Thrifty Thursday: Preying, Praying, Whatever. It’s a Mantis.

By Alex Wild | October 11, 2012 |

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Thrifty Thursdays feature photographs taken with equipment costing less than $500.

A mature female Chinese mantis, Tenodera sinensis

[Apple iPhone 4s - $300; backlit with a desk lamp]

A standard iPhone 4S doesn’t normally have the oomph to photograph insects. Unless the insects are extremely big. A five-inch long Chinese mantis fills the frame at the iPhone’s minimum focus distance.

About the Author: Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.

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The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Tags: iphone, photography

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