the RHS bracket fired remotely by teh on board flash at 1/32 output cause eveyone took back their SB800s

Bretski wrote:Great shot Mark

Was it shot in the Dark or did u get that dark backdrop effect some other way?

No Bret, it was yesterday arvo around 17:45 but still plenty of light around. Stopped down to f/32 and had the shutter at 1/500s. The only light to have any effect was the flash. The ambient light would not have any impact.

Here's the exif

Camera model: NIKON D70s
Date/Time: 2006:02:12 17:37:38
Resolution: 916 x 631
Flash used: Yes
Focal length: 185.0mm (35mm equivalent: 277mm)
Exposure time: 0.0020 s (1/500)
Aperture: f/32.0
ISO equiv.: 200
Exposure bias: -1.00
Metering Mode: center weight
Exposure: Manua