The 10th International Congress of Dipterology (ICDX) is being held July 16-21 2023 in Reno, Nevada. Travel grants from the North American Dipterists Society, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Entomological Society of Canada have been made available to support student attendance. Funding from the Entomological Society of Canada will go specifically towards supporting Canadian students.
http://esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ESC_logo-300x352.png00Cass Chowdhuryhttp://esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ESC_logo-300x352.pngCass Chowdhury2023-02-23 21:37:342023-02-23 21:37:34Student travel grants available for International Congress of Dipterology
Female Physocephala tibialis with three males trying to claim her. Brampton Ontario
The first place winner of the 2022 ESC Photo Contest is Bob Noble, who captured this amazing image of a mating pileup of conopid flies. Let’s find out some more about this cool shot!
How did this image come about?
I was taking pictures of bees and butterflies in a part of Heart Lake Conservation Area that has a lot of wildflower plantings. I was in an area with goldenrod when I spotted a clump of something that included two Physocephala tibialis (a male and a female) and a Japanese Beetle. The flies seemed to move on from the beetle and they were joined by another male bringing the total to 3 flies. About 5 minutes later a third male joined in and then there was a lot of jockeying around for position. During this time I had to use one hand to hold the plant stem in the position I wanted and was shooting with the other. After about 90 pictures and 10 minutes the flies finally managed to get their formation lined up perfectly and I got the picture.
What do you like best about this image?
That all of the flies are in focus with a background that wasn’t too busy.
What is one piece of advice you would give to newcomers to insect photography?
Always keep practicing and learning so that you get more understanding of both your equipment and your subjects.
A brown mantidfly, perched on a Purple Prairie Clover. The insect resembles a reddish Polistes wasp crossed with a mantid, and has striking green eyes. The flower is brilliant pink, with yellow pollen on the stamens, and there are more out of focus in the background.
In this first of a series of three posts, we will find out what went into making a winning photo in the 2022 ESC photo contest. The first shot we will consider is the third place winner, Thilina Hettiarachchi with this stunning shot of a brown mantidfly Climaciella brunnea (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Thilina is an MSc student at the University of Manitoba studying taxonomy of Lasioglossum bees. .
I asked all the winners about their images:
How did this image come about?
I am originally from Sri Lanka and currently in an MSc in Entomology program at the University of Manitoba. Macrophotography is just one of my many hobbies, and it allows me to explore the beauty of insects and communicate that to others. I have a long-term goal of publishing a photobook of the insects of Manitoba. This past summer was an exciting one for me, as it was my first in Canada. While working on my research project, I had the opportunity to assist with pollinator surveys in the Manitoba Wildlife Management areas. This allowed me to explore new, exciting areas of Manitoba, and that is how I encountered this beautiful Brown Mantidfly.
What do you like best about this image?
Among the images I captured this summer, this is my favourite shot. This was my first encounter with this species and only my second encounter with the ever-charismatic Mantidfies. Beyond that, I love the colors, especially the background of Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea). These mantidflies are also not commonly recorded in Manitoba.
What is one piece of advice you would give to newcomers to insect photography?
If you are a newcomer, I would encourage you to practice as much as possible. Your patience is the most important skill you should develop to begin with this insect photography. Moreover, make sure to always get to know your photo subject. Since they are tiny, living creatures, it is very important to know their habits and behaviours. If you have at least a rough idea, then you know where you can find them and how best to handle them. I would also highly recommend considering using a flasher and a good diffuser to enhance the subject’s natural beauty. Shooting with soft and diffused light will take your photos quality to a whole new level.
https://esc-sec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Hettiarachchi-1-scaled.jpg19202560Bloghttp://esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ESC_logo-300x352.pngBlog2023-02-01 12:40:152023-02-01 14:56:52Behind the winning shots: Brown Mantidfly
“Building together” strives to build a foundation for future research and reveal areas that could benefit from an Indigenous perspective.
We seek submissions that include Indigenous knowledge sharing, co-creation and/or collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and Allochtones covering all areas of entomology.
To be included in the September 2023 roll-out of the issue please submit by June 30, 2023 at: cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-entomologist
http://esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ESC_logo-300x352.png00Bloghttp://esc-sec.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ESC_logo-300x352.pngBlog2022-12-05 12:18:262022-12-05 12:21:15Contribute! Special Issue of TCE: “Building Together: Indigenous Leadership in Entomology”
Student travel grants available for International Congress of Dipterology
The 10th International Congress of Dipterology (ICDX) is being held July 16-21 2023 in Reno, Nevada. Travel grants from the North American Dipterists Society, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Entomological Society of Canada have been made available to support student attendance. Funding from the Entomological Society of Canada will go specifically towards supporting Canadian students.
To apply, please visit https://dipterists.org/grants_awards.html and click on the Travel Grants tab.
The deadline to apply is March. 15th
Behind the winning shots: conopid stack!
Female Physocephala tibialis with three males trying to claim her. Brampton Ontario
How did this image come about?
I was taking pictures of bees and butterflies in a part of Heart Lake Conservation Area that has a lot of wildflower plantings. I was in an area with goldenrod when I spotted a clump of something that included two Physocephala tibialis (a male and a female) and a Japanese Beetle. The flies seemed to move on from the beetle and they were joined by another male bringing the total to 3 flies. About 5 minutes later a third male joined in and then there was a lot of jockeying around for position. During this time I had to use one hand to hold the plant stem in the position I wanted and was shooting with the other. After about 90 pictures and 10 minutes the flies finally managed to get their formation lined up perfectly and I got the picture.
What do you like best about this image?
That all of the flies are in focus with a background that wasn’t too busy.
Society directors: call for nominations
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS-APPLICATIONS
Deadline approaching: 28 February!
Society Directors help govern the ESC
Please help govern your society!
Submit nominations to ESC co-secretaries: ESCSecretary@esc-sec.ca
Achievement Awards
Please recognize the excellence of our colleagues!
Submit nominations to ESC vice-president: colin.favret@umontreal.ca
See the December 2022 ESC Bulletin (pp. 197-200) for details.
Behind the winning shots: Brown Mantidfly
A brown mantidfly, perched on a Purple Prairie Clover. The insect resembles a reddish Polistes wasp crossed with a mantid, and has striking green eyes. The flower is brilliant pink, with yellow pollen on the stamens, and there are more out of focus in the background.
In this first of a series of three posts, we will find out what went into making a winning photo in the 2022 ESC photo contest. The first shot we will consider is the third place winner, Thilina Hettiarachchi with this stunning shot of a brown mantidfly Climaciella brunnea (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). Thilina is an MSc student at the University of Manitoba studying taxonomy of Lasioglossum bees. .
I asked all the winners about their images:
How did this image come about?
I am originally from Sri Lanka and currently in an MSc in Entomology program at the University of Manitoba. Macrophotography is just one of my many hobbies, and it allows me to explore the beauty of insects and communicate that to others. I have a long-term goal of publishing a photobook of the insects of Manitoba. This past summer was an exciting one for me, as it was my first in Canada. While working on my research project, I had the opportunity to assist with pollinator surveys in the Manitoba Wildlife Management areas. This allowed me to explore new, exciting areas of Manitoba, and that is how I encountered this beautiful Brown Mantidfly.
What do you like best about this image?
Among the images I captured this summer, this is my favourite shot. This was my first encounter with this species and only my second encounter with the ever-charismatic Mantidfies. Beyond that, I love the colors, especially the background of Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea). These mantidflies are also not commonly recorded in Manitoba.
What is one piece of advice you would give to newcomers to insect photography?
If you are a newcomer, I would encourage you to practice as much as possible. Your patience is the most important skill you should develop to begin with this insect photography. Moreover, make sure to always get to know your photo subject. Since they are tiny, living creatures, it is very important to know their habits and behaviours. If you have at least a rough idea, then you know where you can find them and how best to handle them. I would also highly recommend considering using a flasher and a good diffuser to enhance the subject’s natural beauty. Shooting with soft and diffused light will take your photos quality to a whole new level.
Contribute! Special Issue of TCE: “Building Together: Indigenous Leadership in Entomology”
The Canadian
Entomologist
invites you to contribute to
a Special Issue:
Building together: Indigenous leadership in entomology (English)
Bâtir ensemble: Leadership autochtone en entomologie (French)
Toqitasik: L’nu’k ikana’tu’tij wjit ula entomology (Mi’kmaq)
Ka-mawmawi oushistawk: indigene neekawneewin daw entomology (Michif Cree)
Oko-ozhitooyang: Niigaananishinaabewanokiiwin gaye inwewin (Western Ojibway)
Agiklitiqniganik havaqatigiikniqmit: Nunaqaqaqtut Hivuliqhuqnigit kumaliqijutinuani (Inuinnaqtun)
“Building together” strives to build a foundation for future research and reveal areas that could benefit from an Indigenous perspective.
We seek submissions that include Indigenous knowledge sharing, co-creation and/or collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and Allochtones covering all areas of entomology.
To be included in the September 2023 roll-out of the issue please submit by June 30, 2023 at: cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-entomologist
For more information: editor@esc-sec.ca