Insects Gallery
Photos of dragonfly and bee with Lotus flowers taken in 2006 summer are also available in Lotus Gallery 2006.

Lycaena phlaeas (Little Copper)
Lunch in Colorful Restaurant

This small and cute butterfly is called "Beni-Shijimi". It had lunch flying flower to flower in the sunny day. I place Sigma AF180mm F3.5 macro lens in very low position to make background simple and colorful.


Ant Lion
Rest in White
He took a rest in a white tulip. I wanted to make a picture as simple as possible to enhance his calmness.

Grasshopper
Rest in the Sunset Orange
I went out to take photos of cosmos in the light of the sunset, and found a grasshopper taking a rest on orange blossoms.  I had to lie sprawled to see his charming face because height of the blossoms was only 40 cm.
Rest in Green
A small grasshopper was taking a rest in green grass.  I approached to him very quietly and took the photo in front of him.
Bathe in the Sun

It was a clear summer morning, morning dew covered everything including glass hoppers.  He, got wet with dew, stood up, faced against the sun and make his body warm.

On a Branch
I took red colored leaves on a tree and found a grasshopper there.  I thought he always stay on grass.
Niramekko (Staring-down Game)
He did not get away even I put camera very close to him.  He might be bravery. His face, when look from right front, seems like horse.
Rest in Cosmos
I took a short rest after shooting cosmos and looked away, there was a grasshopper on a Cosmos. 

Mantis
On the Pink Stage 1
A mantis taking a rest on the colorful leaf ...
On the Pink Stage 2
When a sunbeam lit the mantis up, he suddenly stood up, turned to me and posed for a photo.  I thought he should have a personality like a movie star.

Dragonfly
A Flying Dragonfly
A dragonfly flying on a lotus pond I took with manual focusing.
Rest of a Dragonfly
Another dragonfly had a rest in the evening sunshine.

Ant
A Symbiotic Relationship
It was for the first time to me to see symbiotic relationship between an ant and plant louses.  The ant was licking tail of a plant louse where sweet honey is secreted.
Ant's Comb
I was pursuing an ant on a branch of wisteria, the ant suddenly stopped walking around and began combing his tacticles.

Bee
Final Approach to a Rape Blossom
Though I don't know the name of the bee, this is one of my favorite subject because the bee has quite big charming eyes.  I took this photo with paying attention to composition of the rape blossoms and violet color of  azalea behind.

Others
A bug in the Autumn Sunlight
I don't know the name of the bug, but he is an important actor in the scene.  He had kept himself still, and I could get a good composition.