alderfly-laying-eggs Photo

Photographer’s Note

Here is the start of the 2 year life-cycle the female Alderfly ( Sialis Lutaria) ( friend Mogens tells me they call them lazy flies) is seen here laying her eggs onto a reed stem hanging over the water, (this next point is my observation only)when she lands on a stem the first thing she does is to crawl all the way down to the bottom to see if there is water there if there is she climbs back up and lays a whole mass of eggs in neat rows where when they hatch they drop into the water.In 2yrs they will crawl out of the water and make a pupation chamber of mud and leaves emerging after a couple of weeks pupation to mate and die in only a few days, the adults only eat a little pollen and nectre according to my book.
On a sunny afternoon the pied wagtails and the local robins can be seen with beak fulls of these flies for feeding to their yougsters.
adjustments
saturation +8 lightness-2
brightness -2 contrast +3
sharpen edges
Unsharpmask 120% X 1.4px X threshold 1
crop image 50%

tuffellow, milloup, jhm, mogens-j has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

tuffellow (533) 2004-05-16 22:44

This fly has a depressing life story! Nice cropping and framing - showing the perfect rows of eggs nicely. Very nicely done.

wata4no (0) 2004-05-16 23:09

Great shot! Interesting how close you were able to take this shot! I bet the alderfly wanted to get away but had to do her duty of laying the eggs. As I was reading your note, it reminded me of the bugs I seen in Japan: semi (or cicada). So I did a little research and found info on the cicada: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=10359
I thought the alderfly's life was a bit sad but I think the cicada takes the cake. Imagine 17 yrs underground!! :)

milloup (1829) 2004-05-17 4:57

Excellent capture of something it would otherwise be very hard to see - even if you could spot a female actually laying her eggs ;-)
Mogens is right, they're called lazy flies here. I like the diagonal created by the straw she's clinging to and the fact that you waited until there were some eggs to show for her efforts.

lost (694) 2004-05-17 5:44 [Comment]

Show Comment

jhm (82461) 2004-05-17 7:46

Very very great macro shot Robert, and excellent note too, congratulations!

mogens-j (56) 2004-05-18 18:59

Excellent picture Robert. Very sharp and detailed - one can almost count the eggs. The colours are a little dull but you cannot expect the sun to shine every time can you;-). The blurred background really sets her off. Interesting and informative note too.