Can you identify this insect? I think it is a spider - but then I am an engineer

[rpt]

Hi all, it stopped raining today and so I took a walk in the garden to see if there were any interesting things to photograph and I saw this little bit of white on a flower bud. I thought it was some dirt and went to pick it up when it moved away from my finger! To give you an indication of the size, it is about a centimeter long. Looks like a spider to me, but then I am an electrical engineer so what do I know about these creatures

Photos taken with my 5D3, 24-105 set at 105 from close range (50 - 75 cm). 1/125, f11, Auto ISO. The spider is brilliant white and in some places I have blown the highlights

I guess it will be my next muse if it stays on that plant

[dr croubie]

For a start, if it's an insect then it's not a spider by definition

Nice shots though.
I think it's some kind of thrip or leaf-sucking thing, I'll see if I can find it in my insect book somewhere (and i'm an engineer too), or you can search for some online ID guides somewhere...

[rpt]

For a start, if it's an insect then it's not a spider by definition

Nice shots though.
I think it's some kind of thrip or leaf-sucking thing, I'll see if I can find it in my insect book somewhere (and i'm an engineer too), or you can search for some online ID guides somewhere...

Well, you learn something everyday! See, my engineering is showing 

Thanks.

[Kernuak]

I could only see six legs, so that would make it an insect, but just to complicate things, some spiders/mites have modified front legs, which are used for other purposes (such as touch, like the antennae of insects), so appear to only have six.

[victorwol]

Now clue what It is but cool mustache!!!

[birtembuk]

Well, engineer here also ... so, I don't know how credible I can be re bugs. Being macro-addict however makes you curious to know about wth you are shooting at (wonder why people have to dive abysses when there are so many weirdos crawling the earth to be observed ... .  Your insect could be a woolly aphid but you might want to get confirmation by an expert ... For your ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriosomatinae - Hope this helps.

[rpt]

Well, engineer here also ... so, I don't know how credible I can be re bugs. Being macro-addict however makes you curious to know about wth you are shooting at (wonder why people have to dive abysses when there are so many weirdos crawling the earth to be observed ... .  Your insect could be a woolly aphid but you might want to get confirmation by an expert ... For your ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriosomatinae - Hope this helps.

Thanks, I'll investigate further. I agree with you. In fact I take that a bit further - I find that there are so many wonderful things/insects around the house and garden that I usually don't have to go far to shoot them. I have had moths that looked like crumpled leaves, insects that looked like leaves etc come into my house to be photographed

[mdm041]

Think alot of engineers get into photography?  I am one as well but I also believe I know the type of bug this is....whooly aphid! 

[rpt]

Think alot of engineers get into photography?  I am one as well but I also believe I know the type of bug this is....whooly aphid!

Wow, thanks! I'll search and read up.

To set the timeline straight, I became a photographer before I became and engineer... Yup, started my teens with a Lubital Russian camera (see my profile photo). I guess you need to be into gadgets and/or be artistically inclined. The "and" helps 

[bvukich]

I could only see six legs, so that would make it an insect, but just to complicate things, some spiders/mites have modified front legs, which are used for other purposes (such as touch, like the antennae of insects), so appear to only have six.

There's also some that appear to have 10 like camel spiders.

[rpt]

If you look at the first and third photos, the things in front could be modified legs.