While watching the relationship between treehoppers and ants, Javier noticed that ‘an individual ant would look after a particular treehopper’. At such a high magnification, the depth of field, or amount in focus, was narrow. ‘It took me days to capture the ant’s head and the treehopper aligned in the same plane,’ he says.
The female treehopper is to the right of this image, and the ant to the left. Just three millimetres long, with a distinctive helmet along her thorax, the treehopper enlists the help of the larger ant, and its jaws, to see off any threats. For added protection, the treehopper lays a hard secretion over her precious brood of eggs.
Spain
Javier is a Spanish biologist and wildlife and conservation photographer who focuses on the natural history, science and conservation of smaller animals. He is an Emerging League Photographer at the International League of Conservation Photographers and believes that the power of photography can be used to help conserve our planet and the animals and plants that live on it.
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.
