Insect Picture and Article

Chaetodera regalis the Royal Tiger Beetle

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:43:21 +0000

Above are the pictures of Chaetodera regalis, the royal tiger beetle from shouth Africa. The habitat of Chaetodera regalis is on open sandy areas, especially near water, in subtropical forest and savanna. Head and pronotum of Chaetodera regalis is copper coloured, with widely spaced white hairs. The elytra is yellow, boldly patterned with black. This beetle mostly active at midday.

Acanthoscelis ruficornis the Predatory Beach Ground Beetle from South Africa

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:20:45 +0000

Beside is the picture of Acanthoscelis ruficornis the predatory ground beach beetle from South Africa. This beetle lives in sandy beaches, mostly under castup seaweed. Acanthoscelis ruficornis is voracious nocturnal predator, feeding on isopod and amphipod crustaceans and various larval and adult insect. Acanthoscelis ruficornis has black head, and the thorax finely wrinkled, antennae elbowed and radish in color. Acanthoscelis ruficornis is similar with Scarites rugosus.

Phyllium pulchrifolium The Walking Leaf Insect

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:14:46 +0000

Above are pictures of the walking leaf insect, Phyllium pulchrifolium. Phyllium pulchrifolium is a member of the family Phyllidae in the order Orthoptera. This remarkable walking stick relative is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. There are several color variations (green, yellow, orange, etc) that perfectly match the foliage of trees and shrubs.

Graphium weiskei The Purple Spotted Swallowtail

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:06:53 +0000

Above are pictures of Graphium weiskei known as purple spotted swallowtail. It is amazing butterfly from Papua New Guinea. Graphium weiskei is a butterfly of the swallowtails, Papilionidae family, and order of Lepidoptera. Graphium weiskei has an incredible combination of deep colors such as purple, pink, green, blue, and white on velvet-black background.

Hercules Beetle (Dynastes hercules) the Largest of the Rhinoceros Beetle

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:12:20 +0000

Hercules Beetle (Dynastes hercules) is the largest of the rhinoceros beetle. Dynastes hercules or hercules beetle is in the family of scarab beetle (Scarabaeidae) and among to coleoptera order. The male Dynastes hercules can reach 6.75 inches (170 mm) in length. The male beetles use their horns in mating battles against other males. The Hercules beetle is said to be the strongest creature on earth for its size, able to carry 850 times its own body weight. We can fing these beetles in the rain forest of Central America, South America. There are many subspecies of Dynastes hercules.

Macrodontia Cervicornis the Largest Long Horned Beetle

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:21:08 +0000

Above are the picture of Macrodontia cervicornis, the largest of long horned beetle. The known specimens exceeding 17 cm in length. This beetle is capable of flight, raising the wing cases (elytra) and directing them forwards to allow room for the wings to beat. Macrodontia cervicornis has brown and black in color, with irregular, ornate black markings on the wing cases. We can find this species in the rain forests of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.

Lytta vesicatoria the Spanish Fly

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:03:34 +0000

Lytta vesicatoria is included in order coleoptera and family of Meloidae. Spanish Fly is the other name of this blister beetle. The body fluid of Lytta vesicatoria contain cantharidin, a substance that causes severe irritation and blistering of skin. This chemical is very sensitive to mucous membranes and is the active ingredient of this beetle. Lytta vesicatoria lives in scrublands and woods. We can see these beetles in southern Europe and eastward to Central Asia and Siberia

Lytta vesicatoria have an emerald-green color with 15 mm to 22 mm long and 5 mm to 8 mm wide. An adult Lytta vesicatoria feed on leaves of ash, lilac, amur privet, white willow trees, and the larvae are parasitic on the brood of ground nesting bees.

Ornithoptera Priamus the Lovely Birdwing Butterfly

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:48:35 +0000

Ornithoptera priasmus has wingspan about 18 – 22 cm. This butterfly lives in New Guinea, Indonesia, Brazil, and in the North of Australia. Ornithoptera priasmus has another name " Birdwing Butterfly". Ornithoptera priasmus included in PAPILIONIDAE family and there have been as many as 99 subspecies described.

It has black colour with large green areas on the wings. The females are larger than the males and have brown colour with some white spots. Its abdomen is yellow. Head and thorax are black. The underside of thorax has a red hair-coat. The fore wings have black colour with green colour in the edge. A black and longish odour-spot is on the wing. Ornithoptera priamus have green hind wings. At the wing leading edge there is a big, golden spots. At the outer edge there is also a small golden spot and a chain of black spots. The edge of wing is black.

FLEA

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:47:47 +0000

Flea is insect of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. Fleas are small (1/16 to 1/8-inch (1.5 to 3.3 mm) long), agile, with dark colored, wingless insects with tube-like mouth-parts adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts. Fleas are going through the four life cycle stages of egg, larva, pupa, and imago (adult).

Apis mellifera The European Honey Bee

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:48:07 +0000

Apis mellifera the european honey bee is a species of honey bee. Apis mellifera is a social insect. The bodies of bees are divided into head, thorax and abdomen, with three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings on the thorax. The fore and hind wings on each side are linked by hooks and grooves so that they move together in flight. The queen spends all her time laying eggs, perhaps up to 1500 a day, each one being placed in a wax cell made by the workers. The drones, who live for about four to five weeks and do not work inside the hive, are fed by the workers or help themselves from the store of pollen and nectar in the combs. Their function is to fertilize a new queen. The workers are female bees, but their reproductive organs do not function. They collect food from outside the hive and store it, make the wax cells and feed the developing larvae.