Macro Matters Life in the foliage Late summer is prime time for seeking out caterpillars in your back garden. They may not be the most popular subject for macro photography, says Robert Thompson, but at least they won’t fly away from your camera!

Hercules (Coscinocera Hercules larva) This species is a resident of Australia and New Guinea and one of the largest caterpillars in the world. They can reach a length of over 12cm. The spines are harmless and don’t contain any venom 132 Wild Planet Nikon D3X with 200mm Micro Nikkor lens, ISO 100, f/16, flash, tripod Elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) One of the most attractive hawk-moth caterpillars, it feeds on rosebay willow herb and is often seen feeding on the flowers during the daytime. The caterpillars also feed on fuchsia and are sometimes found in gardens. When alarmed, the larva retracts its head into its anterior abdominal segments, giving the appearance of an elephant’s trunk (hence the name), or a snake with four large eyespots Kodak Pro SLRn, 200mm Micro Nikkor lens, ISO 160, f/16, fill-in flash, tripod

he last weeks of summer September thorn ( erosaria) This is a relatively common species found throughout most of the British Isles. are now upon us, The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees. This caterpillar resembles a broken diversity and numbers are twig and is remarkably cryptic when seen at rest. The fine line, which looks like beginning to thin out – a scratch, is actually its lifeline, which it uses to climb back up to the branch T if it is suddenly dislodged some looking a little worse for wear, Nikon D3X, 200mm Micro Nikkor lens, ISO 100, f/16, fill-in flash, tripod but there is still lots of interesting subject material about. I normally run a macro workshop around this time frequently called) are not hugely the silk moth family (Saturniidae), for late summer dragonflies, early popular subjects among the macro many of which are found in tropical fungi and whatever else comes into fraternity. The lack of knowledge regions around the world. my photographic radar. and understanding of their complex August is an exceptionally good lifecycles is perhaps the most obvious Survival strategies month for caterpillars. I always reason. Nevertheless, they should not Most photographers come across make a point during the workshop of be overlooked; many are colourful caterpillars by chance, usually searching the nearby foliage of small and often bizarre in terms of their when the larvae are crawling across trees and shrubs if conditions are less shape and structure. They are by paths and pavements looking for a favourable for other subjects. Many nature more elusive, and they have suitable place in which to pupate. butterflies and will have laid to be, since they do not have the However, the vast majority remain their eggs during spring and early capability to escape a predator as concealed among the foliage during summer. The larvae will now be close an adult butterfly or moth might the day and largely go unnoticed. to full size, which makes them easier do. They have to rely completely on They have many enemies to contend to spot on the leaves and branches concealment, subterfuge and mimicry with during this stage in their of trees and shrubs. Most of these if they are to survive and make it development. Top of the list are species will overwinter in the pupa through the pupa stage and finally to small birds, particularly during stage and emerge next year as adults. adulthood. Some of the largest and the nesting season when they Caterpillars (or larvae as they are most colourful caterpillars belong to collect large numbers to satisfy the 134 Wild Planet Wild Planet 135 continual hunger of their developing offspring. Other predators include Pebble prominent (Notodonta ziczac) This is a curiously shaped caterpillar, which likes spiders, beetles, wasps, and a to rest with some of its legs detached from the plethora of parasitic . stem. It often twists and curls its body to resemble Larvae are also a favourite with the withered edge of a leaf. I was fortunate in this case that the caterpillar had little in the way of small mammals, while reptiles and distracting background foliage to contend with amphibians also take them when Nikon D3X, 200mm Micro Nikkor lens, the opportunity presents itself. Even ISO 100, f/16, fill-in flash, tripod fungi in the form of moulds are serious enemies, especially the genus Cordyceps, which attack hibernating caterpillars living in the soil. With so many predators it’s a wonder that any survive at all, but they do. Many have developed strategies and defence mechanisms, which reduce their risk of detection. Camouflage is perhaps the most obvious of these, and a large number of caterpillars adopt the colour and structure of the foliage and twigs they rest on, remaining perfectly still, or hiding during the day and feeding under the cover of darkness. Some species resemble bird droppings, or contain highly toxic chemicals such as cyanide, which they advertise in their brightly coloured patterns and markings and serves as a warning to predators. Many of the Eggar moths have large caterpillars with long, dense hairs, which can react with skin if touched. The smaller geometrid caterpillars, if disturbed, frequently feign death and drop into the ground vegetation making them difficult to find. Fieldcraft Caterpillars can be found in a wide range of habitats, even your own back garden. There are many different techniques for finding them. Some require to be more productive. leaves and are easily seen. Examine from a torch will often reveal them this method is that you have lost specialist knowledge, but others Searching small, often isolated “Caterpillars are the undersides of the leaves on the feeding at the top of the food plant the natural resting posture of your can easily be located with a bit willows and trees tend to be colourful and often lower branches of the tree and look quarry, and you are then faced with of careful searching and a basic more successful; you can easily for evidence of their presence. The Dubious method the challenge of trying to encourage understanding of their biology and examine the whole plant more bizarre in terms telltale signs are partially eaten Entomologists often use what is your subject back on to a branch habits. Most species are associated readily. Once you have discovered leaves, or in some cases the whole termed a ‘beating tray’ to search which can be extremely frustrating with a particular food plant while one caterpillar chances are there of their shape and branch is striped of its foliage. This for caterpillars. The tray is slipped experience. Once disturbed, others are more universal in their are others nearby as well. Checking is often the case with large hawk- underneath the branch, which is many caterpillars start to wander, taste, feeding on a range of different carefully along the thin branches structure” moth caterpillars, which consume then tapped firmly with a thick, seeking shelter low down among plants. Certain trees and shrubs and the undersides of the leaves their resting positions. much larger amounts of foliage when short stick; any larvae present the branches, which makes it nearly such as, birch, and various is the easiest way to locate larvae Some brightly coloured species reaching full size. Many species generally fall onto the pale impossible to achieve any sort of species of sallow and willow tend without disturbing them from rest openly on the upper surface of are also active after dark, the light stretched fabric. The problem with acceptable image. 136 Wild Planet Wild Planet 137 The sequence of images here surrounding branches in case it got but you need to reduce the teeth to allow as much of the background Case study: Eyed hawk-moth illustrates an almost fully-grown spooked and decided to wander off. a bit so they don’t penetrate the to remain diffused as possible. Eyed hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellatus) caterpillar of the Eyed hawk-moth The caterpillar's position was not small branches too much. Both This meant positioning the camera This image shows the small isolated sallow and the position of the caterpillar (Smerinthus ocellatus), which was ideal due to the distracting foliage approaches work equally well except parallel to the body of the subject. found on a previous late summer in the immediate background, but that cable ties are better when the Using a longer focal length macro workshop. You can clearly see how to try and coax it to move would branches are stronger. lens in the region of 200mm gives an well the caterpillar blends naturally only lead to frustration on the Caterpillars remain motionless increased working distance between with its surroundings and the photographer's part as they generally for long periods providing you do the lens and subject, thereby distinctive horn-like projection at crawl down to hide among the not touch them, which gives you minimising your chances of hitting the end of its abdomen – a feature ground vegetation. time to study the framing and the surrounding foliage. If you don’t that is characteristic in virtually all compositional choices. A tripod is posses one, use a short telephoto hawk-moth caterpillars. The larva is Diffusing the background indispensable for this type of work; with extension tubes, which works low down in the sallow bush lying The best option here was to tie back it allows you to compose the image equally well. You can always check horizontally along a small branch. I some of the offending branches; this precisely. In this case, I wanted to your results before you return the was careful not to disturb it or the produced a much cleaner, diffused use an aperture that would just give branches to their normal positions. look to the background. I framed me enough depth of field to retain This is a very useful technique and “Caterpillars remain up the shot first of all and then sharpness on the caterpillar and can be applied to other situations used cable ties to pull the offending not progress too much beyond the when photographing subjects that motionless for long branches to the side just enough subject since the primary aim was rest on leaves and branches. periods providing you to clear the field of view. This is easily checked in the LCD screen. Robert Thompson is an accomplished freelance natural history do not touch them, I also removed a large sallow leaf photographer, writer and naturalist, living in Ireland. He is an which gives you time to in the foreground, which would be acclaimed macro specialist and author of a number of intrusive and impossible to keep in books on natural history and photography. His work is study the framing and focus. If you don’t have cable ties widely published in the UK, Ireland and internationally. compositional choices” you can use small crocodile clips, http://www.robertthompsonphotography.com

The finished image with the branches tied back, increasing the subject to background distance. Close-up of the caterpillar Nikon D3X, 200mm Micro Nikkor lens, showing the cluttered background ISO 100, f/8, fill-in flash, tripod