Published on 04/06/22

Mosquito metamorphosis through a macro lens

By Ciara Pysczynski

Mosquitoes are one of nature’s least appreciated creatures, but through Jena Johnson’s camera, they become beautiful, striking models for macrophotography.

Johnson, a lab manager in the Department of Entomology in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, captures what she observes working with mosquitoes and other insects in the lab of entomology professor Michael Strand.

She finds scientific and artistic meaning in her photos, which offer a glimpse at both intriguing behavioral phenomena and unexpected natural beauty.

But there’s more significance to her work than just shooting pretty pictures.

“When I first began my career in entomology, I struggled to communicate information through data, graphs and words,” said Johnson. “I’ve always appreciated visual aids to understand research results. Thus, in my career as a laboratory technician, my goal has always been to help researchers understand results through photos and illustrations.”

Johnson’s work has supplemented the lab’s research in a variety of publications, and has even been featured on the cover of the Journal of Medical Entomology.

See the original gallery at research.uga.edu.

See “Lab manager finds the perfect blend of science and art” for more on Johnson's work.

To learn more about the Strand lab and its research, visit newswire.caes.uga.edu.

Information about research programs in UGA's Department of Entomology is available at ent.uga.edu.

Authors:

Ciara Pysczynski

Experts/Sources:

Michael R. Strand

Jena Johnson

Johnson is the lab manager for entomology professor Michael Strand, who investigates insect physiology, including the gut microbiome of mosquitos. While this Aedes aegypti is better known for spreading yellow fever, through Johnson’s camera, one can appreciate its striking appearance. “They have a beautiful pattern of white scales,” she said. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

To aid in their research, the Strand lab rears 13 different species of mosquitoes. These Culex pipiens eggs have been laid vertically in what is called a raft, floating on the surface of the water. Soon, they will hatch from the bottom, and the larvae will drop down into the water. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

Once hatched, the mosquito larvae — also known as wrigglers — spend up to 10 days in the water developing into pupae. Getting clear shots of tiny living creatures like these Aedes atropalpus larvae is a challenge. The high magnification lens Johnson uses lowers the depth of field, so for each shoot she creates a custom rig with glass and tygon tubing that prevents her subject from wiggling out of focus. “Every macro photographer knows, every time you do a photo shoot, you’re kind of reinventing the wheel,” she said. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

Another challenge Johnson must contend with in her photography is light. When using high magnification lenses, very little light reaches the camera’s sensor. To get a great photo, she uses a diffused flash, side lighting and, for bright shots like this, a backlight. With her careful technique, Johnson captured these Culex pipiens pupae at varying stages of development. The two on the right are nearly ready to emerge. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

When they are fully developed, mosquitoes like this A. aegypti emerge through the water’s surface, ready to fly away within seconds. This part of the life cycle is Johnson’s favorite to photograph. “I still am blown away by insect metamorphosis,” she said. “I'm a scientist, so I shouldn't say this, but I think it's magical. You appreciate nature so much when you can see that moment.” (Photo by Jena Johnson)

Getting the perfect shot of a mosquito emerging is a time-consuming process. Johnson adds a dozen pupae to a small cup of water, then gets down with her camera and waits. To get just one or two photos like this one of an Anopheles gambiae, it can take two to three hours of shooting and as many as 20 pupae; fortunately, the lab’s rearing program offers a virtually endless supply. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

Surprisingly, a blood meal is one of the easier moments for Johnson to capture. “When mosquitoes are blood feeding, they're so focused that they don't move in and out of your focus,” she said. “A feeding can last up to a minute, which can be a lifetime for a macro photographer of a living organism.” (Photo by Jena Johnson)

For some species of mosquitoes, a blood meal is the females’ top priority after emerging and mating. The endocrine process associated with blood feeding is a key interest of the Strand lab. When a female mosquito’s gut fills with blood, like in the photo, it initiates a series of endocrine processes that allow her to reproduce. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

As a species that does not need blood meals to reproduce, Culex pipiens provide a great comparison for the researchers as they study mosquito endocrinology. With their striking blue-green eyes, they also make a great photography subject. (Photo by Jena Johnson)

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