Photo Trail from My Hikes | Close-up cell phone photography

joslud (75)modCCS Quality Hunterin CCS • last month (edited)

Greetings, fellow campers of CCS. I've been keeping a low profile lately. But I'm continuing my daily walks, capturing various elements of the environment that catch my eye, especially insects, invertebrates, and other creatures.

Today's post features some photos I took on several outings, starting with the immense tree, over 15 meters tall, whose branches spread out, providing shade, even though it had few leaves when I took the picture. It's a shot taken from a low angle to show its grandeur.

Photo N° 1: Chalcas fumata


I begin with a magnificent specimen of the genus Chalchas (Order Coleoptera). Its wings are enormous in comparison to its body. Here it shows a slight indentation in one of its elytra. I photographed it basking in the sun to warm itself.

Photo N° 2: Assassin bug nymphs


This image captures a curled leaf that likely served as a nest for this brood of assassin bug larvae. As larvae, they resemble beetles, but these bugs are actually sap-sucking insects whose larvae (the correct term is nymphs) go through several stages. If you look closely, you'll see they don't yet have wings.

Photo N° 3: Slug.


Slugs are mollusks, which also include snails. Slugs are distinguished by the fact that they don't have shells, although some (according to Wikipedia) have an internal shell. These small animals require high humidity. And they have a bad reputation because, in addition to destroying plants and vegetables in crops, some can transmit viruses and diseases to humans, as they serve as hosts for them.

Photo N° 4: Grasshopper


One of my favorite insects is the grasshopper. I'm fascinated by them, from their development and larval stages to their behavior and jumping. Many believe that grasshoppers bring good luck and herald a leap of faith in your life. What do you think?

Photo N° 5: Mud nest built by wasps.


Here's an interesting wasp nest construction; they look like tunnels because of their length, made from mud they themselves create. These nests house many wasps. I wasn't able to take pictures of the wasps, so I don't know any more details about the species that built it, and Google Lens wasn't much help in this case.