Despite a long and exhausting night in the forest, Javier couldn’t resist stopping to photograph ‘behaviour that I had never seen before,’ he explains. Using a small aperture and flash to maximise the amount in focus, and diffusers to soften the light, he captured the attentive parent harvestman watching over its precious clutch.
Guarding its eggs, this harvestman is part of a widespread and diverse group closely related to spiders, with more than 6,500 species worldwide. Some species like this one invest in parental care, protecting their eggs and young against predators. A hitchhiking red mite is clinging to one of this parent’s legs.
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.
