FOCUS STACK
CLICK TO INSPECT
Heteroptera / Cicadellidae
Cephalic & Ommatidial Morphology
Multi-angle cephalic stack capturing compound eye ommatidia, antennal scape, and cranial micro-sculpture.
50 µm / 200 µm calibratedFIG ⌗01
Sharper than
the eye can focus.
Focus-stacked macro and micro imaging for publication, type documentation, and collection digitisation. Available for research institutions, museums and universities across India.
Domestic specimen intake: Indian research institutions & universities
THE OPTICAL PRINCIPLE
One photograph cannot hold a whole insect in focus.
At high magnification, depth of field collapses to fractions of a millimetre. A single frame renders one thin plane sharp and the rest dissolved. A focus-stacked plate is assembled from dozens of frames, each stepped forward by microns, merged into one image sharp from end to end.
MERGED FOCUS STACK
SINGLE EXPOSURE (SHALLOW DOF)
↔
← SINGLE SLICEDRAG TO COMPAREMERGED PLATE →
ARCHIVAL SPECIMEN PLATES
Publication-Grade Imagery
All plates are authentic scientific figures produced for taxonomic monographs and peer-reviewed journals. Click any plate to inspect full magnification.
TYPE SPECIMEN
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Miridae: Cylapinae
Holotype Genital Suite & Habitus
Publication holotype figure showing male pygophore, parameres, aedeagus, and whole habitus.
1.0 mm / 200 µm calibratedFIG ⌗02
DESCRIPTIVE TAXONOMY
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Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae
Thaipunctulus bidentatus Diagnostic Suite
Comprehensive species plate showing dorsal and lateral habitus, pygofer processes, and genital style anatomy.
Micron scale calibratedFIG ⌗03
REVISIONAL MORPHOLOGY
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Miridae: Mirinae
Miridae Comparative Series & Endosoma
Comparative adult habitus series paired with dissected endosomal sclerites and paired parameres.
200 µm scale barsFIG ⌗04
INTERNAL ANATOMY
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Hemiptera
Micro-Stacked Ovipositor Valvulae
High-magnification focus stacking of first and second valvulae illustrating diagnostic serrate teeth.
High magnification micro-stackFIG ⌗05
TAXONOMIC COMPARISON
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Auchenorrhyncha
Cephalic Capsule Comparative Suite
Multi-specimen cephalic comparison (A–L) demonstrating head angle, facial carinae, and eye margins.
0.2 mm & 0.5 mm calibratedFIG ⌗06
FIELD MACRO
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Miridae (live specimen)
Live Miridae in Field Microhabitat
Living plant bug observed on dew-covered foliage in field habitat showing natural coloration and stance.
Extreme field macroFIG ⌗07
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
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Anthocoridae / Tingidae
Predatory Bug Ecology in Agroecosystems
Live field interaction capturing active predation on a lace bug nymph on host plant foliage.
Behavioral ecology macroFIG ⌗08
01 — SERVICES INDEX
Structured by sample type and diagnostic outcome.
Every specimen requires an individual optical strategy. Five specialised imaging modalities tailored to taxonomic publication, reference collections, and institutional digitisation.
01
Single Specimen Imaging
Insects · Small Arthropods · Botanical
Focus-stacked macro and micro plates of individual specimens: insects, arthropods, small invertebrates, botanical material. Publication-ready, figure-composed, at agreed magnification.
02
Digitisation of the Collections
Institutional Collections · Series · Vouchers
Batch imaging of reference collections, teaching sets, and institutional series, with consistent lighting, optical scale calibration, and metadata across the specimen series.
03
Slide & Microscope Preparation Imaging
Slide Mounts · Dissections · Thin Sections
Transmitted light, brightfield and phase imaging of permanent and temporary slide preparations.
04
Comparative Plates
Multi-Taxa Figures · Morphometric Series
Multi-specimen figures composed for publication: aligned, scaled, labelled and laid out to journal specification.
05
Custom Documentation
Specialised Preparations · Non-standard
Non-standard samples, unusual magnifications, or imaging workflows developed for a specific research question.
02 — DELIVERABLES & PROCESS
What you receive with every accession.
Delivering taxonomic-grade figures requires clear standards from initial sample intake to final publication plate composition.
FIGURE COMPOSITION & FORMATS
- ■Publication-ready diagnostic specimen plates
- ■High-resolution uncompressed digital master images
- ■Multi-specimen composite figures formatted to journal dimensions
- ■Optimised digital copies for institutional repositories and web display
* Technical delivery formats and bit-depth specifications confirmed per project requirements during initial intake.
TAXONOMIC STANDARDS
- ■Calibrated scale indicators on every diagnostic figure
- ■Uniform colour temperature and diffused coaxial illumination
- ■Complete orientation series: dorsal, lateral, ventral, and genitalic
- ■Accompanying optical capture metadata and magnification records
* Plates composed in strict accordance with target journal formatting guidelines (e.g. Zootaxa, European Journal of Taxonomy).
INTAKE & WORKFLOW
- ■Initial enquiry, sample review, and quotation
- ■Domestic specimen intake and accession logging in Bengaluru
- ■Optical capture, micron-stepped stacking, and figure assembly
- ■Digital proof plates provided for researcher review and approval
* Turnaround schedules determined by accession volume and diagnostic preparation complexity.
03 — OPTICAL FACILITY
Engineered for micron-level depth capture.
Macro and micro optical rigs calibrated specifically for chitinous, iridescent, and micro-arthropod diagnostic morphology.
MECHANICAL STAGE
Motorised Linear Stepper
Automated high-precision focus rail stepping forward by micron increments, eliminating mechanical vibration across long frame sequences.
OPTICAL COLUMNS
Macro & Micro Optics
Specialised manual macro objectives and microscope optical stages configured for wide field-of-view insect habitus down to micro-dissections.
ILLUMINATION
Diffused Coaxial Lighting
Continuous high-CRI LED illumination paired with custom cylindrical diffusion chambers to eliminate glare and specular highlights on insect cuticle.
COMPUTATION
Dedicated Stacking Core
Specialised computational workstation executing sub-pixel alignment, pyramidal depth synthesis, and precise manual retouching of stacking artefacts.
LOCATION: BENGALURU, KARNATAKA, INDIACALIBRATION: 1:1 TO 20:1 OPTICAL MAGNIFICATION
04 — ACCESSION PROTOCOL
How are specimens handled and preserved during imaging?
Specimens are handled with museum-grade care and returned in the condition they arrived.
Material is logged upon receipt at our Bengaluru laboratory, inspected under stereomicroscopy for structural fragility, imaged with non-destructive optical staging, and repacked securely into its original container housing.
Dry-mounted (pinned) specimens, permanent and temporary slide preparations, and alcohol-preserved material are all accepted from research institutions, universities, natural history collections, and ICAR institutes across India.
DOMESTIC INTAKE ONLY (INDIA)
Dr. Yeshwanth has confirmed that physical specimen shipping is strictly restricted to institutions within India. Due to statutory biological transfer permits and wildlife regulatory complexities, international specimen intake is not available. Taxonomic consultation and digital plate figure review remain open internationally.
05 — STRUCTURED BRIEF
Request an imaging quote.
Provide preliminary accession details below. Dr. Yeshwanth reviews each brief directly to assess optical feasibility, preparation requirements, and quotation.
DOMESTIC INTAKE GUIDELINES
Specimens accepted from research institutions, universities, ICAR centres, and museums across India. We will advise on specimen packaging and domestic transit upon receipt of this brief.