Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
I’ve always found this creepy old proverb oddly comforting. As a hacker and a photographer, curiosity isn’t just a trait, it’s a compulsion. It drives me into damp forests, under logs, behind lenses, and deep into code. Satisfaction? That’s the click of the shutter when the light hits just right.
I think curiosity may be the main reason I love macro photography the way that I do. You see, I’m an old man and sometimes the ol’ eyesight needs a little boost, so I started by using my phone to grab close up shots of labels so I can zoom in and read them without squinting. I’m using an S24 Ultra and I gotta say, I’m really impressed with the zoom capabilities this pocket-sized picture-taking powerhouse has. (Ok, maybe that alliteration was a reach, but you get the picture, right? — Oh!!! I crack myself up!!) So, being the hacker-type that I am, I started to experiment and see what this baby is really capable of.
Now, I won’t bore you all (probably only one reader – I love you, Babe! Thanks for being my biggest fan!!) with too many stats or technical specs, because macro photography isn’t about the camera I use, it’s not about the lens I attach, it’s not about the software that I use for editing, heck it ain’t even about me at all! It’s all about the subject. Most of the keeper shots I have on my hard drive tell a story.
Meet the Oil Beetle: a slow-moving insect with a secret weapon—blistering oil. Its larvae are master hitchhikers, sneaking into bee nests to feast like tiny cyber-intruders:
The Backstory
I was working one day (I work remote, from home) and I decided to take a break and walk around the yard with my wife and 2 of the littlest of my 4 little girls. I didn’t think to bring my camera, and I also forgot my phone, so when I see what appears to be a plain black beetle of some sorts, I think I grabbed a small twig or something to perch it on and bring it in for a closer look. Then, I borrowed my wife’s phone (also an S24 Ultra) and zoomed in so as to fill the frame with this little critter’s glorious iridescence and took the shot. Other than cropping, I made only minor adjustments to get the final outcome. But as I mentioned, this isn’t about any of that, this is about the Oil Beetle and I’m happy to have learned at least a little about the subjects that I shoot.
Oil Beetle Fun Facts:
- They are flightless beetles with shortened wing covers (elytra) and a swollen abdomen, giving them a distinctive look.
- When threatened, they release an oily fluid containing cantharidin, a toxic chemical that can cause blisters on human skin and deter predators.
- Their larvae, called triungulins, use a clever parasitic strategy: they hitch rides on bees, infiltrate their nests, and feed on bee eggs and stored pollen.
- Adult oil beetles feed on plants like buttercups, mustard greens, potatoes, and grasses.
- They are most commonly found in Europe and North America, especially in spring when they are most active.
- Females lay up to 1,000 eggs, timing their hatching to coincide with bee activity.
- Historically, cantharidin from oil beetles was used in traditional medicine, though it is highly toxic and dangerous.
Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more stories and more!!