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Gorse Mites


Gorse Mites
Photo Information
Copyright: Vinny Blood (Vinster) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 55 W: 0 N: 335] (1306)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-27
Categories: Spiders
Camera: Canon 400D Digital Rebel XTi, Canon EF 100 mm F2.8 Macro USM, CF Sandisk III 4GB
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-05 13:49
Viewed: 389
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Gorse Mites (Tetranychus lintearius) on a dewy web. These tiny arachnids form ghostly webs on gorse bushes (Ulex). The web is not used to trap prey, but rather to act as protection for the colony. The mites feed on the plant by piercing and sucking the liquid from it. Severe infestations result in the whole plant becoming smothered in web, yellowing and in some cases death. In New Zealand and Australia where gorse is an introduced plant pest, the mites have been introduced as a form of biological control.

Each mite is tiny, less than a millimetre and one of the smallest things I've ever tried to photograph. I used a 100mm Canon USM macro with an extension tube. The shot has been cropped to about half its original size. You can see a wider shot of a colony of these mites here

Regards

Vinny www.vincentblood.com
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  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 571 W: 93 N: 1131] (4155)
  • [2008-07-05 22:12]

Hi Vinny!

I like this picture very much. On one side - together with the notes - it's instructive, on the other side it's artistic. The drops create an abstract effect that is very pleasant.

Kind regards

Markus

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