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Blog Archives
Caterpillar
25mm long | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I found several of these caterpillars. They all had lighter colored mid-abdominal segments, like this one.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Another Possible Cyphonia Treehopper
3mm long | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This might be another Cyphonia species. I’ve seen a few similar ones before, but not one quite like this.
Side view
I believe these photos are all of the same individual, but I can’t be sure. It was skittish, but when spooked it always seemed to land close by.
Another view
These really are very small treehoppers, only around 3mm long.
Dorsal view
Dorsal view
Posted in Featured Photos
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Mantispid
12mm body | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I spotted this small mantidfly hanging out on the underside of this leaf. I’m always excited to find one of these.
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Crypsis Challenge #15 Reveal: Moth
Did you find the hidden moth in the last crypsis challenge? If not, here’s where it was hidden.
Moth, Hidden
Moth, Revealed
In natural light it blended in quite well. With a flash though, it really pops out.
40mm wingspan
I thought the eyespot was interesting and I managed to get a closeup before the moth took off.
Eyespot Closeup
I expected this would be an easy challenge. All commenters correctly mentioned the moth. Good job, everyone!
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Immature Assassin Bug
15mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
It looks somewhat clumsy at this stage, but it’s nonetheless a capable predator.
Closer view
I forgot to turn off one of the flash heads so as to avoid the double eye highlight.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Parasitized Brush-footed Butterfly Chrysalis
17mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Metamorphosis for this butterfly appears to have been interrupted by a parasite, a small wasp perhaps. You can see the hole where the parasite chewed its way out. Oddly, there’s a similar hole on the other side. Maybe it abandoned this other exit since it looks incomplete. Or maybe there were actually multiple parasites.
Another exit hole?
I know this is the chrysalis of a brush-footed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae because other butterfly families use a a small silken thread around the thorax to help secure it. Here’s an example from an earlier post.
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Colorful Leafhopper
5mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
It’s a shame I found this attractive little leafhopper on such an ugly leaf.
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Thorn Mimic Treehoppers
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
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Scale Insects
July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I assume these are scale insects. When I saw them I remembered the mysterious sign I spotted earlier in the year in Costa Rica. After seeing this, I think scales were probably responsible for that.
Note how they’re arranged along the central leaf vein. They’re undoubtedly taking plant juices through that midvein.
Click on the photo for a larger version and see if you scan spot a small mite (an “easter egg” I didn’t know about when I took the photo). Then see if you can find its recently cast off skin!
Posted in Easter Eggs, Featured Photos
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Camouflaged Planthopper
15mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This little planthopper blends in pretty well with the lichen covered bark I found it on.
Side view
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