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Giraffe Weevil


Giraffe Weevil
Photo Information
Copyright: Steve Reekie (LordPotty) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1172 W: 145 N: 2710] (8388)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ-2-S
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/20 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-12-19 1:10
Viewed: 1004
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Lasiorynchus barbicornis
Giraffe Weevil

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Superfamily: Curculionoidea
Family: Brentidae
Subfamily: Brentinae
Genus: Lasiorynchus
Species: L. barbicornis

Lasiorynchus barbicornis, or the New Zealand giraffe beetle, is a straight-snouted weevil of the family Brentidae, endemic to New Zealand. It is New Zealand's longest beetle and the worlds longest weevil. Its Māori name, tuwhaipapa, derives from the Māori god of newly made canoes.

The snout is longer than the entire body, and there is a long antenna at the very tip. Females bore into rotting logs to lay eggs during October to March and the grubs remain there for up to two years, feeding on fungi and yeasts on the decaying wood. The hole the adult leaves as it emerges is not round, but perfectly square. The males, which can grow to nearly 10 cm, fight with their snouts when competing for territory. Adults can fly, but only live for two weeks.

The weevil pictured here is a female which has a much shorter snout than the male.
The male snout is nearly twice as long,with antennae that stick out sideways from the very tip like an old TV aerial.

I photographed this one a few years ago in the North Island,when I had just begun taking nature photos,and posted another similar shot of it at the time.
I thought it was due for a reappearance as it is a creature not very often seen.

Hope you like this oddity of the insect world.

Thanks for looking.
Cheers
Steve
Argus, NinaM, meyerd has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Argus: The male Giraffe WeevilLordPotty 1 12-19 06:37
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1691 W: 242 N: 5580] (19801)
  • [2007-12-19 2:00]

What a cool insect!
I wonder why it evolved to look like that!
Great macro shot.
Excellent detail and sharpness.
Good POV.
Well done Steve.
Thanks,
Joe

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2606 W: 133 N: 7480] (23317)
  • [2007-12-19 3:53]
  • [+]

Hello Steve,
Great capture of this large weevil, the Giraffe Weevil, a species totally new to me.
The image has a fine technical quality with the weevil almost totally sharp and set in a fine natural habitat.
Interesting note and I hope you can show us the male sometime!
Thanks for taking this from your archives to share with us,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 566 W: 0 N: 1382] (4569)
  • [2007-12-19 7:41]

Hi Steve, what a peculiar insect that you photographed very well with lovely colours amidst the natural habitat of the insect. I like the details rendered thanks to a great DOF. It is really a beautiful insect captured in great light. Thanks!

Francine

Hello Steve,
I just love really exotic looking insects and this one beats it all. A Giraffe weevil! You made an excellent choice with the light and the composition, all is sharp the contrasts good. Well done!
In a workshop version I tried to darken the background somewhat. I hope you find the effort useful.

Ciao Steve,
foto come questa ci fanno riflettere sull'incredibile diversità di specie e forme naturali esistenti.
Forse bizzarre in apparenza, ma ognuna delle quali è il risultato di lunghi processi evolutivi.
Complimenti per la splendida immagine.
Marcello

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2056)
  • [2007-12-19 15:35]

Hello Steve,
Amazing insect! Great capture with very nice details, nice presentation in natural habitat
great work
Regards, Dejan

Hi Steve,

Beautiful,nice photo,and very sharp.Congratulation.
Best regards,
Ralf

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