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Author Archives: Troy Bartlett
Resigned Parasitized Caterpillar
September 5, 2010 | Twelvestones, Roswell, GA, USA
This caterpillar from a nearby park with head held low seems resigned to its fate as a parasitoid host. OK, I know that’s a normal position — allow me to anthropomorphise a bit.
You can see some white eggs on its back. I assume a tachinid fly left those, placing them close enough to the head that they couldn’t be removed.
In this next image, you can see there are also some already hatched eggs, sealing this little guy’s doom.
Closeup showing hatched eggs
I know tachinid fly larvae have breathing tubes that pierce the host’s skin. Could those long fibers amongst the eggs be those breathing tubes? I wouldn’t think they would be so long. I’m more inclined to think those are just bits of debris that maybe got stuck to whatever holds the eggs in place.
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Assassin Bug Mimicking Bee
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Tropical assassin bugs come in an amazing variety of forms. This one reminds me of a bee, though I didn’t see anything on my trip that might serve as a model. Despite extensive searching of the internet, I didn’t turn up any photos of a species resembling this individual.
A couple of my books do mention assassin bugs that mimic bees and wasps, so I think that’s probably what’s going on here.
[book:0962515019]
[book:0520078497]
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Snout Beetle with Orange Bands
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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White-spotted Leafhopper
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Pink and Yellow Flea Beetle
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Now there’s some colors you don’t see on a beetle very often. Warning colors perhaps?
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Crypsis Challenge #2
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This challenge should be a good bit easier than the last one. Remember you can click on the photo to see a larger version.
One thing I find challenging for these types of shots is trying to reproduce what the eye sees (or doesn’t see as the case may be). The flash tends to make whatever was previously relatively hidden stand out.
I actually spotted this critter the night before. Using a headlamp, just like a camera flash, tends to make otherwise difficult to spot things stand out. I returned the following day to attempt the shot above.
Posted in Crypsis Challenges
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Treehopper with Eggs
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This treehopper appears to have deposited eggs in this twig. Â I’m not sure if she’s still ovipositing or perhaps just guarding the eggs.
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Crypsis Challenge #1 Reveal
July 2, 2010 | Twelvestones, Roswell, GA, USA
Did you spot the hidden critter from this earlier post? No one commented, but I’ll go ahead and reveal the answer.
There’s a hint about two thirds of the way down on the left hand side. That’s a lacewing egg on a thread. And just to the right of that is the creature itself, a trash carrying lacewing larva. I circled the two in red below.
Reveal
Still having trouble seeing it? Try this side view.
Side View
Of course, all you can really see is the debris. To see the actual critter, you have to turn it over, as I did here.
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Fuzzy Jewel Beetle
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Quick! What is it? From this angle, you might mistake this jewel beetle for a bee.
The beetle was feeding on the purplish flowers. Purple in, purple out.
Side view
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Snobbish Fulgorid
January 26, 2010 | Caraça Natural Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Like many fulgorids, the front of the head of this one is oddly shaped. With what looks like an upturned nose, you could call this one downright snobbish.
Closeup of head
Take a close look at the base of the antenna below the eye.
Antenna Closeup
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