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Pisaura mirabilis (Family: Pisauridae; nursery web spider)
Males of this species offer food gifts to potential female mates. Some Pisaura mirabilis have also been observed to feign death, remaining still while holding the food gift in their mouths. When the female approaches and tries to take the food away, the male springs back to life and attempts to mate. The strategy of playing dead more than doubles a male's odds of successfully achieving copulation, from 40% to 89%. A visual characteristic of this species which helps identification is the triangular formations close to its eyes. The photos show different specimens with a view to showing the differences in the markings on their back.
Photos by Mahi Goula, George Parchas and Nicholas Parchas
Shooting Data:
1. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
2. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
3. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/9, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
4. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 125
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
5. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
6. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 MACRO 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Metz 44-MZ-2
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS5, levels adjusted,sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
7. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 160
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/14, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
8. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 125
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
9. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 125
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
10. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 125
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
11. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
12. Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 180mmf/3.5L USM Macro 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/250 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Canon 580EX II
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS4, levels adjusted, sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
13. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 MACRO 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/10, Manual mode
Flash: Metz 44-MZ-2
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS5, levels adjusted,sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
14. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 MACRO 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Metz 44-MZ-2
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS5, levels adjusted,sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
15. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 MACRO 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Metz 44-MZ-2
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS5, levels adjusted,sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
16. Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: Tamron 180mm f/3.5 MACRO 1:1
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/200 sec - f/13, Manual mode
Flash: Metz 44-MZ-2
Image: RAW edited in Photoshop CS5, levels adjusted,sharpening added saved as JPEG and resized.
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