Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning


May 1, 2007: Assassin bugs, Argyrodes flavescens, Grasshoppers
and lunch

Today is a holiday - Labor Day - so off I went to labor with my favorite insects. Before I had hardly started, there were some nice butterflies at the Queenstown MRT

may 01 0707 butterfly

From the top - a view of the dorsal side

may 01 0710 butterfly dorsal

When I arrived at my insect observatory - I first encountered this insect - sort of sitting upside down

may 01 0713 upsidedown insect

It must have been the day - which started with rain about 5am this morning. This little guy was sitting sideways

may 01 0736 green grasshopper fly

then he decided to take a walk - and disappeared. So off I went in search of the little orange spiders: Argyrodes flavenscens

may 01 0743 grasshopper walking

I found a small web and though that many do not realize the size scale. So here is my camera on the tripod - and about 30 mc from the end of the lens is one very small (3mm) orange spider

may 01 0749 d200 setup

Here I focused on the spider and it is easier to see

may 01 0755 camera setup

Here she is

may 01 7232 argyrodes flavescens

I think eating - you can see that she has one of her legs in her mouth.

may 01 7254 eating

Then she started climbing vertically - and connected herself. Here you can clearly see her spinneret.

may 01 7295 eat 2

Here the two front palps - sensory organs for the female and for the male, the palps are modified to place sperm into the epigyne of the female.

may 01 7381 eat 3

After observing the kleptoparasites - with no klepto action today, I started my way back to the food court - and suddenly an Assassin bug hopped onto a leaf in front of me. So after setting up the tripod - she / he was still there - I suspect waiting to walk down the runway. And what a show she / he put on. Here is the face

may 01 7412 assissin bug face

Here you can get an idea of the size proportion

may 01 7426 assassin

Then from the side

may 01 7440 assassin side close

And from behind

may 01 7496 assassin behind

Then she / he climbed onto another leaf

may 01 7496 assassin climbing

and played peek-a-boo with me

may 01 7548 peek a boo

Then started down the stem

may 01 7562 assassin down

and then started walking upside down while an ant entered the game (but slightly unfocused)

may 01 7621 assassin upsidedown

After her / his show - a little red dragonfly landed beside me

may 01 7643 red dfly

And moved so that I could get a side view

may 01 7659 red dfly

Now, time for lunch - sweet and sour pork, fried rice and lime juice. This guy (tee shirt) lives close to me and this is one of my favorite places. Seems that others have this at the top of their list

may 01 0761 lunch

And here comes my lunch

may 01 0757 lunch

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

C. Frank Starmer

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