Summer Insects Roundup
September 30th, 2013
A selection of interesting and/or beautiful insects I've photographed in the past couple months, before the weather turned cold.
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This one is as unique as it looks. It's a pelecinid wasp. It's the only species of its family in North America (of only three worldwide.) It is harmless to humans: that long scary-looking abdomen is merely an ovipositor (egg-laying appendage), not a stinger. The female uses it to penetrate well into the soil and lay her eggs on beetle larvae, which serve as food for her own larvae.
The most unusual thing about these wasps is that males are extremely rare. Reproduction is usually by parthenogenesis. That is, the females clone themselves.
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When this Viceroy made an appearance, every other color in sight seemed muted.
I love it when mating damselflies make a heart out of their bodies.
Mating Robber Flies. While we usually think of flies as detrivores or parasites, robber flies, also called assassin flies, are full-blown predators, with a lifestyle similar to odonates.
This fellow crawled by near the stream at Sugarbush Loop where I was photographing jewelwings. I found him cute and wondered if he was related to ladybugs. Turns out he's a Colorado Potato Beetle, a major pest on potato and related crops.
Oh well. He's cute anyway!
September 30th, 2013
A selection of interesting and/or beautiful insects I've photographed in the past couple months, before the weather turned cold.
1680x1050 wallpaper
This one is as unique as it looks. It's a pelecinid wasp. It's the only species of its family in North America (of only three worldwide.) It is harmless to humans: that long scary-looking abdomen is merely an ovipositor (egg-laying appendage), not a stinger. The female uses it to penetrate well into the soil and lay her eggs on beetle larvae, which serve as food for her own larvae.
The most unusual thing about these wasps is that males are extremely rare. Reproduction is usually by parthenogenesis. That is, the females clone themselves.
1680x1050 wallpaper
When this Viceroy made an appearance, every other color in sight seemed muted.
I love it when mating damselflies make a heart out of their bodies.
Mating Robber Flies. While we usually think of flies as detrivores or parasites, robber flies, also called assassin flies, are full-blown predators, with a lifestyle similar to odonates.
This fellow crawled by near the stream at Sugarbush Loop where I was photographing jewelwings. I found him cute and wondered if he was related to ladybugs. Turns out he's a Colorado Potato Beetle, a major pest on potato and related crops.
Oh well. He's cute anyway!
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Mike
September 30th, 2013 at 10:06 am
Nice set... I think I like the first wasp best!
dagibbs
September 30th, 2013 at 10:30 am
Nice bug shots!
Mustang Sallie
September 30th, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Great shots, especially the mating damselflies, and the potato bug is as colorful as a ladybug.