Rhinoceros Beetle - Copris minutus

Photographing very black bugs

Yes, a problem, you might try overexposing--set your exposure compensation to +1, see if that brings out more detail on the beetle.

It really helps to have flash. The Canon 220EX (about $120) with an off-camera cord works well for macro. I usually hold the camera with one hand and the flash with the other for field work--I've not found a macro bracket I like. Might be hard to do that one-hand hold for you. With reall dark subjects, I have to do a pre-flash of a gray card to get good detail on the dark side of the histogram.

E-mail me if you want to converse about this.

Neat critter, where did you find it? I need to keep my eyes open, there is still stuff about with the recent warm weather, now turned cold.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 10 November, 2005 - 10:56am

Thanks

I found him hanging from a spider web this morning. I'll try more with the flash when my battery charges up. I DO need to get an external flash...X-mas is coming!

… Lynette Elliott, 10 November, 2005 - 11:00am

Copris fricator

Very good - a nice clean, shiny example of a fairly major male Copris fricator. Better pictures would be nice as well - I think I saw this sp. on Eric's wish list.

… Phillip Harpootlian, 10 November, 2005 - 10:10am

Copris.

Thanks, Phil, I think we wound up shooting one of my specimens for the field guide:-) I don't think I've ever seen a member of this species with such a well-developed horn. Sure this isn't C. minutus(?) instead?

… Eric R. Eaton, 10 November, 2005 - 10:53am

I was too hasty

You're absolutely right, this is minutus - I have seen many males of fricator with horns that large, but not often down here - much more commonly up north. C. fricator is 'usually' duller and larger.
Males and females of minutus have horns.

… Phillip Harpootlian, 10 November, 2005 - 11:22am