Blog Archives

Assassin Bug

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This assassin bug mimics a bee quite well. It even seems to have pollen baskets on its hind legs.

Posted in Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Ant Mimicking Spider and Possible Model

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park

Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

These two photos of critters both 4mm long were taken less than an hour apart in spots just a few feet apart. I believe these two are probably a mimic and its model.

I first photographed the jumping spider. I only got a few shots before I lost it. Later I spotted the ant and took quite a few photos. Here I selected one that would show roughly the same pose as the spider.

The area around the rearmost eyes of the jumping spider is darkened to better match the larger black eyes of the ant. The dark spots on the spider’s abdomen are an anomaly though. Maybe this ant isn’t the model after all? read more

Posted in Featured Photos | 1 Comment

Thorn Mimic Treehoppers

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

10mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Treehoppers like this one are sometimes said to mimic thorns. If so, it would have to be a dull thorn, and it doesn’t do it much good hanging out on a leaf. More often though, you’ll find them hanging out together on branches.

Group of treehoppers

Posted in Featured Photos | 4 Comments

Soldier Fly

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

11mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The wing venation, patterned eyes, and even the horns on the scutellum suggest this is a soldier fly in the family Stratiomyidae. Many soldier flies bear a resemblance to wasps. This one kind of reminds me of a yellowjacket.

Reference:

[book:9968927147]

Posted in Featured Photos | Leave a comment

Bee Mimicking Assassin Bug

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

10mm body | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

For me, those wings are what really give this assassin bug in the family Reduviidae the appearance of a bee.

Dorsal view

Posted in Featured Photos | 1 Comment

Pretty Little Moth

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

15mm | January 21, 2011 | Finca La Isla, Limon Province, Costa Rica

This pretty little moth was sitting on a leaf, imitating a bird dropping perhaps. A tortricid?

Dorsal view

 

Posted in Featured Photos | Leave a comment

Micropezid, ovipositing

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

8mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

While recently reviewing my shots of this fly in the family Micropezidae, I was surprised to find that I unknowingly got a shot of her laying an egg. Here’s another shot for comparison, where she has concealed her ovipositor beneath her abdomen.

Ovipositor concealed

Here’s a crop from the first photo, showing the ovipositor and the egg.

Ovipositor and egg

Everything I’ve read indicates that most larvae develop in decomposing matter, so it seems strange she would be placing an egg on a leaf surface. Perhaps this is  just a method of random distribution, and the egg just falls where it may on the ground below. read more

Posted in Easter Eggs, Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Ant-mimicking Broad-headed Bug Nymphs

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

14mm | January 17, 2011 | Cahuita National Park, Limon Province, Costa Rica

At first glance you’d think that’s an ant rather than a true bug. Look closely though and the beak gives it away. These broad-headed bug nymphs (Family Alydidae) were easily found on the same foliage where I saw some Ectatomma ants. Perhaps those ants are the model for this mimic. The caption for this photo certainly suggests that’s the case.

Here’s a side by side comparison.

Mimic, feeding

Model?, waiting in ambush

Notice how the antenna tips are darker in the photo below. I wonder if that makes them appear shorter and closer in length to the model? read more

Posted in Featured Photos | 1 Comment

Identification Challenge #7 Reveal

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

All commenters correctly determined that this was a moth:

January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil

At the time I took the picture, I assumed this was a butterfly. It acted like a butterfly, being active during the day and the way it held its wings (not folded over the back like many moths).

It was only when reviewing the photo later that I noticed it looked a bit odd for a butterfly. Like many commenters, I noted the lack of clubbed antennae. I didn’t try to identify it, but I remembered it when I read an interesting short article in a recent issue of Natural History magazine. The article was all about day flying moths in the subfamily Dioptinae (family Notodontidae). I emailed the author, James S. Miller, asking if he thought this might be one. Here’s his response: read more

Posted in Identification Challenges | 2 Comments

Another Bizarre Treehopper

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Troy Bartlett

January 31, 2010 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I’ve shown a couple of odd treehoppers already, but here’s yet another variation on that theme. This time, I do kinda see a resemblance to an ant.

Dorsal view

Marshall’s 500 Insects includes a very similar looking treehopper identified as a Cyphonia species.

[book:1554073456]

Posted in Featured Photos | 4 Comments