Bug-eyed at insect insight

A JAW-DROPPING series of photos has put the fascinating miniature world of minibeasts under the microscope, giving humans an intimate insight into a bug’s life. Australian insect expert and photographer Alan Henderson has released his new book Minibeasts, which canvases a visual feast of colourful critters in their natural environment across Australia.

The inquisitive face of a Conehead Katydid (Copiphorini). They have large mandibles which are well suited to a diet of seed eating. Some are opportunistic predators, tackling prey such as caterpillars with their spiny front legs. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

1/16The inquisitive face of a Conehead Katydid (Copiphorini). They have large mandibles which are well suited to a diet of seed eating. Some are opportunistic predators, tackling prey such as caterpillars with their spiny front legs. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Sharp features - Longicorn Beetles (Cerambycidae) are wood-boring beetles. Their powerful mandibles dominate their face, along with a pair of large compound eyes. They are the bolt-cutters of the minibeast world, with the ability to make short work of hard timber. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

2/16Sharp features - Longicorn Beetles (Cerambycidae) are wood-boring beetles. Their powerful mandibles dominate their face, along with a pair of large compound eyes. They are the bolt-cutters of the minibeast world, with the ability to make short work of hard timber. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Why the long face? -This seed-eating katydid (Pseudorhynchus lessonii) has an elongated head and body, allowing it to lay flat along grass stems to hide. It has powerful mandibles for crushing hard seeds — mandibles also quite useful as a defensive measure against predators. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

3/16Why the long face? -This seed-eating katydid (Pseudorhynchus lessonii) has an elongated head and body, allowing it to lay flat along grass stems to hide. It has powerful mandibles for crushing hard seeds — mandibles also quite useful as a defensive measure against predators. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Holding on - A male weevil (Gonipterini) has found his mate and is secure on her back. During breeding season, pairs will often spend long periods of time linked together. The males, having found a receptive female, are keen to hold on to their catch. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

4/16Holding on - A male weevil (Gonipterini) has found his mate and is secure on her back. During breeding season, pairs will often spend long periods of time linked together. The males, having found a receptive female, are keen to hold on to their catch. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Always watching - (Hierodula majuscula) is a large rainforest predator. Praying mantises have large, engaging compound eyes with false pupils called pseudopupils. The pseudopupils are not true pupils but create the optical illusion that the mantis is always looking directly at you. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

5/16Always watching - (Hierodula majuscula) is a large rainforest predator. Praying mantises have large, engaging compound eyes with false pupils called pseudopupils. The pseudopupils are not true pupils but create the optical illusion that the mantis is always looking directly at you. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

All eyes - A tiny Monkey Grasshopper (Biroella sp.) only 15 millimetres (1/2 inch) long, peeps over a leaf. Its huge eyes provide it with a great field of view, enabling it to see predators coming and take evasive action if required. This group of grasshoppers is found in jungles throughout the world. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

6/16All eyes - A tiny Monkey Grasshopper (Biroella sp.) only 15 millimetres (1/2 inch) long, peeps over a leaf. Its huge eyes provide it with a great field of view, enabling it to see predators coming and take evasive action if required. This group of grasshoppers is found in jungles throughout the world. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Mischievous intentions - This happy-looking katydid is actually a smiling assassin. The Gum-leaf Katydid (Terpandrus woodgeri) is a fearsome predator able to catch and dismember insects as large as itself. It uses a combination of vision and chemical sensing via its antennae to detect its prey. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

7/16Mischievous intentions - This happy-looking katydid is actually a smiling assassin. The Gum-leaf Katydid (Terpandrus woodgeri) is a fearsome predator able to catch and dismember insects as large as itself. It uses a combination of vision and chemical sensing via its antennae to detect its prey. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Big show on a small scale -Male Peacock Jumping Spiders are tiny, about 5 millimetres long (1/10 inch). Yet what they lack in size they make up for with colour and show. This male (Maratus amabilis) is displaying to a female, holding his abdomen aloft and extending flaps of skin on the sides to expand his fantastic display. Males of each of the various species have a unique pattern and colour scheme which, when combined with distinct dance moves, aids the females to not only identify their mates but also to judge their fitness. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

8/16Big show on a small scale -Male Peacock Jumping Spiders are tiny, about 5 millimetres long (1/10 inch). Yet what they lack in size they make up for with colour and show. This male (Maratus amabilis) is displaying to a female, holding his abdomen aloft and extending flaps of skin on the sides to expand his fantastic display. Males of each of the various species have a unique pattern and colour scheme which, when combined with distinct dance moves, aids the females to not only identify their mates but also to judge their fitness. An image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Mantispid Wasp envy - While this animal looks very much like a wasp, it is not related at all. It is a Mantispid (Neuroptera), an insect in the lacewing family. It cannot sting and is an example of Batesian mimicry. Many predators would avoid it due to its wasp-like colouration and shape. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

9/16Mantispid Wasp envy - While this animal looks very much like a wasp, it is not related at all. It is a Mantispid (Neuroptera), an insect in the lacewing family. It cannot sting and is an example of Batesian mimicry. Many predators would avoid it due to its wasp-like colouration and shape. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

After monsoonal rains in southwest United States and Mexico, these bizarre-looking Giant Velvet Mites (Dinothrombium sp.) suddenly appear and wander the ground in broad daylight. Their vivid red colour warns off predators, so they can seek out their food in relative safety. They prey on small invertebrates which include winged termites that also emerge en masse after the rains. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

10/16After monsoonal rains in southwest United States and Mexico, these bizarre-looking Giant Velvet Mites (Dinothrombium sp.) suddenly appear and wander the ground in broad daylight. Their vivid red colour warns off predators, so they can seek out their food in relative safety. They prey on small invertebrates which include winged termites that also emerge en masse after the rains. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Sensory overload - Bristling with sensory hairs, this Banded Huntsman (Holconia murrayensis) is on full alert and waiting for airborne prey. Spiders have a variety of hair types, including trichobothria. These are incredibly sensitive to air movement, and allow the spider to ‘hear’ the vibrations caused by the beating of an insect’s wings and accurately pinpoint its location. Spiders like this huntsman are able to hunt in the dark without vision and still lunge with precision to capture prey in mid-flight. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

11/16Sensory overload - Bristling with sensory hairs, this Banded Huntsman (Holconia murrayensis) is on full alert and waiting for airborne prey. Spiders have a variety of hair types, including trichobothria. These are incredibly sensitive to air movement, and allow the spider to ‘hear’ the vibrations caused by the beating of an insect’s wings and accurately pinpoint its location. Spiders like this huntsman are able to hunt in the dark without vision and still lunge with precision to capture prey in mid-flight. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

$Jewels of the rainforest - Few beetles match the stunning array of metallic colours exhibited by the Rainbow Stag Beetle (Phalacrognathus muelleri). The colours aren’t due to pigments, but a multilayered nanostructure within the surface of the beetle’s exoskeleton which refracts the light. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.$

12/16Jewels of the rainforest - Few beetles match the stunning array of metallic colours exhibited by the Rainbow Stag Beetle (Phalacrognathus muelleri). The colours aren’t due to pigments, but a multilayered nanostructure within the surface of the beetle’s exoskeleton which refracts the light. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Baby praying mantids hatching. Mantids typically hatch en masse from a specialized egg case called an ootheca. The young emerge as worm-like larvae on silken strands, then moult their exoskeletons almost immediately, becoming functional miniature mantids. Soon after, they begin to disperse to begin life as individual hunters. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

13/16Baby praying mantids hatching. Mantids typically hatch en masse from a specialized egg case called an ootheca. The young emerge as worm-like larvae on silken strands, then moult their exoskeletons almost immediately, becoming functional miniature mantids. Soon after, they begin to disperse to begin life as individual hunters. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

14/16Baby praying mantids hatching. Mantids typically hatch en masse from a specialized egg case called an ootheca. The young emerge as worm-like larvae on silken strands, then moult their exoskeletons almost immediately, becoming functional miniature mantids. Soon after, they begin to disperse to begin life as individual hunters. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

The smart spider - The face of the most intelligent spider on Earth. Portia (Portia fimbriata) is a jumping spider. It is a specialist spider assassin and can solve an array of problems it may encounter while stalking its prey. It can modify its tactics if they are not working, and uses different techniques to attack different species of spiders. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

15/16The smart spider - The face of the most intelligent spider on Earth. Portia (Portia fimbriata) is a jumping spider. It is a specialist spider assassin and can solve an array of problems it may encounter while stalking its prey. It can modify its tactics if they are not working, and uses different techniques to attack different species of spiders. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Eyes of the wolf - Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) are fastmoving hunters that run down their prey. They have excellent eyesight with six forward facing eyes and another two large eyes on the back of the head, giving them extensive visual coverage. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

16/16Eyes of the wolf - Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae) are fastmoving hunters that run down their prey. They have excellent eyesight with six forward facing eyes and another two large eyes on the back of the head, giving them extensive visual coverage. Image from the book, Minibeasts by Alan Henderson. Picture: Minibeasts/Alan Henderson Minibeasts, is available from www.exislpublishing,com and wherever incredible books are sold.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/a-bugs-life-insect-insight/image-gallery/7fd1f13b848a64f6207c07c242c4dc75