mating on a passion flower
West central Georgia, USA, July 25, 2008.
Copyright (c) 2008 by Wayne Floyd
Hi Wayne,
You didn’t indicate if you wanted your mating Delta Flower Scarabs, Trigonopeltastes delta, identified. The photo is lovely, but we cropped and rotated it so it would better fit our site.
Daniel,
Yes, thank you for the ID. Regarding the crop and rotate… it actually does bother me. You said it “would better fit our site.” Yet, there are other horizontal images, both before and after mine. The thing is: everyone knows passion flowers are horizontal. I don’t even know if these scarabs mate in vertical orientation, but I know it’s not natural to be looking at a vertical passion flower. Hopefully, you have a fresh, uncropped image still in your Email. Or, I can send you a new one. Or, if my contribution really does not fit your sit in its intended form, you certainly should remove it. Thank you,
Wayne Floyd
hi Wayne,
it is not a matter of vertical versus horizontal, but about the standard width of three inches that we post At three inches wide, an uncropped horizontal image would be very small. Some photos we run six inches wide, but only rarely. We will reformat at your request tomorrow morning. Sorry about taking the artistic license. On a more conceptual note, most insect photos are shot from above, and when the photographer is looking down, up is behind the camera, making vertical and horizontal totally arbitrary. Have a great day.
¶ Posted 27 July 2008 § Beetles ‡ ° Also tagged: Query Damsel Flies mating followed by cannibalism
Hi,
I was photographing these Eastern Forktail Damselflies (July 25th) and after mating the male appeared to be killing and eating the female. The wings actually fell off. I ‘Googled’ the query Damselfly Mating and Cannibalism and came to your site.
Marlene Walker
Huntsville, Ontario, Canada
Hi Marlene,
We are curious to hear from any experts regarding what we suspect is an unusual phenomenon. Postcoital Cannibalism is not that rare in the world of insects and arthropods since a male sperm donar will also provide a hearty meal for the female who now has the burdon of laying eggs. She needs her nourishment. The role reversal in your Damselfly image would seem to be an anomaly.
Correction: (09/03/2008)
Hello, I am a NY Dragonfly and Damselfly surveyor and am responding to the email below. The damselfly was identified as a male but it is in fact a female Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis). While it is not common for a female to eat the male it is not unheard of. Dragonflies and damselflies are frequently seen eating other dragonflies and damselflies.
Annette Oliveira
Long Island, New York
What’s this Beetle:
I’ve checked your archives, and wonder if this is some sort of tiger beetle? We saw them in Death Valley National Park in the salt field this past April.
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
It stands to reason that since your mating Tiger Beetles are Cicindela californica, the common name would be the California Tiger Beetle, yet BugGuide does not list a common name. This sure is an attractive species.
¶ Posted 26 July 2008 § Beetles ‡ ° Also tagged: Big Poplar Sphinx?
Hello …
This pair of Moths were photographed in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, near Edgewood, on 7/18/’08. The wings across the widest span (folded) were approximately four inches. They look to be Big Poplar Sphinx, Pachysphinx modesta, but I was pretty sure the range for the Big Poplar was east of the Mississippi. Am I wrong? Subspecies? I know you are busy, any thought would be appreciated. (wonderful site) Thanks …
Richard In Illinois
Hi Richard,
Pachysphinx modesta, also known as the Modest Sphinx as well as the Poplar Sphinx and Big Poplar Sphinx, is listed on Bill Oehlke’s website as being sighted in Illinois. We are copying him on this response so he can add your data to the comprehensive information he is compiling on species distribution.
Correction: from Bill Oehlke
Richard, If you send images to me as a jpg attachment I wil do the id They are most likely P. occidentalis in New Mexico. I would like to use image with credit to you on a Santa Fe County pictoral thumbnail page that I wil create?? P. modesta is generally more eastern, but they do fly into extreme northeastern NM and into eastern Washington. I have to upadate my page for range info on modesta. Most of the western Pachysphinx are proving to be occidentalis.
Ed. Note: OOps, we misunderstood the photo location in the body of the letter and used the Illinois location in the signature.
Love Bug Romance
For your Bug Love section: A romantic dinner for two…love bugs at the Seminole County Environmental Studies Center, Longwood, Florida. Dining on Saw Palmetto blossoms. I never thought I’d say, “Awwww” about a love bug!
Their juicy bodies, when hit by a car, can actually eat away at the paint.
Pat Burkett
Hi Pat,
Though we have never witnessed the swarming nuptial flight of Lovebugs, we understand that they can be quite plentiful. Thanks for your lovely photo.
¶ Posted 17 July 2008 § Flies ‡ ° Also tagged: Found these two while in Japan
Just wanted to know what kind of bugs these are. The first pair were “getting it on” in the middle of a path that ran through a city park in Tokyo. The caterpillar kind of freaked me out but it’s beautiful. Feel free to use the picture on your site if you wish. THANKS!
These are mating Carrion Beetles in the family Silphidae. As their name implies, they feed on dead flesh in the larval stages and adults feed on fly maggots to ensure more of the rotting flesh will remain as a larval food, helping to eliminate food competition for the progeny.
¶ Posted 16 July 2008 § Beetles ‡ ° Also tagged: Mating bugs
Hello
I live in the Var (Provence), South East France. Have spent ages trying to identify these bugs – I thought it would be easy – so I’m sending you the photos. I call the second one “Love on a carrot” (wild carrot as you no doubt can identify. Would love to hear back.
Gabrielle Wellesley
Hi Gabrielle,
These are mating Stink Bugs, Graphosoma lineatum.
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