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taxonomy and ethology
of robber flies
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Got It!

February 28, 2012

OK, I figured it out. I now know how to shoot photographs of pinned robber flies without either unsightly highlights or blow outs in the wing membranes. I did it with the light equivalent of an echo chamber, i.e. a diffuser. I put a pinning tray at the bottom of a cream-coloured ceramic cookie jar. I shot directly down into that with the circular flash providing all the light, from the copy stand. It was so dark inside the jar without the flash that in order to initially focus on the top of the pin, I had to use a flashlight.

I posted habitus photos of both males and females for several Laphria s. str. that I made using this technique, namely of L. apila, L. grossa, L. lata, and L. macquarti. I also re-took the photographs of just the males for L. champlainii and L. floridensis, and added one for L. posticata scutellaris.

Now all I have to do is re-take most of the other photographs ;->.