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A singular ambush bug: Phymata crassipes


A singular ambush bug: Phymata crassipes
Photo Information
Copyright: Marcello Romano (marcellr) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 208 W: 38 N: 1012] (3514)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-25
Categories: Insects
Camera: Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-11-08 13:15
Viewed: 791
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
HETEROPTERA, PHYMATIDAE

Common Name. Ambush bugs

Phymata crassipes (Fabricius, 1775)

Ambush bugs are predators which normally lie in wait for prey.
They have front legs fitted for grasping, much like that of a praying mantis. They commonly sit on a flower waiting for insects attracted to flowers.
They hang out on flowers and use their powerful forelimbs to capture other insects.
Being hemipterans (true bugs), they have a rostrum (specialized sucking mouthparts), with which they inject paralyzing and digestive enzymes into their prey. They then use this straw-like organ to drink up the insect "soup".
The ambush bugs are a small family. Most authorities, however, include these interesting predators within the family Reduviidae.
Some species are common, and are often found in flower heads where they wait in ambush for bees, flies, and wasps, which they catch with their well-adapted front legs.
Ambush bugs also exhibit a peculiar behaviour under certain contexts; they stridulate (vibrational/acoustic signalling) when disturbed but also when interacting with other males and females. This signal is produced via scraping the rostrum against a row of transverse ridges on its underside. The adaptive significance of this behaviour is not known. In many related bugs, it is thought that similar signals may serve as anti-predator signals but its occurrence prior to mating suggests that stridulation may be important for courtship as well.
Silvio2006, Mike-Rix, jrobertop, undoredo, flashpoint has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Quel beau travail! Chacune de ces photos est impressionnante, bravo !

Ciao Marcello,

A fascinating creature and I like how you
pictured it from different angles and
documented it. Thank you for sharing.

Mike

Hello Marcello,
Good work. Natural light in your images. Interesting subject.
Well done
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 375 W: 51 N: 519] (2236)
  • [2007-11-08 16:06]

Thanks Marcello!

Great set of photos! Very natural colors and great details.
Very interesting species! I captured one very similar, but not sure it is the same species, I will post the picture soon!
Regards, Dejan

  • Great 
  • mariki Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1060 W: 61 N: 2306] (9467)
  • [2007-11-08 23:16]

Hello Marcello,

You added together four very good pictures. Great detail.
The colours of the background is good also.
Well done,
Mariki

Hola Marcello, primero muchas gracias por tu ayuda en la identificación de Larinus.
Tu foto curiosa de ese bello y espectacular insecto. Muy buen y detallado trabajo.
Que tengas un buen fin de semana y a
disfrutar de la fotografía:

J. Ignasi

Ciao Marcello
Splendid macro of this beautiful insect!
Excellent coloration, sharpness and texture.
Well done!
Thanks for sharing!
Regards,
José Roberto

Hello Marcello,
What a wonderful collage you've done, with unique ambush bug!!
Each of them have a very nice details and colours, also nice composition and well focused!!
Excellent presentation, Marcello!! :-)
TFS and best wishes,
Kevin

Ciao Marcello, grande serie di questo stranissimo insetto, mai visto prima, inquadrato da differenti punti di vista, grande opera didattica per gli ignorantoni come me con le tue notesempre interessanti, grazie, ciao Silvio

Ciao Marcello
ottima presentazione....pero' ti manca l'inquadratura da sotto!!!!!! scherzo
gran bel lavoro con molti dettagli

buon sabato sERGIO

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1930 W: 6 N: 5388] (19222)
  • [2007-11-10 5:13]

questa non l'avevo vista,e' un lavoro veramente prezioso,per qualita' delle foto e per competenza,verremo io e Silvio2006 a fare un corso da te..eheheh..buona Domenica,Luciano

Ciao Marcello
sono molto belle e mostrano i particolari della specie con ottima evidenza. Peccato non le avessi viste; avrei potuto copiare un po della tua didascalia che io non ho saputo trovare...:-).
Ciao e grazie ancora per i tuoi commenti sempre graditi.
Ivan

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