Comments on: The Secret Life of Flies

By: Leslie

Leslie — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:55:32 +0000

But wait there are good things too! “Much of our knowledge of animal genetics and development has been acquired using the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster (family Drosophilidae) as an experimental subject (Lawrence, 1992).”
“The earliest fossil flies are known from the Upper Triassic of the Mesozoic geological period, some 225 million years ago (Evenhuis, 1995). Since that time they have diversified to become one of the largest groups of organisms. There have been about 120,000 species of flies formally described by scientists; thus about 1 in every 10 animals described is a fly.”
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/ftp/bwiegman/fly_html/diptera.html

Hmmm.

L. Saul from the Mojave Desert

By: Het geheime leven van de huisvlieg « WEBLOG NORMAN VISS

Het geheime leven van de huisvlieg « WEBLOG NORMAN VISS — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:26:29 +0000

[...] Voor meer, klik hier. [...]

By: BenF

BenF — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:51:30 +0000

I tried this at home. How did you get them to stay still. I have been spending so much time on the costumes and lighting…then they just take flight.

Great post.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:20:10 +0000

Just stumbled upon these fly facts:
http://www.wikistupidia.com/?p=429

The average life span for a housefly in the wild is approximately one month. They can survive longer indoors, where temperatures are consistently moderate. Houseflies pass through the egg, larval and pupal stages in approximately 10 days, after which adult flies emerge. Houseflies cease growth after emerging from their pupae.

Houseflies are covered with small hairs that serve as taste organs. Their compound eyes are extremely complex: thousands of individual lenses allow them to see 360-degrees at a time.

Houseflies are major carriers of disease. They are known to transfer over 100 pathogens, including typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria. Houseflies collect these pathogens on their legs and mouths when feeding on feces, trash and other decaying material.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:43:35 +0000

Thanks, Greg! I was surprised at how good the super-macro was on that little Olympus. But, of course, the DSLR (Canon Rebel XT) has nicer glass (the Canon 60mm macro lens).

I just posted my first Canon pics to InsectPaparazzi:
http://www.insectpaparazzi.com/2010/02/25/here-be-dragons/

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Point-and-click, eh? They’re very good. I’ve been taking insect shots with my p-&-c Nikon and they aren’t nearly as pretty.

Keep it up.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:31:44 +0000

I’m just a hobbyist. The first camera that got me started was a cheap point-and-click from Olympus. It happened to have both a Macro setting and a SuperMacro setting which was really good (although, only in good, direct sunlight – otherwise, it would do too long an exposure). So that got me shooting tiny things and especially insects.

A few years ago I got my first digital SLR: an entry-level Canon Rebel XT. And I got a Canon 60mm macro lens (which is also great for portraits).

Still, some of my favorite pics were taken with the point-and-click. But the picture quality of the Canon is much more beautiful.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure all of the InsectPaparazzi pics I’ve so far posted were taken with the old Olympus. I’ll be adding more – including the Canon pics – as I go along.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:24:20 +0000

Brian, what kind of camera do you use for your pictures?

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:25:35 +0000

That’s what SHE said!

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:23:07 +0000

Gross factor aside (which I don’t actually possess, even though I’m a girl), it is so creative I’m jealous. If you can look past the “insane” part of the project, it really is nifty.