Can anyone recommend a resource on where and when to find various insects?

[Mattyd]

Id like to do a bit more macro work, but at present all it really involves is me walking around aimlessly looking for insects. And I'm not having any luck.

I'm on the looking for any help/tips anyone might have. Perhaps a link or two!?

cheers!

 

[johnty52]

Matty,
You could try to research various types to know their life cycles and when they are likely to be about...the Royal Entomological society for instance http://www.royensoc.co.uk/insect_info/what_is_it.htm
One tip is if you are out, take small specimen tubes with you and take the insects back home together with a bit of vegetation and set up a shot in your home ?

 

[Will H]

One tip is if you are out, take small specimen tubes with you and take the insects back home together with a bit of vegetation and set up a shot in your home ?

I really don't like that advice. As much as I'm sure we're all guilty of trying to coax an insect onto a slightly different twig or something, you should always be aiming for minimum disruption. Just because you can pick up insects and take them with you it doesn't mean it should be encouraged any more than you'd encourage someone to pick up a fox and set up a shot in the back garden with it, regardless of whether you're returning it afterwards or not...

As far as advice for the OP - I'd probably work out what sort of insect you're after then have a look into the kind of habitat it's found in, whether it has any favoured food plants and, as johnty said, check out its life-cycle to see when it should be about. Because of the good weather lately it feels like there should be a lot about, but we're still a bit early side for a fair amount of insects at the moment, give it a month or two and there will be a lot more around.

 

[johnty52]

I really don't like that advice. As much as I'm sure we're all guilty of trying to coax an insect onto a slightly different twig or something, you should always be aiming for minimum disruption. Just because you can pick up insects and take them with you it doesn't mean it should be encouraged any more than you'd encourage someone to pick up a fox and set up a shot in the back garden with it, regardless of whether you're returning it afterwards or not...
......

I agree Will, strangely though that advice was given by a well known local photographer with a long list of FIAP initials behind his name when he came to lecture at our Club recently.
A fair number of his successful images had been obtained in this "controversial" way. I'm sure he stopped at 'freezing' the specimens to keep them still though

A lot of insect and other nat.hist photography is reliant on good field work/technique which the OP may develop over time.
For beginning in this area, why not chose some close-to-home insects, house flies for instance?, Ants are also good ( and usually readily available) subjects on which to practice your techniques.If you have a garden, you may be able to grow flowers which will attract a number of flying insects.
One thing I have found is that a telephoto lens is a good choice when working with lively specimens, allowing to stand a good distance away without spooking the animal.
There are also many topics on TP and YT dealing with Macro technique/kit for this type of photography.