Micropezid, ovipositing

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

8mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

While recently reviewing my shots of this fly in the family Micropezidae, I was surprised to find that I unknowingly got a shot of her laying an egg. Here’s another shot for comparison, where she has concealed her ovipositor beneath her abdomen.

Ovipositor concealed

Here’s a crop from the first photo, showing the ovipositor and the egg.

Ovipositor and egg

Everything I’ve read indicates that most larvae develop in decomposing matter, so it seems strange she would be placing an egg on a leaf surface. Perhaps this is  just a method of random distribution, and the egg just falls where it may on the ground below. read more

Posted in Easter Eggs, Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Another Nogodinid Planthopper

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

13mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica


Here’s another one of those planthoppers from the family Nogodinidae, pretty much just like the earlier one I posted.

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True Bug Eggs

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

I found this row of eggs on the underside of a small log that was laying on the ground. They look like they belong to a true bug (order Hemiptera) of some sort. Here’s a closer look.

Closeup look | Each egg measures about 1mm

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Unusual Leafhopper

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

13mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

Here’s a somewhat unusual leafhopper. I don’t recall ever seeing one with an upturned snout.

Dorsal view

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Mantidfly

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

15mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

I was thrilled to find this mantidfly (family Mantispidae) on the underside of a large leaf. I’ve seen plenty of these attracted to lights at night, but I rarely encounter one in a natural setting.

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Black and Yellow Leafhopper

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

10mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

In an earlier post I remarked how I initially mistook a colorful micromoth for a leafhopper, and that I later saw a similarly marked leafhopper. This is the leafhopper I had in mind, although now I can’t really say they look all that alike.

I did see quite a few of this variety of leafhopper though.

Another individual

 

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Spider Egg Sac

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

If like me you occasionally flip over rocks and such to see what might be lurking beneath, then you’ve no doubt seen things like this:

6mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

I’m pretty sure this is the egg sac of some sort of spider. It was underneath a small rotting log.

I usually just carefully put things back the way I found them. Curiousity got the better of me this time. I peeled away the egg sac and carefully opened it. If you’ve ever wondered what’s inside, here’s the answer.

Eggs

Each one of those eggs are less than a millimeter in diameter. There were probably ten or so. read more

Posted in Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Green and Black Poison Dart Frog

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

20mm | January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

Unlike the drab poison dart frog I posted recently, this one lives up to my expectations of having bright warning colors.

Do you notice anything strange about this frog’s back? Take a closer look.

Hitchhiking tadpole

All Costa Rican dendrobatids lay their eggs on the forest floor. Parenting behaviors beyond that vary by species. One or both of the parents care for the eggs, keeping them moist until they hatch (sometimes by the male urinating on them). After hatching the tadpoles are carried by one or both of the parents, sometimes singly, sometimes en masse, to suitable sites to complete their development. read more

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Crypsis Challenge #10 Reveal

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

I didn’t intend to leave this challenge open for quite so long. Unfortunately, other things in my life sometimes have to take precedence over this blog, even if I’d rather it be the other way around. 🙂

Looks like the challenge was more difficult than I expected. Commenters who suggested a katydid were on the right track, but this looks like a cricket to me. Here’s the original photo and another version where I’ve crudely outlined the cricket.

Cricket, outlined

January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

I provided the outline to show the position and to show just how long the antennae are. Here’s a closer photo, sans antennae. read more

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 3 Comments

Crypsis Challenge #10

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Troy Bartlett

January 19, 2011 | Armonia Nature Preserve, Limon Province, Costa Rica

Can you find the critter hidden on this tree trunk? Even after you find it, I bet you’d be surprised that its overall length spans more than half the height of this image!

Posted in Crypsis Challenges | 6 Comments