Little Baby Vampires (Well...half of them anyway) by Chipka
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Description
I’d intended on posting something else, as my previous shot was also an insect portrait. But this one grabbed me.
As I emptied garbage last week, I noticed something strange in a mop bucket neighbors happened to leave outside. It filled with rainwater, and fallen leaves. There was debris of some cryptic sort in the water as well. But what I noticed were rather ludicrously-active worms of some sort. Some were pinkish, others were deep, ferrous red. They were intriguing, and a bit exhausting to watch. After a bit of research I learned that they’re midge larvae, though they look like the sorts of brain-infesting parasitic worms Agent Scully would pull out of some mysterious corpse in The X-Files.
Needless to say, I’ve never had close encounters with larval midges, and so I captured a few of them with the intention of documenting their collective life cycle. In capturing midges, I also captured the larvae of Culex mosquitoes. They were too small for me to see with the naked eye, and it was only after a few days that I even noticed them. I have mixed feelings about them. They’re incredibly cute as larvae, but I know what they will become, and I also know that as adults, the females of the species are a convenient vector for the West Nile virus. That particular virus has invaded the Chicago area and so…my lovely larvae are going to get a nice, comfortable chlorine bleach bath once they’ve pupated. (I’ll photograph them first, of course.) It’s too bad, though, because male mosquitoes are nectar eaters and rather decent pollinators; they’re docile. Friendly. But the females…woah! They make Dracula look like a dim-witted, but nice little Boy Scout who helps little old ladies across the street—at night, of course…before he turns into a bat and goes in search of other little old ladies to help across busy intersections.
I couldn’t resist photographing these critters. They’re quite intriguing after all. They breathe through their bums, and swim in two different ways (either by flexing their bodies in a flip-flop wiggling motion, or simply propelling themselves, using—of all things—their mouth hairs. They use their mustaches for aquatic locomotion! How cool is that?) I was amazed that I could actually capture them as clearly as I did.
As to whether or not this is a truly artistic image is up for debate, but I think it belongs in my gallery simply because mosquito larvae are cute in a way…I mean, just look at those eyes! Those mandible-looking bits are actually antennae and not powerful jaws. I also suspect that they’re in my gallery simply because they were such a challenge to capture…that alone is worthy of digital immortality, and so—artistic or not—I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed the challenge of capturing it.
Now that I've been all nice and creepy, I hope you're all having a great week and the start of a great weekend.
Comments (26)
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
clbsmiley
Ooo!! bugs!! I thought of you when I killed a spider in the bathroom... sorry he was jumping around so he died. If he had left me alone, I would have left him alone. I tried to look him up online but I smashed him. Creepy bugs and spiders. We have been inudated with the Crazy Raspberry Ant. Look that one up.. they even kill the fire ants.
moochagoo
This is a Mulder case, I agree. Well done.
CrownPrince
Chipka that is just plain creepy! A hot chlorine bath... With an amonia chaser! Excellent capture though!
zoren
always, the wonders of life!
blinkings
A bit of kero in the water would do them good mate.
helanker
OH WOW ! If that isnt amazing, I dont know what is. YOu really captured them beautifully. I LOVE this shot and I love your story behind it too. You did it again. :-D ROFL! "their moustache"
lick.a.witch
Amazing! I love these. I am allowed though, 'cos in the UK, not only are mosquito's called Gnats, they don't carry that awful disease. Leastways, not yet! I always knew we females were deadlier than the male! ^=^ Wear white, by the by. Mossies are repelled by light colours whilst attracted to darker hues. I am particularly intrigued by the hint of letters in the glasses' shadow... Fabulous Chip! Love it! Now I'm off to play more catch up! ^=^
sharky_
Blood thirsty they are... Interesting capture. Aloha
durleybeachbum
SUPERB!! A favourite, because although I see these on a daily basis I never thought to take their pics!! Those worms..Tubifex, they are called, are a great fish food, and when I kept tropicals I used to buy them each week. As Carpathia says we don't have the problem of that mozzy-carried disease here, thank goodness, but I tip the larvae into the pond and they are gobbled up!
prutzworks
cool crittershot
auntietk
They ARE quite interesting, but a bit of bleach would be just the thing. :P I agree this belongs in your gallery, in a weird sort of way!
THROBBE
Great shot and work!
popeslattz
Excellent capture, and very artistic, indeed. as for the "cute" little creatures, I think the clorine bath is a suitable end for them. I always thought it was interesdting that only the females are blood suckers. I didn't know that they breath through their bums. Thanks for enlightening me.
redchilicat
Cool shot of these evil little critters, at the moment we have a problem with equine encephalitis down here.
myrrhluz
Superb capture of the little critters! The three on the left are definitely giving you a calculating eye. Female I think. Very much in need of a toxic bath. The second from the right looks like he's doing the shimmy. This is an excellent shot, with wonderful detail, but I'm all in favor of a quick end to the little dears!
MagikUnicorn
Gorgeous! Like your story all the time
beachzz
this definitely belongs in your gallery, no question about it!! but for me, not so much; kinda gives me the yuckies!!
flavia49
fantastic capture!!
sandra46
fascinating, scary little thigs, i believe that the X Files would appreciate them. Super bacpture and a terrific cropping and postwork
Alex_Antonov
Wow!
MrsRatbag
Very Chip-esque indeed! I hate mosquitoes proportionately to the degree they love me; they will travel for miles if they hear I'm in the area. I have some mosquito bite scars I will carry to my grave! But this shot is truly wonderful. (Give my best to Corey when you see him, my thoughts are with him for his surgery.)
praep
The babies look more than a vampire as the adults do. Great shot.
aksirp
thats so cool!
danapommet
I have watched mosquito larva before but not from this POV. It is amazing that evolution have left them behind. Imagine starting out life, living upside down and breathing through a straw???? Thanks for doing all that work. Super capture and info. Dana
minos_6
I think that you can see from the number of comments that have already been made that this was worth sharing! Your account of these creatures is detailed and somewhat entertaining, which adds context to the image. This is actually an intriguing capture. Your insect subjects often seem to pose quite prettily for you, and this is no exception. The are interesting textures here too, no doubt from the dubious contents of the bucket. Very nice and well spotted capture!