Spring is a time of blooming flowers and insect life. This is a great opportunity for the microscopist, many biological specimens are waiting to be examined. Here, we have the stamen of a large white Agave flower, ready to pollinate. Also inside the flower much to my surprise were the nearly microscopic Thrips. These are small pest insects which are some of the smallest insects on the planet. These were examined as well.

Click all images for the larger and more detailed view:

Stereo Microscope images:

Agave stamen, the male part of the flower. on the right the yellow tip is where the pollen is produced. The white stalk of the stamen has a surprise for insects trying to climb it and get a pollen meal...

Also viewed here at 7x are some of the thrips that were in the flower I scooped out with a small paintbrush. They are around 1mm long.

Close up at 40x, the maximum with the stereo microscope. This is the pollen producing part of the tip of the stamen. Something very peculiar however is starting to become evident in the white stalk...

Close up at 40x of the thrip. Note the very narrow wings and tiny black eyes.

High Power views with the Trinocular Microscope

An alien landscape. The edge of the white stalk on the stamen is covered with insect trapping threads. This prevents the insect from making it to the top.

Same magnification, but with the dark field illumination. This is exactly what this method is used for, to increase detail and contrast on transparent specimens!

At 150x, the landscape becomes surreal. These insect trapping gelatinous fingers are all over the stalks.

With dark field illumination at 60x, (not 150) the thrip is a golden yellow with fine hairs on its body.

150x view shows the facets on the eyes and fine details in the antennae. Singly, thrips can do very little by them selves, but by the billions, crops are destroyed.

600x view of the head region. The eyes have about 60 facets on the entire hemispheres. Such low "pixilated" resolution is sufficient for all of lifes functions. Robotics engineers take note!