The Mantis and Sphinx Moth

 The Arms of Death

Late one September afternoon when dusk was fast approaching, I was out in my yard and as I walked by the large desert willow tree, I heard a loud vibration of wings. I looked up on a higher branch that was covered in flowers and saw a sphinx moth frantically fluttering its wings.  When I took a closer look, I discovered that the moth was caught in the clutches of a preying mantis.  I found this quite amazing since the mantis was out-sized by the sphinx moth.

The sphinx moth, Sphingidae, is in the family of moths, Lepidoptera and is also known as hawk or hummingbird moths.   This moth can have a wingspan up to 3 inches (75mm) and is one of the fastest flying insects, reaching speeds of 30 mph, 50 km/h.  The body size of the moth and mantis are about equal at around 21/2 to 31/2 inches (65-90mm).

Wanting to catch this rare event with my camera, I quickly rushed in and changed to my Nikon 150mm 2.8 macro lens, ever aware of the fading light.  I set the D90 on Aperture priority at f/8 for depth of field and raised the ISO to 800 and fired the flash.  My shutter speed was indicating 1/60 second and I was afraid that it was not fast enough to freeze the wings and give me a sharp image.  Darkness was quickly replacing all light so I opened the aperture to f/5.6 and increased the ISO to 1600, at the same time fearful for digital noise that might ruin the photo. I guess when a photographer becomes desperate to get a photo they will go to any lengths. As a last resort, I had the light from my LED flashlight shining on the scene while I continued to fire the flash on my D90.

After processing the RAW images in Lightroom, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and lack of digital noise from the higher ISO.

 

 To some, this may be a less than desirable scene to watch and take photos of a preying mantis eating a beautiful moth.  And yes, I had to overcome the tremendous desire to take the fluttering moth from death’s grip.  However as a wildlife and nature photographer, this is one occasion where I have to think with my logical brain and not my heart.  Nature has its balance and I am just an observer, I must always adhere to the principles of taking only photos and leaving only memories. 

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

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