國立自然科學博物館

長角蛉的卵呈雙排排列於植物表面，隨著卵逐漸發育，靠近頂端處會形成一條「預切割線」，劃分出頂端的「卵蓋」，方便幼蟲孵化時掀起，減少能量消耗並提高孵化效率。同步孵化有助於降低單一幼蟲被捕食的風險，多隻幼蟲同時活動能讓掠食者無法專注。這張照片捕捉了幼蟲集體孵化時的瞬間，牠們如同「爆米花」般相繼躍出，展現了這奇妙的生物學現象。

Owlfly eggs are arranged in double rows along the surface of a plant. As the eggs develop, a “pre-cut line” appears near the top of each egg, delineating an apical “egg cap.” This specialized structure allows the larva to easily lift the cap during hatching, reducing energy expenditure and improving hatching efficiency. Synchronous hatching reduces the risk of predation on a single larva, as multiple larvae moving simultaneously make it difficult for predators to focus on a single target. These images captured the moment when the larvae hatch together; they pop out one after another like kernels of popping corn, revealing an amazing biological phenomenon.

攝影日期：2024年06月30日 12:24
攝影地點：東森山林步道
設備：M4/3相機（小片幅具景深優勢）及60mm macro+微距放大鏡（DCR-150）、閃燈及柔光罩
設定：快門1/100~1/125秒、光圈F13，手持約十幾公分近距離拍攝。照片使用RAW檔進行修圖，調整過白平衡、銳利度並對高光降低及陰影拉亮以增加暗處細節。拍攝時以輕微的逆光補光讓剛孵化的半透明幼蟲更加通透。