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Harsh's nature photography, BA, munirka, New Delhi (2026)

24/02/2021

***..." A rare encounter "...***

In my last feild work i came across this guy sitting peacefully on a twig in the beginning i was disappointed that i am not getting anything in feild .. but in the end this made my day successful pictured here is a long hoverfly
Feel free to share and comment ...

Device note 7s and .in sony 25 mm macro

➡️ Common name :
Long hoverfly

➡️ Binomial name :
Sphaerophoria scripta

➡️ Description :-
✅This species has a worldwide distribution. It can be found in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in the Near East, in the Nearctic realm, in North Africa and in the Indomalayan realm.

✅This species lives in thickets, gardens and meadows rich of flowering plants.

✅Sphaerophoria scripta can reach a length of 7–12 millimetres (0.28–0.47 in) and a wingspan of 5–7 mm.Body is long and narrow, with yellow and black bands. The wings are transparent. Antennae are short and yellow. The face is yellow. Thorax is a bit dull, copper colored with broad yellow side stripes. Scutellum is yellow. Abdomen is long and cylindrical with four wide, yellow transverse bands. The legs are yellow. Females are brighter than the males. In the males the last two bands are often blurred.

✅The adult hoverflies can be found from April to November. The larvae feed on aphids, while adult hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen of various species of Asteraceae, as well as on Heracleum sphondylium, Galeopsis tetrahit, Malva moschata and Parnassia palustris.
These hoverflies can complete a full life cycle in as little as sixteen days (egg to egg-laying adult), and a maximum of nine generations may occur in a single year.This species is migratory and overwinter as larva.

© Harsh sharma

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11/02/2021

***.." The amazing world of pollinators "..***

Pollinators are always amazing as they play in crucial role in nature without pollination formation of fruits and life on earth would'nt have been possible on earth. the phenomenon in which insects act as the agents of pollination is known asw entomophilly. Pollinators of the insects world mostly includes insects of orders Diptera , Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera . So here is one of the fly which always amaze me the syrphid fly a kind of hoverfly seen in large numbers in the month of march and April .

➡️Common_name :
Marmalade fly

➡️Binomail_name :-
Episyrphus balteatus

➡️ Description :
Slender, elongate flies (8 11 mm), w'th black-orange and yellow colour patterns;
face orange with orange hairs; ,eyes bare; antennal prominenc'e dull yellow, translucent,
bare shinng, with a small bla,ck dot above base of each antenna; thorax black with 2
narrow latera greyish stripes, pubescence yellow, erect, fairly abundant; scute lum
trans ucent yellowish, base often sightly darker, back long ba °rs towards and on
margin, and a drooping fringe of yellowish-white hairs
below extreme hind margin; abdomen wholly yellow with ,a black median spot on 1st segment united to a back stripe on hind margin, segments 3 and 4 with narrow sub basal and broad apical black bands, 5th segment wIth an indistinct black spot above the middle; venter pale yellowish, a black moderately wide band be~ore the hind border on 2nd and 3rd segments; wings nearly clear, with ,a series of sclerotized dots on the posterior margin; halt'ers orange; legs ong, slender, orange, basal segment of Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer) hind tarsi long.

© Harsh sharma
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29/06/2020

***..." Painting with light "...***.
So we all are somewhere stucked in this lockdown and are not getting enough subjects to do macrophotography.. i was missing those feild work badly so few days ago i took my phone to explore my garden 😅 and i found a Yellow bellied house geecko (Hemidactylus flaviviridis )
so i tried to take some macro shots and luckily got this shot where it was busy in cleaning her eyes yes geekcos have an amazing ability of cleaning their eyes with their tounge . The pic was clicked using Micromax Q462 setting ISO to 100 and exposure to -1 i want to thank .by.90s.kid for editing this photo and making it more attractive than the original one ... Do give your feedback and follow me for more such posts
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yellow-belly gecko or northern house gecko.

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Hemidactylus flaviviridis

© Harsh sharma

29/04/2020

***..." Painting with light "...***
So yeah few days ago a strange looking moth came flying into my house .. and as soon as i noticed i closed the fan of my room and captured her in a box and took her in a dark room and captured some of the shot when i took her on my fingers she started laying eggs so i immediately shifted her in a box so that she can lay eggs peacefully .after completion of the process of egg laying i released her back in the wild ... And then started looking for the id of this jewel so that i can know about the host plant of this species .. and i came to know that it is a Lappet moth belonging to Genus
Metanastria .. and the larvae of these moths feed on the leaves of Moringa , jamun and guava ... And i have these trees in my garden so won't face any difficulty in rearing them hope all goes well and i will be able to capture the life cycle of this beauty :) fingers crossed 😁

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Hairy caterpillar
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Metanastria hyrtaca

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Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Lasiocampidae
Genus:Metanastria
Species:M. hyrtaca

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Metanastria hyrtaca, called the hairy caterpillar as a larva, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae first described by Pieter Cramer in 1782. It is found in Sri LankaThe adult has a grayish head and thorax and a whitish abdomen. Forewings are brownish with a characteristic reddish-brown spot ringed with white. Hindwings are whitish. Larva yellowish brown with black spots and long lateral tufts of hairs. A reddish band is found in the neck region.
The caterpillar is a serious pest of many economically important crops such as cashew, badam, moringa, sapota, jamun, guava, , Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Mimusops elengi and Madhuca longifolia. © Harsh sharma

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30/03/2020

***..." Masters of mimmicry "...***

So in feb 2017 i encountered a strange looking moth which was mimmicking a dead leaf and was equally amazed at that time i took my phone and tried to click some photos well the amazing part of this moth is that it's labial palps are modified in the shape of a twig and wings like dead leaf .

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Lappet moth

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Gastropacha pardale

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Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order :Lepidoptera
Family:Lasiocampidae
Genus:Gastropacha
Species:G. pardale

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Gastropacha pardale, the brown lapped moth, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855.
Head and thorax are red brown, with a dark stripe on the vertex. Abdomen pale reddish brown. Pale ochreous-brown forewings are narrow and long with a rounded outer margin. Four indistinct waved dark lines suffused. There is a black speck at end of cell. Hindwings ochreous or red brown with three indistinct waved lines in inner area. A large ochreous patch can be found below the costa. Palpi are slender, very long and black. Antennae pectinate (comb like). Legs possess minute spurs. Sexes dimorphic, where female lack the ochreous patch on the hindwing.
The caterpillar is a voracious leaf eater which feeds on Cinnamomum camphora, Mangifera, Erythrina, Albizia, Camellia, Crataegus and Pyracantha species.The mature larva is about 7 cm in length. It is dull brown with creamy tufts of hairs at the sides. Its life cycle is about 38–51 days and usually ranges from September to October

© Harsh sharma

26/03/2020

***..." A dreamscape "...***

Well it's one of my best shots ever with my phone mi 7s last year on 9th nov when i went to knpur for attending a conference i got a chance to click this awesome scenario along the banks of River Ganga where openbills storks are gathered to have some meal and the crocodile are seen resting on the banks ... it"s one of the most memorable trip ever ... besides macro i love such kind of shots will post closeups in upcoming posts :) stay tuned for more keep supporting and feel free to share :D

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Openbill storks

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Anastomus oscitans
(Boddaert, 1783)

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ciconiidae
Genus: Anastomus
Species: A. oscitans

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The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (Anastomus oscitans) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy black wings and tail and the adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible. Young birds are born without this gap which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling of snails, their main prey. Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food availability.
The Asian openbill stork is predominantly greyish (non-breeding season) or white (breeding season) with glossy black wings and tail that have a green or purple sheen. The name is derived from the distinctive gap formed between the recurved lower and arched upper mandible of the beak in adult birds. Young birds do not have this gap. The cutting edges of the mandible have a fine brush like structure that is thought to give them better grip on the shells of snails.[8] The tail consists of twelve feathers and the preen gland has a tuft.[9] The mantle is black and the bill is horn-grey. At a distance, they can appear somewhat like a white stork or Oriental stork. The short legs are pinkish to grey, reddish prior to breeding. Non-breeding birds have a smoky grey wings and back instead of white. Young birds are brownish-grey and have a brownish mantle. Like other storks, the Asian openbill is a broad-winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. They are usually found in flocks but single birds are not uncommon. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is relatively small for a stork and stands at 68 cm height (81 cm long).

© Harsh sharma

21/03/2020

***..." A long waited dream "...***

So after a long time i got some time to spend in the lap of mother nature and it always refreshes me it's like a fuel that keep me going . Well it's been a long waited dream to capture a flock of painted storks which came true in my last field trip spend a quality time in the lap of mother nature away from humans and enjoying my own company along with different migratory birds . though i prefer macros over landscapes but sometimes i cant resist myself from clicking such pics the pic was clicked using Mi note 7s without any external assembly . Feel free to share and share your valuable feedbacks . Sorry for poor Img quality . Full screen view recommended

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Painted storks

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Mycteria leucocephala

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ciconiidae
Genus: Mycteria
Species: M. leucocephala

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Near threatened by IUCN red list of endangered species

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The painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a large wader in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers of the adults give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds they produce are weak moans or bill clattering at the nest. They are not migratory and only make short distance movements in some parts of their range in response to changes in weather or food availability or for breeding. Like other storks, they are often seen soaring on thermals.
This large stork has a heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to an ibis. The head of the adult is bare and orange or reddish in colour. The long tertials are tipped in bright pink and at rest they extend over the back and rump. There is a distinctive black breast band with white scaly markings. The band continues into the underwing coverts and the white tips of the black coverts give it the appearance of white stripes running across the underwing lining.

The rest of the body is whitish in adults and the primaries and secondaries are black with a greenish gloss. The legs are yellowish to red but often appear white due their habit of urohidrosis or defecating on their legs especially when at rest. The short tail is black with a green gloss.[2] For a stork, it is medium-sized, standing about 93–102 cm (36.5–40 in) tall, 150–160 cm (59–63 in) in wingspan and weighing 2–3.5 kg (4.4–7.7 lb). Males and females appear alike but the males of a pair are usually larger than the female.
The downy young are mainly whitish with grey bills and blackish facial skin. The juveniles assume a brownish plumage and like most other storks reach breeding condition after two to three years.[4]
Like all storks, they fly with their neck outstretched. They often make use of the late morning thermals to soar in search of foraging areas. Like other storks they are mostly silent but clatter their bills at nest and may make some harsh croaking or low moaning sounds at nest.

© Harsh sharma

13/03/2020

***..." Life on the forest floor "...***

Well the forests are amazing places to study a great diversity of insects and other animals the floor of the forests are always covered with leaf litters and grasses and provide shelter to variety to small animals like snakes, lizards , spiders and other arthropods. The best part of my hobby is that i can explore the things around me can connect myself to the nature can know better the thing which are less known and are quite attractive as nature hides many beautiful things Last year during monsoons we traveled into the woods for some good macro photographs that day a huge diversity was recorded and one of my favorite snaps of that day was this Millipede .. Commonly called as round bodied millipede .. in order to protect themselves from predator they coil themselves and secrete a foul smelling substance some species also secrete methyl cyanide particularly native to Madagascar and for this purpose lemurs grab them and rub them on their body as the particular mixture of secretion works as a insect repellant and also has hallucinating properties and they enjoy as drug addicts do . Well i am unaware about the chemicals theses particular millipedes secrete and what properties do they hold.
the pic was clicked using Micromax Q462 setting ISO at !00 and Exposure at -2 focus is set at macro . please feel free to share and give your feedback

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Round bodied millipede

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Julus sp

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Diplopoda
Order: Julida
Family: Julidae
Genus: Julus

© Harsh Sharma

09/03/2020

***..." Lucky encounter "...***

~ The world is like a snake soft to touch , but full of venom inside~

Well well the above said quote has nothing to do with this beauty that i found few days ago while working in field . Pictured here is a writhing skink which is not actually a snake but actually a lizards which is misunderstood as a harmful and highly venomous reptile in urban areas as it is locally called as " Saanp ki mausi " in hindi due to morphological resemblance with snakes . Actually these small lizards are completely harmless and feed on small insects and like to live in moist damp places hiding under the leaf litters and stones . In juvenile stages these lizards have a shiny red tail whose color disappears as the lizards grow and the tail color matches with the ground color of the body . Well people consider snakes as a bad sign but according to me they are far better than humans they don't harm you uselessly and clearly tries to escape and warn you to stay away and bites only when harmed on the other hand we try to harm each other for our personal greed showing we are friends with each other hiding the envy inside . well at that day i don't have proper gears to click macros so sorry for poor image quality . do drop your comments and give your feedback .. feel free to share thanks for your continous support

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White-spotted Supple Skink

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Lygosoma albopunctata — PATEL & VYAS 2019

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Lygosoma
Species: albopunctata

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The white-spotted supple skink is found in South Asia. Its body is elongated with weak limbs. The distance between the end of its snout and forelimbs is 2 to 2.5 times the distance between the axilla and groin. The snout is short and obtuse. The lower eyelid is scaly. Supranasals are present and in contact behind the rostral. The frontonasal is much broader than long and in contact with the frontal. The prefrontal is small. The frontal is as long as the fronto parietals and interparietal together, and is in contact with the first and second supraoculars. There are four supraoculars. There are seven or eight supraciliaris, with the first and last being the largest. The fronto parietals are distinct and larger than the interparietal. The panetals form a suture behind the interparietal; The nuchols are frequently indistinct. The fifth upper labial is below the centre of the eye. The ear-opening is small and oval, with one or two small lobules anteriorly. There are 26 or 28 scales around the middle of the body, all of which are smooth and subequal. The marginal preanals are scarcely enlarged. The fore limb stretched forwards reaches the ear or a little beyond. The length of the hind limb is contained 2.3 to 3 times in the distance between the axilla and groin. The fourth toe is longer than the third. The subdigital lamellae are feebly unicarinate, with 12 to 15 under the fourth toe. The tail is thick and a little longer than the head and body. It is pale brown or rufous above, and the sides are closely dotted with black. Each dorsal and nuchal scale has a more-or-less distinct dark brown dot, forming a longitudinal series. The sides of the neck and anterior part of the body are white-spotted. The lower surface is yellowish white.

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Sunda region (fide MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997), W Malaysia (fide CHAN-ARD et al. 1999), Vietnam,
Bangladesh, India (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Assam and West Bengal; Denkanikota Hills, and near Ellore in the Godavari district, Bilaspur [C.P.], Chilka Lake, Purneah, Muzaffarpur [Bihar and Orissa], Calcutta, Mundiaghut [Uttar Pradesh]), Nepal (Royal Chitwan National Park, fide SMITH 1935), Maldives

© Harsh Sharma

02/03/2020

***..." Creatures of the night "...***

Spiders , One of the most efficient predators of the macro world are famous for their trapping skills. When most people think of spiders they relate them with the stick web they built to catch insects but the interesting fact is that not all spiders built web . Web building spiders are commonly emphasized as Orbweavers . Although all spiders have spinnerets the Glands that secrete spider silk but the way of using them and catching prey differs greatly for example Salticids catch their prey by leaping on their prey and hence are commonly known as jumpers and they use silk thread as a Bungee cord to control the distance of leap giving them an accurate pitch . All spiders are venomous and use venom to kill and paralyze their prey.Since their venom contains a variety of enzymes that lyze the prey's body from inside and converts it into a soup which the spider sucks or can say engulf leaving an exoskeleton of prey outside. However most of the species don't produce venom specific for humans but some species produce venom strong enough that it can cause fatalities and may lead to hospitalization . . The thing that attracted me the most was that heart shaped abdomen so I couldn't resist myself from uploading it ..

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Hat shaped orb weaver

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Eriovixia sp

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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Eriovixia

© Harsh Sharma

Harsh's nature photography

24/02/2021

11/02/2021

29/06/2020

29/04/2020

30/03/2020

26/03/2020

21/03/2020

13/03/2020

09/03/2020

02/03/2020

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