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Dreamcatcher


Dreamcatcher
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Prince (PDP) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11755)
Genre: Fungi
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-06-10
Categories: Fungi
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50 mm 2.8 EX Macro, Digital ISO 200, Hoya skylight (1B)
Exposure: f/19, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Movietitles [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-06-28 17:28
Viewed: 1090
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I previously posted a picture on this subject but the image was not good at all I always wanted to get a better one. The star of this show is not the bug exactly it’s a fungus that uses flies as a host. On certain days it is possible to find many of these flies dead and all with swollen abdomens. When I first saw these flies like this I wondered what this could be and it was only after reading about hoverfly parasites that I discovered how the flies had died.

This particular fungus is called Entomophthora muscae (I think this is correct). Entomo- means insect, -phthora means destroyer, so this is the "insect destroyer." Muscae means "of the fly." The fungus belongs to the Zygomycota, but rarely forms zygospores. It is a member of an order of mostly entomoparasitic fungi called the Entomophthorales.

This particular fungus produces abundant spores, and the fly must have had the misfortune of having one of the spores land on it a few days previous to its untimely demise. The spore germinated and penetrated the exoskeleton of the fly. The first thing the fungus does, according to some reports, is grow up into the brain of the fly, in order to control its activities. The mycelium of the fungus grows into a particular area of the brain that controls the crawling behavior of the fly, forcing the fly to land on a nearby surface and crawl up as high as possible. Eventually the hyphae of the fungus grow throughout the body of the fly, digesting its guts, and the fly dies. Small cracks open in the body of the fly and the Entomophthora produces sporangia, each with a single spore, in pads. Remember that most fungi want to get their spore bearing structures as high as possible, so that the spores will get caught in air currents more easily. Other fungi produce fruiting bodies to accomplish this but Entomophthora takes advantage of its relationship with the fly to get its spores as high as possible.

Reminds me a little of the film Dreamcatcher.

It is possible to see what maybe the spores or remnants of the spore dispersing on the wings of the fly.



What a way to go!



I hope you find this interesting. I got most of the notes from here
sAner, AndyB, Signal-Womb, scottevers7, slrnovice2, pgmoni, dew77, red45, TAZ, coasties, Paulosousa, Comandante, Fisher, naki, bedford67, liquidsunshine, JeanMichel, Luc has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2005-06-28 17:34]

Hello Paul,

A very interesting note and a very good macro. I never heard of this fly killing fungus before. Thanks for sharing and informing us! The details on the fly are fantastic. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2005-06-28 18:17]

Hello Paul,
An excellent shot.
Superb sharp detail and excellent exposure.
Very nice dark background.
I remember your previous post.
I've seen many dead flies just recently,usually attached to hogweed.I thought it was the plant killing them but maybe its this fungus thats the cause.
Very well done.

Brilliant capture Paul, compo and sharpness are excellent. Good control of flash. I remember also your first post on this, interesting stuff. Nice work.

Hi Paul,

An excellent macro shot with beautiful color and very sharp detail. Excellent notes top explain the photo. Great Work!

Scott

Wow Paul. I saw this thumbnail and thought, 'how clear that is, what detail and great composition'. I clicked the thumbnail and found all that to be true. Great image. Great notes too! How icky though, just as bad as the Digger Wasp. I'm glad we don't have things like that after us, I'd never be able to go out and do the gardening or take photos. TFS :)

Excellent document, very interesting and, as usual, extremely well photographed
Thanks for sharing with us
Philippe

Hi Paul!
Absolutely superb! Interesting view of this dirty hairs!
Good job!

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-06-29 3:37]

Hello Paul!
Great capture.Colors,sharpness,details and composition are excellent.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2828 W: 75 N: 8007] (26809)
  • [2005-06-29 3:40]

Great post Paul! Dreamcatcher is excellent title here! I read this book and watched movie and I must say both are very good! Poor fly - but again - this is nature. Maybe it looks cruel for human but this is everlasting order of nature. Very good, informative post.

An Excellent macro. Nice compo with the light coloured flowers and a dark BG.
Details are well shown and POV is great.
TFS.

Great shot Paul. Awesome details. Interesting note. Amazing how this fungi works to kill the bug. Kinda scary really. Crisp, clear tack sharp shot. Thanks.

Paul, this is a excellent Picture. Great colours, sharpness excellent, a very nice composite. Well done.

Hello Paul!
Wonderful post.Details,framing,dark BG and composition are perfect.Thanls for sharing.

Well done on this capture Paul.
Crisp, sharp, and well exposed. Excellent details.

Mike

  • Great 
  • naki Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 421 W: 27 N: 782] (2694)
  • [2005-06-29 13:00]

Hi Paul, this is an image with high "wow" coefficient of its details. Although the lighting is not at its best, a very good composition.
Excellent note too.
Very well done.

Hello Paul,

I discover today your superb photographs and I am magic. I like much this one for the successful contrast between the black bottom and the colors of the flower and the insect.
The realization of the photograph and the comment are excellent.
TFS, cordially.

Je découvre aujourd'hui tes superbes photos et j'en suis enchanté.
Celle-ci me plait beaucoup pour le contraste réussi entre le fond noir et les couleurs de la fleur et de l'insecte. La réalisation de la photo et le commentaire sont excellents.
Merci pour le partage, cordialement.
J-Patrick

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16856)
  • [2005-06-29 17:59]

Paul, what an amazing macro this is.

The dark bg highlights the main subject.

Besides, excellent sharpness and composition.

Great shot Paul,
Excellent details, colours, sharpness and composition.
DOF and POV are spot on. Excellent capture and a very informative note.
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2385 W: 50 N: 3184] (10918)
  • [2005-06-30 3:31]

Wow ! Wonderful close-up for this hairy insect ! Beautiful composition on neutral black BG. Excellent details. Inreresting note also... Thanks for sharing Paul.

Paul, I find this post very interesting (and a bit scary), as it shows how nature goes on with all it's misfortune. Very well documentated with a brilliant photo as usual. TFS.

hello:) u are great:) this macro is so beauty and so vivid:) exellent DOF:) great POV:) colours:) beauty one:)

rgs

Malgosia

F/19 and flash... wow.. I learn a lot with your pics, Paul.
Once again, an excellent macro, with amazing details. This is a great pleasure for eyes, thank you..

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2058 W: 315 N: 4404] (14713)
  • [2005-07-05 9:25]

Hello Paul!
Personal assessment of the photo: excellent.
Strong visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete and very interesting.
Thank you very much for sharing.

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