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Waiting for Prey


Waiting for Prey
Photo Information
Copyright: Grzegorz Wieczorek (red45) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-06
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, Tokina AT-X M100 Pro D 1:1
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-06-22 14:32
Viewed: 496
Points: 15
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Assassin bugs get their name from their predatory habits. Gardeners consider them beneficial insects, because their voracious appetites for other bugs keeps pests under control.

Assassin bugs use piercing, sucking mouthparts to feed, and have long, slender antennae. A short, three-segmented beak distinguishes Reduviids from other true bugs, which generally have beaks with four segments. Their heads are often tapered behind the eyes, so they look like they have a long neck.

Reduviids vary in size, from just a few millimeters in length to over three centimeters. Some assassin bugs seem rather bland in brown or black, while others sport elaborate markings and brighter colors. The front legs of assassin bugs are designed for catching prey.

When threatened, assassin bugs may inflict a painful bite, so be careful handling them.

Toxins in the assassin bug's saliva paralyze its prey. Many have sticky hairs on their front legs, which help them grasp other insects. Some assassin bug nymphs camouflage themselves with debris, from dust bunnies to insect carcasses.

Assassin bugs do whatever it takes to catch a meal. Many employ specialized behaviors or modified body parts designed to fool their prey. One termite-hunting species in Costa Rica uses the dead termite carcasses as bait to attract live ones, then pounces on the unsuspecting insect and eats it. Certain assassin bugs in southeast Asia will stick their hairy front legs in tree resin, and use it to attract bees.

Š2009 About.com
Noisette, roges, iris, Michau has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2009-06-22 15:31]

Very good shot of this Assassin Bug!
Excellent composition.
Great DOF.
Nice colours.

Very well done, Grzegorz!

Joe

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 71 N: 758] (4689)
  • [2009-06-23 0:23]

Witaj,
Na szczescie to monstrum ma male rozmiary. bardzo nietypowy wyglad, ciekawy okaz.
Pozdrawiam, Pawel

Hello Grzegorz
you have found a very strange insect, i have never seen before, but he is very well photographed with very sharp details, superb colors, the red colors of this assassin bug stand out very nicely against the green and blck BG
Have a good night
Jacqueline

Hi Greg,
From this POV its hard to see what it is exactly,but we've seen these before so we know.
Interesting capture and note.
Cheers & TFS
Steve

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 598 W: 0 N: 523] (3096)
  • [2009-06-25 10:19]

Hi Grzegorz !
Doskonałe makro.
Wspaniałe kolory, doskonały kontrast.
Gratulacje.
Piękny dzień,
Adrian

Witaj Grzegorzu
Swietne zdjecie. Krwisty kolor tego goscia powinien odstraszac, miedzy innymi, male zuczki. Nie jestem zuczkiem, ale cos o tym wiem. Bardzo dobra ostrosc, kolory i kadr.
Gratulacje i pozdrowienia - Roma

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 469 W: 60 N: 947] (3016)
  • [2009-06-29 5:44]

Hello Greg,
What a slendid piece of a macro you show here. The details are rich and well documented against the black BG. The bug seems to have already found its prey.The green on which tyhe bug is resting offsets the black and red colours of the bug very well making the presentation quite appealing visually.Excellent clarity and sharpness.Well captured and well presented.
TFS and cheers
Silpa

Niesamowity obiekt zdjęcia jak z horrorów. Dobrze że ewolucyjnie owady nigdy nie osiągnęły większych rozmiarów... ;-)
Coś jest z ostrością, wydaje mi się że lekki FF - ostre są pączki kwiatowe tej baldaszkowej rośliny przed owadem. Poza tym świetne żywe kolory.

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