On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 10:30:40 +1100, David Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Spent a couple of sessions photographing these guys after discovering > them at the local National Park. Very funky little critters. Yesterday > the breeze was a little strong for my liking but I managed to get fairly > close to the shot I was after. Let me know what you think. > > http://davidavid.whatsbeef.net/imperialc.jpg > > BTW, if you're interested, have a look at a few of the other shots I got > the day before. The critters you're looking at are the caterpillars (and > butterflies) of the Imperial Blue. The larvae are tended by ants and > protected from predators and parasitoids. In return, the ants get sugary > glandular secretions. > > http://davidavid.whatsbeef.net/imperiala.jpg > http://davidavid.whatsbeef.net/imperialb.jpg > http://davidavid.whatsbeef.net/imperiald.jpg > > Cheers, > David >
Is that mutualism? When they both benefit? High school biology was soooo long ago... <g> Well, I like the shot. As Paul said, the backlighting really works well, and there's a certain symmetry formed by the ants that I really like. Very well done. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
