most of the time i fill the flash in to make the macro shots looks better.
some macro just doesnt look nice with flash. however, some macro shots looks better without flash. e.g like dragonfly eyes. their reflective index is high :bigeyes: but.. its all about the photographer yah?
Yeah, I use flash too! But after reading a book on taking macro photo by Pauls Thicks. I realized using flash is sometime not neccessary depending on the subject (moving or stationary) but have to use tripod (hardwork). The time of day...early morning or late evening where the insect is inactive. National library have books on macro photograpgy... u can check it out.
My answer is yes, flash is an important component for macro photography. Fill flash especially gets rid of shadowed areas, adds more detail and 'pop' to a subject.