 WINNING PHOTO: Dr. Claudia Husseneder of the LSU Agricultural Center’s Department of Entomology was the winner of PCT’s 9th Annual Best Pest Photo Contest with this photo of a southern carpenter bee. |
Finalist photo: A reared Pseudacteon tricuspis female phorid fly was found attacking red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Photographer John Abbott explains, “This shot was taken with high-speed flashes and exposed at 1/50,000 second.” The photo was taken at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory at the University of Texas.
Photographer: John Abbott, University of Texas at Austin
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Finalist photo: While walking around Botanica (in Wichita, Kan.), Univar’s Cheryl Duart saw this two-striped grasshopper. “We pulled the camera out to snap a shot of him and it was almost as if he was posing for each shot,” she said.
Photographer: Cheryl Duart, Univar USA, Wichita, Kan.
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Finalist photo: Daniel Dye captured a photo of an ogrefaced spider (Deinopis spinosa) about to throw a net on a cricket walking on a tree. The photo was taken in Torreya State Park.
Photographer: Daniel Dye, Florida Pest Control & Chemical Co., Gainesville, Fla.
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Finalist photo: Residex’s Pete Elbert photographed this magnolia green jumping spider (Lyssomanes viridis) resting on one of his roses in the front yard. Elbert explained, “I see these spiders fairly regularly and have tried many times to get a good picture. These spiders are fairly elusive and because they are small and blend in with their surroundings so well, sometimes they are hard to see and capture with the camera. Since they are good predators, we do want to try to minimize making pesticide applications.” Photographer: Pete Elbert, Florida sales manager, Residex, Jacksonville, Fla.
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Finalist photo: This robberfly (Holcocephala fusca) photo was taken in August 2009 at Swan Creek Metropark, Toledo, Ohio.
Photographer: Steve Hamilton, Orkin Pest Control, Toledo, Ohio
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Finalist photo: This jumping spider (Phidippus otiosus) was on Stoy Hedges’ bird feeder and was cooperative enough to let him take dozens of photos of her during a two-day period.
Photographer: Stoy Hedges, Terminix International, Memphis, Tenn.
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Finalist photo: This black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) was captured on a job site by a technician and delivered to photographer Dennis Judy in a plastic water bottle along with pine needle debris. “The specimen was removed from the bottle and placed on white foam board backing on my desktop for a photo session,” Judy said. “The ladies in the office have since returned to their normal level of anxiety. The spider was returned to a plastic Gladware container and has since hatched out hundreds of spiderlings in captivity. She is alive and well as I type this memo.”
Photographer: Dennis Judy, Allgood Pest Solutions, Duluth, Ga..
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Finalist photo: PCO Kevin Little found this crab spider on a flower in his backyard. “When looking closely I realized that the design on the back of the spider resembled a Christmas tree,” he said. “I decided it would be a good photo to crop and send out as my holiday card to my customers.”
Photographer: Kevin Little, Little’s Termite & Pest Control, Allentown, Pa.
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Finalist photo: Jeremy Schultz snapped this photo of what he believes is Aeshna tuberculifera. Schultz said he was able to take these photos while training an employee of Enviro-Tech Pest Services on pre-construction termite treatments. “While drawing the graph of the foundation the darner had rested on a clump of the back fill,” he said. “After shooting the picture we made sure to chase the insect away from the treatment area as it is a very beneficial species (aren’t they all!). These were taken in McLean, Va. What amazes me the most has nothing to do with the darner but the fact that I took this photo with my phone (a Droid X).”
Photographer: Jeremy Schultz, Enviro-Tech Pest Services, Brunswick, Md.
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Finalist photo: Michael Woodring captured this katydid photo, which he liked because of the color, clarity and depth of field in the photo.
Photographer: Michael Woodring, Bug Zero, Springfield, Mo.
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