A HALLOWEEN VIGNETTE

Manuel del Cerro, Princeton, NJ, USA

The story

It was in the late summer of 1996, in Pittsford, NY, and likely in the silence of a dark night. A spider unwisely walked on the exposed surface of a sticky mouse trap. The result was predictable (although not to the spider). By Halloween day, the corpse of this most unfortunate creature had become fertile ground for the growth of molds. We call it

“The Triumph of Life over Death.”

Technical details

The photograph was taken using an Olympus stereo microscope and color-balanced illumination. The magnification was set at 3.5x. The image was recorded on Fuji slide film using a Nikon 6006 SLR camera. It was later digitized and burned on a CD. Microscopic examination of the mold suggested it was a member of the Aspergillus genus, perhaps A. flava.

Trick or treat!

Comments to the author Manuel del Cerro will be welcomed.

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