2. Invertebrate Aliens of the Natural World

Invertebrate Aliens of the Natural World

Yep, bugs and spiders- Just give them the chance to mesmerize you with their from-another-world morphological adaptations and amazing colors (be it vibrant or cryptic). Even if they give you the creeps, with an open mind it's hard not to be in awe of these members of the smaller majority.
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Velvet ants aren't ants at all. They are actually a group of flightless wasps belonging to the family Mutillidae. This colorful individual was found on the wall of my shelter in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, El Cope, Panama.
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Velvet ants aren't ants at all. They are actually a group of flightless wasps belonging to the family Mutillidae. This colorful individual was found on the wall of my shelter in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, El Cope, Panama.

velvet antpainfulstingHymenopterafemaleflightless waspcow killerMutillidae

  • A very large Amblypygid known as <i>Phrynus parvulus</i>
  • A close up of the specimen in the previous photo.
  • Golden-silk Orb Weaver (<i>Nephila clavipes</i>) El Plastico Biological Station, Costa Rica
  • Male and female Golden-silk Orb Weaver (<i>Nephila clavipes</i>) The female is the large spider and the male is the dimiutive spider in the upper right of the photo. El Plastico Biological Station, Costa Rica
  • A beautiful red Tortoise Beetle (Chrysomelidae) from Finca La Escondida, Costa Rica
  • This large, interesting looking grasshopper from the Rara Avis Rainforest Reserve reminded me of a piece of bamboo.
  • A close-up of a parasitic fly. These diptera use their scissor-like mouth parts to slice open your skin before they feed on you. <br /> Rara Avis Rainforest Reserve, Costa Rica
  • Anyone who has worn a headlamp at night in a tropical forest knows this beetle. You also know how fast they fly and the impact they make as they plow into your forehead, mesmerized by the light. Tensile lab testing aside, the fact that <i>Nephila</i> silk can stop these guys mid-flight is testament enough for me to the silk's strength!
  • A grasshopper found in a prairie near my Florida homebase
  • Diurnal grasshopper from Carara National Park, Costa Rica
  • Velvet ants aren't ants at all. They are actually a group of flightless wasps belonging to the family Mutillidae. This colorful individual was found on the wall of my shelter in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, El Cope, Panama.
  • These Orthoptera nymphs were gathered on a leaf tip for the night.<br /> Finca La Escondida, Costa Rica
  • One of the many beautiful weevils found in Costa Rica's tropical rainforest.
  • The constant danger of aquatic herp trapping, the Colombian Soul-eater. Over 200 traps checked, over 500 <i>Lethocerus</i> found
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