Bombyx mori update

Ok so a few days ago the adult Bombyx mori started to emerge. And seeing as they are unable to fly I rarely get more grateful photo objects. This resulted in a bit of experimenting with surface and other factors. I was using my Canon 60mm macro lens, but altered with different settings, using my ring flash, using a tripod and changing the background. Since they are predominately white I think a black background proved the most beneficial.

Here is the life cycle continued with first the adults hatching from the cocoons (I was not there for this event). Then they found mates and copulation took place (mid photo). The sperm of male Bombyx mori is dimorphic meaning they have two types of sperm Anucleate  apyrene sperm and nuclate eupyrene sperm. One for fertilization action and one seems to be assisting in fertilization (Ken Sahara and Naoko Kawamura, 2002). In the last photo the eggs are placed sticking to the wall of the box and they are placed everywwere in that box.

KEN SAHARA & NAOKO KAWAMURA 2002. Double copulation of a female with sterile diploid and polyploid males recovers fertility in Bombyx mori. Zygote, 10, 23-29.

 

So on to the photo-part of this post.  I started with a black shiny surface with random ridges on and I think it worked well taken from a horizontal angle towards the objects.

It deflected some of the light and it resorted in not being entirely black. Even though they cannot fly they are using their wings a lot and that is what is seen in the last picture, but it gave quite a different effect I think.

From straight up above I tried the same here using a ring flash and as you can see the reflection was quite severe. I made them slightly overexposed to enhance the whiteness of them.

Here I used a black sweater to get the background darker with less reflection. It worked but if I used the ring flash and additional light, the fabric pattern was very visible. I know black velvet cloth is better and will reflect less light. But as I have none of this, my black sweater will do.

Here are my two favorite close-ups of these nice animals. They might be flightless but certainly not without beauty.

Now I will store the eggs for next year and see if I manage to hatch them into new larvae. The adults will be released back to the wild today. Hope to produce some more posts soon I have several in the making stay tuned