Sleeping Dogwood Sawfly Larvae

Description: I was examining some red osier dogwoods when I noticed some feeding damage on some of the leaves. Lifting one of the leaves revealed a small group of dogwood sawfly larvae. The vibrant yellows and bold black and white patterns suggests that these larvae might be distasteful to predators like birds. I brought the leaf indoors and used a lightbox to illuminate the BG and used 2 flashes for the subjects. I chose this method as the white BG provides a more graphical feel to the image and shows off the subjects better than a soft green BG.

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Pertinent technical details or techniques:

D850 200mm f4 micro handheld (1/200 sec at f18, ISO250, 2 flashes at +1, -1ev in TTL mode diffused through cloth soft box, Cabin light panel used for BG. Levels, Topaz DeNoise AI, and image roation. Vertical display seems to generate the most interest with the petiole at the bottom of the frameā€¦Jim
Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)

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How interesting. Theyā€™re kinda cute curled up like that. Hope they donā€™t harm the tree in their feeding. I donā€™t know that Iā€™ve ever seen caterpillars sleep before so thanks for sharing a terrific photo and some info. f/4 just squeaked by in terms of DOF. I canā€™t believe they kept so still for you! Nice job.

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An amazing closeup scene here, Jim. A very fine studio take overallā€¦ :+1:

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Fascinating. Is the leaf resting on the light panel?

Including the damage to the leaf adds immensely to the narrative of the image.

The sawfly isnā€™t a fly but a wasp-like insect. They only damage the trees if there are large populations. Also, the damage is minimized because the plants are at the end of the growing season, and thus the leaves will fall in a few weeks.

Occasionally, wasps or hornets will attack the larvae. They usually chew the sawfly in half and fly them back to their nest.

 PgW
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Jim, what an amazing find and capture. The setup is nice, with the white BG, and wonderful lighting. Nice details throughout, as far as I can tell. The position on the leaf balances the composition nicely. Well done, and I canā€™t think of a think to improve the shot.

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This is a really beautiful image with the contrasting colors. The first thing that struck me though was thinking how cute and contented the little larvaes look! Itā€™s like a larvae nursery! Nice find!

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My first reaction also ā€“ cute! (In an odd sort of wayā€¦) Very nicely photographed with great detail and lighting. Were they waiting for nighfall to come alive?

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Thank you @Vanessa_Hill, @Diane_Miller , @Shirley_Freeman , @Paul_Breitkreuz , @paul_g_wiegman, and @_Kris. @paul_g_wiegman , I set the leaf right on the light panel and then adjust the power of the flashes for correct exposure. Sawflies do use group defense strategies by raising up the anterior part of their bodies in synchrony like people doing the wave in a stadium. It startles a predator and only a ā€œbraveā€ and experienced bird will know that this is just a ruseā€¦Jim

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Jim: A great find and a really good capture with your setup. Most excellent. >=))>

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Jim, Iā€™m thoroughly enjoying the graphic nature of this view. The white background fits the larvae perfectly with the sharp, chewed edge of the leaf and the larvaeā€™s positions adding to the striking graphics. Having all four in tight curls is greatā€¦Iā€™m guessing the curl is part of their startle/defense reflex.

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