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a mole cricket


a mole cricket
Photo Information
Copyright: Jacob van der Weele (Bufo) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 69 N: 951] (4247)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-24
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon 20D, 100 macro
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-10-04 0:34
Viewed: 3726
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Perhaps, one of the most prehistoric looking insect families is Gyllotalpa. The scientific name derives from the Latin 'gryllus' meaning cricket and 'talpa', mole, and refers to its similarity to a mole in both looks and subterranean habits. The body is brown in colour and covered with fine velvety hairs, and the forelegs are greatly modified for digging. Only the adult stages are winged, and flight is said to be clumsy, directionless and only performed on rare occasions at night. Males can be distinguished from the females by the open vein area in the forewing known as the 'harp', females lack the external ovipositor of other crickets.
Gryllotalpa is a genus of insects in the family Gryllotalpidae. It contains the following species:
Gryllotalpa major
Gryllotalpa brachyptera
Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa
Gryllotalpa orientalis

Information from wikipedia and www.arkive.org

From the corner of my eye I saw this one in the sandpit in Jaglowo eastern Poland where I already had found Fire bellied toad. It was tring to dig itself in, I suppose to avoid the burning bright sunlight. I could just take a few shots

front view
JORAPAVI, Argus, fartash, Adanac, Jamesp, cecilia, meyerd, cicindela has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hola Jacob,
Curioso insecto, excelente definición y detalles, buena aproximación, saludos
Jose Ramón

Hi Jacob
lovely portrait of this cricket with perfect sharpness and nice low pov. Imho the compo is too much centered and a more dynamic compo following the rule of thirds would even improve the picture.
tfs
tom

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-10-04 7:08]

Hello Jacob,
Nice macro of a Mole Cricket, a rare species in Sweden that I have yet to see.
You used the bright sunlight well and had the optimum DOF to allo wth cricket to show sharply. Nice natural BG and satifying composition.
Well done and TFS!
Regards, Ivan

Hello Jacob
Very intersting spiece to shoot,
Perfect details,lighting and composition,
Superb shot,Welldone.

Good Luck
Fartash

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2007-10-04 14:55]

Hello Jacob,
Great camera work gives us an excellent view of this intriguing looking cricket, thanks for sharing.
Rick

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1369 W: 9 N: 6334] (18906)
  • [2007-10-04 23:14]

Hi Jacob

A great macro. Good low POV and excellent DOF.

James

Some parts of Asia, this is a delicacy :) well captured...
Cecilia

Hello Jacob,
you made a good job with a difficult animal: brownish, unelegant, ugly Gryllotalpa. And I am pleased you gave it a break! TN is so much more interesting if people don't concentrate only on flashy butterflies. Thanks for presenting it.
PS: I like the animal!
My best regards
Dietrich

And finally something entomological ;)
I have to say, that I observed Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa only some 5-6 times in the wild, so your picture is really interesting for me. It is not easy to find this species, and to take a good picture - really very difficult :)
As I see this is a larva, so the specimen was also small (another points for good macro!).
Finally I am grateful for interesting note, I did not know that in this family are only 4 species! It is rather unique especially among Orthoptera families :)
Best greetinsg from Lodz!
Radomir

Ps. One more point for taking this photo in Poland! ;)

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