Phanaeus Imperator (male) - pose

Last week I posted the female of this stunning dung beetle from Argentina:

Hereby a series on the male. Equally shiny and colorful with a massive horn on the head added.

comments (13)

Christine Young

Lion

This series is incredible. You've really perfected your technique to the point where your photos look completely professional. Well done! I'm super impressed. Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Wow, kind words, thanks so much. I think in this case the subject itself really helps to make an impression. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    You're welcome. The beetle is gorgeous, of course. But, your skills and all you have learned are really shining! Posted 4 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      Thanks again. This one took an extraordinary amount of time. Still had to throw away 2 out of 3 shots. Which is fine with normal macro, but a single shot with focus stacking is very time consuming.
      
      The other reason for this time sink is my experimentation with cleaning them. This arguably wasn't the most difficult to clean, but wanted to share that I've used a chemical called Decon90 on this one. Mixed with 50% water, and only for 10 mins.
      
      Still too early to call it a magic potion, need to test it on more subjects. You should see it as a "if all else fails" method. Posted 4 years ago
    2. 1. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Oh, wow. Well, the cleanliness shows. It looks pristine. I've used Decon 90 in lab settings...never thought of it for cleaning insects, but it clearly works! Posted 4 years ago
      2. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        So far, so good. Here's the source of inspiration for using it:
        https://www.flickr.com/photos/andredekesel/12644456773/
        
        But that post has to be interpreted with care. The overall removal of dust particles/threads as seen in that specimen is something that likely could have also been achieved with just detergent in warmish water.
        
        The particular Decon90 benefit might be that it also removes sticky dirt (that would normally require a scrub action) and even better: supposedly it can also somewhat restore compound eyes. Both claims I'm still testing.
        
        And to complete the tour of cleaning experiments:
        
        Note the brown dirt on the black part of thorax. This I failed to remove. Allan Walls suggested it's wax-like. It's a result of such specimens put in an oven to speed up their drying process. This expels some of the body fluids, which then dry up and become near impossible to remove. Butylglycol is the suggested chemical to use. I did use it, but still did not manage to remove it using that method. Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        The difference in the eyes in that flickr post is impressive! I have some super dirty bugs that I might play around with trying to clean. I'm going to start with soapy water though. Posted 4 years ago
        
        Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        Great, please do share your findings, love to know about it. Posted 4 years ago

Christine Young

Lion

Today's Facebook post:

Can you believe that this beauty is a dung beetle!? Click the link for more stunning photos! {Phanaeus imperator by Ferdy Christant} #JungleDragon #PhanaeusImperator #dungbeetle

https://www.facebook.com/jungledragonwildlife Posted 4 years ago

Wesley Goorachan

Lion

This is truly amazing Ferdy. Posted 4 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Glad you like my new car, Wesley :) Posted 4 years ago