UP CLOSE and Personal: Macro Photography Gems

Photos and captions by Peter Grob

Welcome to Peter Grob’s world, where no creature is too small to steal the big spotlight. The Switzerland native describes himself as an ambitious amateur photographer with a preference for macro models and a passion for jumping spiders.

Howler readers are invited to cozy up to this special selection of species that Grob caught on camera while traveling in Costa Rica. Most of the photos were taken at night.

Prepare to be awestruck when viewing more of his work at www. petergrob.ch and on Instagram@p_ grob.

Peter's photography takes a lot of effort to capture the macro images.

Some scientists estimate that there could be up to 300,000 different insect species in Costa Rica. So far, only around 35,000 have been recorded. With that many bugs, you are bound to cross paths with several dozen species on any given day.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED BEFORE PROCEEDING:

Howler is not responsible for any screams, itching or fears as a result of entomophobia. If you experience any of these symptons, just skip to the next section. Enjoy!

Travel & Adventure articles are translatable into 12 different languages, top 3:

Taken with Pentax gear

Light diffusion by @ak_diffuser (modified)

Details in „Gear“ highlight

Cahuita NP, Costa Rica

Cupiennius sp. wandering spider showing off

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

M.Zuiko 60mm Makro

Godox V350o

@ak_diffuser (modified)

Comadre, Limón, Costa Rica

Wee teeny robber fly

These robber flies are only 3-4 mm in size and one wonders what do they rob? Well, even smaller flying insects are what they are looking out for. Talking about flying. If you play in the dwarfed Champions league, air behaves to you more like water to us. They are more like swimming through the air than flying.

Taken with Pentax gear

Light diffusion by @ak_diffuser

(modified)

Details in „Gear“ highlight Focus stacked image

Monicas garden, Cahuita, Limón, Costa Rica

Female Phiale cf. guttata jumpingspider. Her common name is "Tiger jumping-spider".

Olympus OM-D E-M1 II

M.Zuiko 60mm macro

Godox V350o

@ak_diffuser (modified)

Tuba Creek, Limón, Costa Rica

One of my goals for my last trip to Costa Rica was to photograph this amazing species of stalk-eyed flies, and if possible the female and the male. So I went several times to the spot where I saw these critters' courtship and spent all together a full day of stalking and photographing several specimen. The first picture is a composite image of two separate photos.

The outcome is one of the all-time highlights of my "career" as a photographer. Especially getting both eyes of the male in focus is a real nightmare and took a lot of patience, swearing, sweating and nerves.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II M.Zuiko 60mm Macro Godox V350o @ak_diffuser (modified)

Juvenile scorpion scurrying at night in the leaf litter

Taken with Pentax gear Light diffusion by @ak_diffuser (modified) Details in „Gear“ highlight Focus stacked image

Cahuita, Limón, Costa Rica

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Yes, this is a real grasshopper living in Central America and not an AI generated monstrosity. I promise that I will never post any computer generated phantasy meant to look like something real. I have great concern about this new trend and technology that occurs on social media lately. Soon people will not be able to tell the difference between a real photo and an AI generated image anymore.

In my opinion this comes with even more loss of touch with nature for many people and will decrease the appreciation of what miracles evolution has brought to light over billions of years.

"What do I care if this or that bug gets extinct? Let's create something new with AI."

Don't get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against digital art as long as it is properly stated as such. But believe me, soon first AI generated images will be presented as real and we won't be able to tell the difference.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

M.Zuiko 60mm macro

Godox V350o

AK Diffuser (modified)

Focus stacked image

Tuba Creek, Limón, Costa Rica

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Chewbacca

Phoneutria depilata, the Costa Rican cousin of the Brazilian wandering spider, is a member of one of the most venomous spider families there is.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

M.Zuiko 60mm Macro

Godox V350o

@ak_diffuser (modified)

Comadre, Limón, Costa Rica

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Bullet ant

Despite the very impressive mandibles, the extremely painful sting is delivered from the other end. The common name "bullet ant" relates to the sudden impact of the sting and injection of the venom poneratoxin, which shall feel like one was hit by a bullet.

I don't know who actually was hit by a bullet and stung by a bullet ant to be able to compare both incidents, but I believe both are very painful.

Another trivia name is "24 hour ant" because that is the time span for the pain to wear off.

Taken in situ with a lot of cold sweat on my forehead with my robust and reliable Pentax gear

Light diffusion by @ak_diffuser (modified)

Details in "Gear“ highlight

Manzanillo, Limón, Costa Rica

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Paper wasp

Taken with Pentax gear Light diffusion by @ak_diffuser (modified)

Details in „Gear“ highlight Cahuita NP, Costa Rica

Beata sp. aka, McFuzzy butt

Arguably the member of the genus Beata belong to the cutest jumping-spiders ever.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

M.Zuiko 60mm Macro

Godox V350o

AK Diffuser (modified)

Focus stacked image

Cahuita NP, Limón, Costa Rica

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