Megalothorax minimus - <p>Well, it's not easy, but today I finally managed my first successful stack of M. minimus. Not an easy thing to do as they're really, really small and they run around like crazy. I actually did two stacked shots, the other is below. One of the problems with photographing M. minimus, apart from the diminutive size, is their shape. It's the same problem with S, pumilis too- they're so round and small that it's a lot harder to get enough in focus without losing detail. it is possible but difficult. Anyone who's tried will understand what I mean! So now, thanks to Zerene stacker it's possible to see a bit more detail and gain a sense of the whole shape of the lovely thing, which I'm pleased about. Still a bit grainy as a photo but at 0.25mm big, I have to be realistic! Mainly shot at x21. </p> <p>I've moved up Frans' comment to here as it's useful info on these amazing animals... </p> <p>'The long 'hairs' (visible in the main shot and several extra shots) are in fact narrow hollow wax tubes. Such wax tubes are found only in Neelidae and Dicyrtomidae, which are phylogenetically unrelated, BTW. The purpose is still a kind of mystery. Possibly they serve as 'antennae' to broadcast pheromones that have been found in the wax.' </p> <p>VIEW IN LARGE </p> © Andy Murray - CC BY-SA 2.0 - Wikimedia Commons