I’ve been obsessed with capturing the perfect photo of a particular spider, but I only recently found out that it can shoot venom up to 8 inches away! keep reading to find out which “harmless” spider I’m talking about! Be careful when doing bug photography!
I used to work with a lot of professional photographers in my 20s. I remember one saying, “It’s crazy how advanced phone cameras have become. Sometimes I leave all of my heavy gear at home and just shoot with my iPhone and still get some amazing shots.”
All of the bug photography in this post was taken with my Samsung Galaxy phone.
Bug Photography
Caterpillar Bug Photography
Caterpillars make excellent fashion models! Their bright colors help you spot them from far away, plus they are slow-moving, so they kind of have to do a photoshoot with you.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar
The caterpillar featured below will transform into a magnificent black swallowtail butterfly – my favorite! This bug loves to eat dill, fennel, carrot, and parsley, so if you see this little guy in your garden, be kind and consider sharing your crops or simply relocate it.
*Note: Even if a caterpillar species looks harmless, treat them all as if they were poisonous, meaning don’t pick them up with your bare hands or touch them! Bug identification can be tricky as many species like to mimic each other!
Wild Wacky Mystery Bug
Sometimes, when doing bug photography, you will come across an unidentifiable creature. This was one of those times. I have no idea what kind of caterpillar this is!
Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar
This caterpillar is probably the most plentiful on my property in Texas, however, I was unable to find much information about them. Always assume caterpillars are poisonous to stay on the safe side! Don’t touch or handle them, but don’t kill them either.
A website called Butterflies at Home says this caterpillar turns into a lovely tan, black, and white butterfly as seen in the photos below.
Inchworm
As I said before, in the world of bug photography, there are times you will stumble across a critter you can’t identify (or you may not have time to because bug identification can be a rabbit hole of research and dichotomous keys!)
Let’s just call this little dude an “inchworm.” I’m pretty sure inchworms are harmless because I often find them on me and have never been bit or stung. They’re so cute! But, again – always assume caterpillars are poisonous and safely relocate them if needed.
Spider Bug Photography
OK, hear me out – spiders are adorable! Unless they are black widows. Sorry, but I have to draw the line somewhere.
Green Lynx Spider
The green lynx spider is fascinating! If you see one in your garden, leave it be. It will eat pests and protect your plants. However, the lynx spider has also been known to eat pollinators like bees and wasps.
Fun fact! Zoologist Linda Fink noticed cool droplets would often appear on her skin while studying the lynx spider. Upon further investigation, she realized the bugs were spraying venom on her from almost eight inches away! Some of the venom even landed in Fink’s mouth and she said it tasted “bitter.” The spider can bite humans, but the venom doesn’t cause much harm other than itching, swelling, and redness. In her studies, Fink noted that someone was sprayed in the eyes with lynx spider venom and suffered from impaired vision for two days, so be careful when capturing images of this little beauty.
Wolf Spider
I love wolf spiders! The ones on my property have a leg span as big as my palm! I can seriously hear them walking across the concrete of my garage. It’s cool to see the females carrying hundreds of tiny babies on their backs too. So cute!
Wolf spiders are not poisonous, but some people may be allergic to their bites, so don’t touch them. Also, because of their size, the bite could be painful.
White Crab Spider
This is probably one of my favorite bug photography pictures I’ve ever taken! I think this is a white crab spider, but I’m not 100% sure. Always stay on the safe side and assume the bug is poisonous. What a beauty!
Insect Art
Do you love bugs? Check out the amazingly talented Sharden Killmore, an artist who uses ethically harvested insect parts to make gorgeous art!
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