Arilus cristatus, the wheel bug
Photo details: (top, middle) Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D.
ISO 100, f/13, 1/160 sec, diffused twin flash
(bottom) Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D.
ISO 200, f/11, 1/160 sec, diffuse overhead flash
he’s great! i’d keep my tiny, tiny bugs away from him, though….
Where’s Johnny Rico when you need him?!
Great pictures.
That first photo made my jaw drop – most excellent.
Wow. Cool stuff on your etsy site!
Fantastic shots! That first one especially blows the mind.
Wheelbugs suck…
the guts out of other insects!
Very nice image.
lol@Josh
Great pics! The third one, with its use of shadow, is like an Annie Leibovitz photo of a REAL assasin.
The wheel is some pretty damn specific armour. It would be interesting to film these guys and see exactly which birds grab them and where on the body they make the grab. Maybe one of the commenters knows of a study?
No study, but I do remember an online discussion with an entomologist, a naturalist and various others. We all agreed the wheel is for cutting pizza. Don’t how know that impacts birds, though.
This critter packs a notable “sting” with that beak. I wonder if the wheel helps the bug prevent getting crushed for long enough to sting the mouth of the bird and be released?
Wow. Stunning. Especially the first one. I’ve always been totally crushed-out on reduviids.
Those are some of my favorite IL insects.
Looks like the Spinosaurus of the insect world.
These photos leave no doubt that beak is a formidable weapon.