Parasitica photography

I've been asked several times recently about how I take photographs of parasitic wasps, so here are the details of my current setup:

• Specimens: preserved in 70% alcohol, suspended in clear alcohol hand gel in a small transparent lid covered with a coverslip. 
• Microscope: Brunel SP300 compound trinocular microscope, using 2.5X, 4X, 10X or 20X objectives as appropriate. 
• Camera: Sony a7Rii.
• Lighting: Dual gooseneck LED plus two Ikea Jansjö LED lamps, diffused by a cylinder of white kitchen towel. 
• Post-processing: Focus stacked with Helicon Focus, processed with Canva Affinity. 

See: Cann, A. (2025) Fine Details: Tips for improving specimen photography. Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 38: 199-206.

 

Entomology Update - April 2026

Spring is here but with night time frosts and the now common spring drought which will shape the rest of the year.

New Arachnid Recording Schemes Atlas

A exemplar of how to make biological records available.  

Platycheirus ambiguus

A happy accident. 

He's only gone and bought *another* camera

I'm afraid so...

Teeny-tiny wasp willies

It's a specialist interest I have to admit, but what's the deal hymenopterists - why the reluctance to dissect?

Finessing focus stacking
I've been experimenting to see if I can improve the quality of microscope images I generate. The answer is - yes ... but ...

Notable Finds

Mesopolobus aequus, 1st record for VC55

Cryptoserphus dilatus, 1st record for VC55

News from Elsewhere

Ubiquitous presence of pesticides in feathers of common UK birds

A new research paper looking at pesticide residues in bird feathers in Leicestershire and elsewhere finds that:

• Every single feather sample tested contained measurable levels of pesticides. 
• On average, samples contained more than 5 different pesticides. 
• Despite being banned for outdoor agricultural use in 2018, neonicotinoids were frequently detected.

Read previous updates

Latest photos