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Blog Archives
Identification Challenge #11
15mm wingspan | January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
Can you identify what family this critter belongs to? Comments will be held in moderation until the answer is revealed in a few days.
Posted in Identification Challenges
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Stingless Bee Nest
January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
This stingless bee nest was nestled in the hollow of a tree. The nest entrance is only about a centimeter wide, making the bees themselves only 5 or 6mm long.
As their common name suggests, these bees have no sting to defend themselves. Knowing that, I got quite close. Harmless though they may be, they certainly look mean.
Looking mean
New arrival below
In that last photo, you can see a new arrival hanging below the nest, with pollen visible in the basket on its hind tibia.
According to Hogue, there are three genera of stingless bees. Lestrimelitta can be eliminated here because it doesn’t have a pollen basket. Of the other two, Melipona is larger, hairier and the wings don’t extend beyond the tip of the abdomen as they do here. These must then be a Trigona species.
Posted in Easter Eggs, Featured Photos
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Dictyopharid
January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
Just another one of those odd looking dictyopharids.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Snout Beetle
18mm | January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
Posted in Featured Photos
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Prominent Caterpillar
22mm | January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
This caterpillar looks enough like some of my local caterpillars that I can confidently say it’s a prominent moth larva. Its markings camouflage it well as it inserts itself into areas it has eaten.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Gold-spotted Orb Weaver
18mm | January 20, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
This large orb weaver was hanging out in the understory. I believe this might be Eriophora nephiloides. Most online photos for the species show a brighter yellower abdomen. It appears to be quite variable. Here’s a photo of one similar to mine (along with what’s pictured at wikipedia).
Posted in Featured Photos
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Large Bark Katydid
75mm | January 19, 2011
Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
This large katydid was trying to remain inconspicuous on the side a tree. With a body three inches long and antennae over twice that, it was difficult to miss. I considered making this a crypsis challenge, but it seemed too easy.
In the second photo, it’s in the lower right corner.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Colorful Jumping Spider
4mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
It’s hard to resist jumping spiders. This little one sort of has the colors of the Costa Rican flag!
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Better view of abdomen
Posted in Featured Photos
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Apterostigma collare
4mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
I spotted the structure below on the underside of a large leaf. I really didn’t know what it was, and I gently poked at it. It was quite fragile as it turns out, and it fell open to reveal an ant nest. I then immediately regretted not having taken a photo beforehand. The next day I was lucky enough to find another one, also pictured.
6cm x 4cm | Unexpected ant nest
4cm x 2cm | Nest with an ant entering
These nests are the work of an ant in the genus Apterostigma. Ants of Costa Rica has an info page for this genus in Costa Rica. I tried to use the key there to identify these, but it was a bit technical for me. I’m basing the species identification on the statements from the site that seem to indicate that only Apterostigma collare builds these nests under leaves. There are some more photos of nests at that same site.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Amplypygids – Tailless Whip Scorpions
20mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica
These fearsome looking arachnids have an order to themselves, Amblypygi. Though commonly called tailless whip scorpions or whip spiders, they are neither. Intimidating though they may look, they aren’t dangerous and possess no venom. They are quite timid in fact, and I had to take care not to scare them away while photographing them.
Here’s how you might expect to see one actively moving about, with its oversized first pair of legs outstretched.
Longest legs extend outside frame
That first pair of legs is modified for use as antennae. They wave them about, sensing and probing. While the body of this one measured only 2cm, each one of those antenniform legs was 8cm long!
Posted in Featured Photos
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