https://thesmallermajority.com/2025/06/13/silently-speaking/2025-06-14T01:44:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2025/04/15/bengalia/2025-06-13T10:06:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2025/04/09/gladiator-spiders/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/portia-africana.jpgPortia-africanaAnother spider family known for its giant eyes and excellent vision are the jumping spiders (Salticidae). Their big eyes, however, are not homologous with those of net-casting spiders since in the latter it is the posterior median eyes that became enlarged and moved to the frontal position.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ghana_07_286-enhanced-nr-2-copy.jpgAsianopis guineensisA female net-casting spider (Asianopis guineensis), photographed in Atewa Forest Reserve, Ghana.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ghana_07_288-copy.jpgAsianopis guineensisOnly after I downloaded this photo I noticed a male lurking behind the female. Had I noticed it earlier I might have have been able to witness the spiders' courtship and mating behavior that still has not been documented.2025-07-26T05:16:19+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2018/03/18/demons-in-the-dust/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/gorongosa_180316_9183-copy.jpgGorongosa_180316_9183 copyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/hagenomyia_tristis_1.jpgHagenomyia_tristis_1When disturbed, the entire aggregation of antlions lifts off slowly and in complete silence. Unlike swarms of locusts or bees, which make quite a noise when they fly, the soft wings of antlions, fringed with very fine hair-like setae, a thousand flying antlions make almost no discernible sound.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/antlions.jpgAntlionsGorongosa has a rich fauna of neuropteroid insects, including over 20 species of antlions.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/hagenomyia_tristis_2.jpgHagenomyia_tristis_2Translucent and motionless, the Gregarious antlions (Hagenomyia tristis) are virtually invisible as they form large aggregations, often a few hundred strong, in the grassy understory of Mozambican miombo woodlands.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/banyuthus_lethalis.jpgBanyuthus_lethalisBanyutus lethalis is a solitary antlion that frequently sneaks in among the aggregations of H. tristis to benefit from the protection bestowed by the herd. Their appearance is nearly identical to that of their hosts. Like most antlions, their eggs are laid in sand and the larvae develop there, hunting small insect. This species does not build the funnel-shaped pitfalls that antlions are famous for.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/hagenomyia_tristis_3.jpgHagenomyia_tristis_3Gregarious antlions (Hagenomyia tristis) carry bright, conspicuous spots on their wings that draw the attention of a potential predator away from the body of the insect and make it even more unnoticeable.2025-04-09T16:53:43+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/about/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/gorongosa_180705_05172-copy.jpgGorongosa_180705_05172 copyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/isabela_6811.jpgIsabela_6811https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pn.jpgPiotr Naskrecki2025-03-29T11:04:17+00:00weekly0.6https://thesmallermajority.com/2015/09/01/mozambique-diary-snug-as-a-bug/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cimicidae.jpgCimicidaeAll members of the family Cimicidae have a similar morphology, and all are obligate hemophages of mammals and birds.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cimex.jpgCimexBed bug (Cimex lectularius) feeding on my blood.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cacodmus.jpgCacodmusA cute African bat bug (Cacodmus villosus), snuggly nestled on the tail membrane of the Banana bat (Neoromicia nana) (Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/neoromicia.jpgNeoromiciaBats of the family Vespertilionidae, such as this Neoromicia nana, are frequent hosts of bat bugs, possibly because of these mammals' low hematocrit, which makes drinking of their blood easier for parasites.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cacodmus2.jpgCacodmus2African bat bug (Cacodmus villosus) on the wing membrane of the Banana bat (Neoromicia nana) (Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique)2025-03-28T09:06:25+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/09/03/a-song-of-ancient-earth/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_monstrosa_song.jpgCyphoderris_monstrosa_songTwo males of C. monstrosa calling. Click here to listen to the recording.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris.jpgCyphoderrisA portrait of the Greater grig (Cyphoderris monstrosa).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_strepitans3.jpgCyphoderris_strepitans3This singing Sagebrush grig male has already lost his virgin hind wings, and must count on the females' inability to distinguish his call from that of a virgin male.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_strepitans2.jpgCyphoderris_strepitans2During mating the male locks the female in place on his back with an insidious trap on the tip of his abdomen. Female grigs are completely wingless.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_strepitans.jpgCyphoderris_strepitansThe Sagebrush grig (Cyphoderris strepitans) from Wyoming is found low to the ground in sagebrush meadows of the Rockies.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_monstrosa.jpgCyphoderris_monstrosaMale Greater grigs usually call while sitting upside down directly on the tree trunk, which makes it easier for females to find them. Males are highly territorial and will defend their singing perches from other males.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/stampede.jpgStampedeTall Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) are the preferred singing perches of C. monstrosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cyphoderris_monstrosa4.jpgCyphoderris_monstrosa4The Greater Grig (Cyphoderris monstrosa) from the Pacific Northwest.2025-03-28T07:58:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/08/mozambique-diary-heroes-and-what-bugs-them/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hemimerus3.jpgHemimerus3An adult epizoic earwig (Hemimerus sp.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hemimerus2.jpgHemimerus2Epizoic earwigs (Hemimerus) lack the clasping cerci of their free-living cousinshttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hemimerus.jpgHemimerusEpizoic earwig (Hemimerus sp.) on the fur of a pouched rathttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/rat.jpgRatPouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/jen.jpgJenJen with her exciting catch2025-01-29T15:43:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/05/06/mozambique-diary-shooting-bats/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/three.jpgThreehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/setup.jpgSetupA studio setup for photographing bats in flight: (1) Cognisys high speed shutter, mounted on Canon 100mm lens; (2) a laser and a laser beam sensor (an identical but vertically reversed set is positioned on the opposite side of the box).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rhinolophus_red.jpgRhinolophus_redAn orange form of a Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus landeri) from Gorongosa and a sonogram of its echolocation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rhinolophus_grey.jpgRhinolophus_greyA grey form of the Horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus landeri) from Gorongosahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/nycteris.jpgNycterisSlit-faced bat (Nycteris cf. thebaica) from Gorongosa and a sonogram of its echolocation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hipposideros.jpgHipposiderosLeaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros caffer) from Gorongosa and a sonogram of its echolocation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/cave.jpgCaveLeaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros sp.) in a cave of Cheringoma Plateau, Gorongosa National Park.2025-01-29T15:38:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/12/31/so-long-2014/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/zorotypus4.jpgZorotypus4During a BugShot macrophotography workshop on Sapelo Island in Georgia I find my first zorapteran!https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/theraphosa.jpgTheraphosaThe internets go batshit crazy over a single specimen of a common arthropod collected for scientific research.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ricardo.jpgRicardoThe most important event of 2014 for me was, unquestionably, the opening of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory in Gorongosa. This facility, which I now direct, is quickly becoming a hub of renewed scientific and educational activity in Mozambique. Here our technician Ricardo Guta teaching kids from nearby schools about insects of Gorongosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/rhinophrynus5.jpgRhinophrynus5A short trip to Belize in September gives me a chance to meet Uo, the mythical rain caller.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pardalota2.jpgPardalota2Early in the year I made a brief visit to Quirimbas National Park in northern Mozambique where I found Pardalota karschiana, one of the most remarkable and beautiful katydids in the world.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pangolin.jpgPangolinA successful sting operation leads to the rescue of a pangolin and her baby from a poacher – I finally get to see and touch the animal I had been dreaming of seeing all my life.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/john_james.jpgJohn_JamesI have my first encounter with the African lungfish. This animal appears to be more resourceful than I ever suspected. Here a PBS cameraman John Benam and producer James Byrne witness its amazing ability to escape.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/eternity_cover.jpgEternity_coverIn April E.O. Wilson and I published a book on the biodiversity of Gorongosa and the efforts to restore this unique place on Earth.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/bats.jpgBatsBack in Gorongosa, with the help our mammalogist Jen Guyton, I learn how to shoot bats in flight.2025-01-29T15:36:41+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/04/15/mozambique-diary-golden-bats/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/jen.jpgJenMammalogist Jen Guyton examining a freshly caught Lander's horseshoe bat.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/rhinolophus2.jpgRhinolophus2Two color morphs of Lander's horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus landeri) found in Gorongosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/rhinolophus.jpgRhinolophus2025-01-29T15:35:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/09/23/on-the-benefits-of-random-collecting/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana.jpgCedarbergenianaA cave katydid cleaning his foot; their tarsi are incredibly sticky, allowing these insects to walk upside down on the smooth celing of their cave.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana4.jpgCedarbergeniana4A female Cederberg cave katydid (Cedarbergeniana imperfecta) preening her antennae.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wolfberg1.jpgWolfbergSandstone spires above Wolfberg Cracks, one of the few caves where cave katydids can be found.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana9.jpgCedarbergeniana9A male nymph and adult female of Cederberg katydid (Cedarbergeniana imperfecta).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana8.jpgCedarbergeniana8The contrasting coloration of the cave katydids allows them blend in among the colorful rocks of Cederberg during their rare forays outside the caves.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana6.jpgCedarbergeniana6Cave katydids are gregarious, found in multi-aged groups of 20-30 individuals.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana5.jpgCedarbergeniana5Resembling large spiders, cave katydids exhibit typical morphological characteristics of cave animals, which relay mostly on tactile information when moving around.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cedarbergeniana3.jpgCedarbergeniana3A female Cederberg cave katydid (Cedarbergeniana imperfecta) preening her antennae.2025-01-29T15:11:48+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/casa-tamandua/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200207_07064-copy.jpgBand-tailed Barbthroathttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200203_06802-copy.jpgYoga on the lower deckhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200202_0342-copy.jpgYoga on the upper deckhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200124_1223-copy.jpgWhite capuchinhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200115_9386-copy.jpgBrown basiliskhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_200112_8834-copy.jpgPassion flowerhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_191229_0301-copy.jpgCasa Tamanduahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_190906_7952-copy.jpgHelmeted iguanahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_190831_0637-copy.jpgCasa Tamandua at sunrisehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cr_190830_6988-copy.jpgLeaf mantis2024-02-14T09:17:21+00:00weekly0.6https://thesmallermajority.com/2016/08/23/mozambique-diary-coconut-crabs-of-vamizi/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi3.jpgBirgus_Vamizi3All I can say is that I am glad that I am taller than a coconut crab (albeit not by much!)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi2.jpgBirgus_Vamizi2Coconut crabs come in two main color forms, a blue and a red one, both of which can be found in the same population.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi5.jpgBirgus_Vamizi5This was the largest individual that I saw on Vamizi but they can grow even bigger, reaching the leg span of about a meter, or nearly twice the size of this one.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi.jpgBirgus_VamiziCoconut crabs a excellent climbers. Also known as robber crabs, they are known to raid bird nests.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi8.jpgBirgus_Vamizi8Coconut crabs (Birgus latro), the coolest, most awesome, most beautiful inhabitant of the Vamizi Island. These animals have adapted to live around humans. The conservation group on the island does a good job of protecting them.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi7.jpgBirgus_Vamizi7Coconut crabs prefer to be active at night and during the dusk. That is when they emerge from their burrows to look for food.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_scales.jpgBirgus_scalesThe edge of the underside of a coconut crab’s thorax looks very reptilian. https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi4.jpgBirgus_Vamizi4The Anthropocene – is this what a “wild” habitat should be?https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/birgus_vamizi9.jpgBirgus_Vamizi9The underside of a blue coconut crab.2018-09-21T22:17:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2017/05/14/travels-in-the-meddle-earth/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_8.jpgTuatara_8https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_skull.jpgTuatara_skullThe strongest indication of tuatara’s ancient provenance lies in the structure of their skull, which still bears two pairs of large openings connected by strong, bony arches, features that have long been lost in all modern reptiles (with the exception of turtles, whose ancestors never had those openings to begin with.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_9.jpgTuatara_9https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_7.jpgTuatara_7https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_6.jpgTuatara_6https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_5.jpgTuatara_5https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_4.jpgTuatara_4https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_3.jpgTuataraTuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_2.jpgTuatara_2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/tuatara_1.jpgTuatara_12025-09-29T07:19:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2016/02/01/lungless-and-happy-about-it/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/plethodon.jpgPlethodonThe Redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus), a small, unassuming animal common in the eastern United States, is a marvel of evolution, with physiology that makes our own appear laughably inefficient.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/feet.jpgFeetAmong many adaptations to the arboreal lifestyle are the lungless salamanders' pad-like feet. Despite of the overall similarity, this foot shape has evolved independently in different species of the genus Bolitoglossa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bolitoglossa3.jpgBolitoglossa3The ability to use a prehensile tail, a rarity in the animal kingdom, is one of the most amazing characteristics of the large, arboreal Ringtail salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta) from Costa Rica.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bolitoglossa2.jpgBolitoglossa2Ringtail salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta) on a tree branch in Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bolitoglossa.jpgBolitoglossaIt is rather amazing that a terrestrial animal as big as this Ringtail salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta) from Costa Rica can spend its entire life without taking a single breath and rely entirely on gas exchange through its skin.2018-12-05T06:12:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/04/04/mozambique-diary-a-single-breath-that-changed-the-planet/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/protopterus4.jpgProtopterus4Resembling an oversized salamander, the lungfish has four distinct limbs, a long tail, and only remnants of gills. The gills are virtually non-functional and the fish will drown if not allowed to breathe above the surface of the water.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/protopterus3.jpgProtopterus3A portrait of the Southern African lungfish (Protopterus annectens brieni) from Gorongosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/protopterus2.jpgProtopterus2If you think that this looks like walking that’s because it is. Lungfish use their pelvic fins in a way very similar to that of a tetrapod’s legs – the distal part of the fin becomes a “foot” and the fins produce both walking and bounding motions.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pan.jpgPanIn Gorongosa National Park lungfish are common, if rarely seen, inhabitants of seasonal water pans. During the dry season, when the pans evaporate, the lungfish burry themselves in the mud and estivate for several months. During this period their metabolic rates drop by about 60% and gas exchange is done entirely through their lungs.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/protopterus.jpgProtopterusThe Southern African lungfish (Protopterus annectens brieni)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/gulp.jpgGulpThe sound of an early ancestor of this lungfish (Protopterus annectens) taking it first gulp of air signified a pivotal moment in the history of life on Earth. The emergence of this behavior, along with the development of four limbs, set the stage for the conquest of terrestrial habitats by vertebrates, and the evolution of all tetrapods.2018-03-19T10:05:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/03/02/tough-as-nails/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/reflection.jpgreflectionVernal pools are unique aquatic ecosystems, fleeting and unpredictable, but rich in animal life.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus6.jpgEubranchipus6https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus5.jpgEubranchipus5The body of a fairy shrimp is nearly translucent, which makes them invisible to a predator looking from above.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus4.jpgEubranchipus4Fairy shrimp swim upside down, using 10 pairs of legs to propel themselves and collect bits of algae to feed on.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus3.jpgEubranchipus3To photograph fairy shrimp and other inhabitants of vernal pools directly in their habitat I used a complicated underwater setup with live video feed that allowed me to see what was in front of the lens. When I turned it on I was amazed how much life was there, it was almost as if I suddenly looked at a tiny coral reef.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus2.jpgEubranchipus2Male fairy shrimp have massive, highly modified antennae, which they use to grasp and hold the female during mating.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/eubranchipus.jpgEubranchipusMale fairy shrimp (Eubanchipus vernalis).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ambystoma.jpgAmbystomaIn the northeastern United States several species of salamanders, such as this Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) from Westfield MA, share vernal pools with the fairy shrimp.2018-03-19T10:04:30+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/05/12/almost-mammals/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/cryptocercus.jpgCryptocercusWood blattodeans (Cryptocercus) took their family life to the next level, and these insects live in small, multi-generational societies. Females feed their offspring symbiotic protozoans, which these insects need to be able to digest cellulose, their main source of food. From here it took only a small evolutionary step towards eusociality, which we see in a lineage of blattodeans known as termites.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/perisphaerus2.jpgPerisphaerus2A female ball blattodean (Perisphaerus lunatus) from northern Cambodia begins to unfurl to reveal long, powerful legs.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/parcoblatta.jpgParcoblattaNorth American forest blattodean (Parcoblatta penssylvanica) carrying an ootheca – a hard, nearly indestructible purse that protects the eggs from predators, parasitoids, and desiccation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/nymph.jpgnymphBall blattodeans of the genus Perisphaerus and several related genera are probably the only organisms other than mammals that exhibit suckling behavior. Young nymphs of these insects have long, almost proboscis-like mouthparts that allow them to access a series of special “mammary” glands on their mother’s underside and suck nutritious fluids.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/blaberus.jpgBlaberusA large, shield-like pronotum protects the head and front legs of the giant blattodean (Blaberus giganteus) from Guyana.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/arcyptera.jpgArcypteraTable Mountain blattodean (Aptera fusca) from South Africa is a species that exhibits an extended maternal care.2018-03-19T09:51:25+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/10/08/the-sound-of-little-hooves-in-the-night/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/tamandua.jpgTamanduaA mile of highway kills more organisms that an entire generation of scientists. First during its construction, then when it turns into a conveyor belt to hell for any organism unlucky enough to step on or fly over it.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/paracilacris.jpgParacilacrisThe Endangered Katydid (Paracilacris periclitatus) – this species may already be extinct due to the loss of its habitat, but we know of its existence because I collected a few individuals and described the species.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/light_fixture.jpgLight_fixtureWhat do these beautiful animals have in common? You killed them. Or similar species. Our houses are death traps for countless organisms who are attracted to artificial lights and die inside. I found members of each of these species in the light fixtures of my house.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/child.jpgChildMuseum collections are priceless not only because of their role in scientific discoveries, but for igniting the fascination with the natural world in future generations of researchers, artists, and conservationist.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/theraphosa5.jpgTheraphosa5Goliath birdeater in its natural habitat in Suriname.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/theraphosa4.jpgTheraphosa4With the leg span of nearly 30 cm, the Goliath birdeater is an animal that should be treated with respect, even though it is pretty much harmless to humans.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/theraphosa3.jpgTheraphosa3A Goliath birdeater from Guyana, the first individual of this species that I ever encountered. Her opisthosoma (abdomen) is nearly bold because most of the urticating hairs ended up in my eyes and mucus membranes – now I know better than to put my face too close to these animals.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/theraphosa.jpgTheraphosaGoliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) from Suriname, displaying the full arsenal of its defenses – urticating hair, enormous fangs, and a loud hissing noise.2018-03-19T09:50:10+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2015/01/09/puppy-killing-scientist-smuggles-rainforest-babies-in-body-cavity/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/emergence2.jpgEmergence2That's a nice-looking butt – I knew that something was amiss when a strange tube started poking out of my skin. This turned out to be a bot fly's breathing tube.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/puparium.jpgPupariumThe puparium of the Human bot fly. The tufts on the front of the body are anterior spiracles that allow the animal to breathe when it matures in this stage underground. As the puparium ages it changes color from light brown to black. Remarkably, the spiracles stay the same, orange color.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mandibles.jpgMandiblesA mature larva of the Human bot fly (Dermatobia hominis) is an impressively armored animal. And yet it caused relatively little discomfort when feeding, deeply embedded in the skin of its host, me.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dermatobia6.jpgDermatobia6Although we don’t think about them as such, Human bot flies are beautiful rainforest animals, as much a part of that ecosystem as howler monkeys and Morpho butterflies.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dermatobia.jpgDermatobiaA newly eclosed Human bot fly, with traces of the ptilinum on its head, a reversible pouch that gets inflated with hemolymph to help the young fly break free from the puparium.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cycle.jpgCycleA composite photo showing the stages of the Human bot fly’s development. The size difference between the first and the third larval instal is particularly striking.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/agalychnis.jpgAgalychnisI am pretty sure that taking this very photo in Belize was the beginning of my adventure with the Human bot flies.2020-02-11T17:03:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2015/06/22/mozambique-diary-photoshop-or-not/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/superciliary_carinae.jpgSuperciliary_carinaeThe median ocelli of the rock scorpion (Hadogenes granulatus) are protected from scratching against rocks by elevated ridges (green arrow). These are absent in species that live in equally constrained but softer environments, such as this Opistacanthus (below) found under tree bark.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/hadogenes_granulatus4.jpgHadogenes_granulatus4Rock scorpions’s body is strongly flattened, perfectly adapted to squeezing into the narrowest crevices.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/hadogenes_granulatus3.jpgHadogenes_granulatus3Like many scorpions, members of the genus Hadogenes display a beautiful, blue fluorescence if exposed to ultraviolet light. A recent study suggests that this helps these nocturnal animals detect and avoid light.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/hadogenes_granulatus.jpgHadogenes_granulatusRock scorpion (Hadogenes granulatus) from Bunga Inselberg in Gorongosa, one of the largest scorpions in the world.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/bunga_inselbergs.jpgBunga_inselbergsBunga Inselbergs in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambiquehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/bees.jpgBeesFlavio Artur, Ricardo Guta, and I, 24 hours after being attacked by a swarm of wild African honey bees. On that morning I pulled out nearly 150 stingers from my skin.2019-01-21T11:25:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2015/09/15/ghost-hunting/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania12.jpgPhyllocrania12A silhouette of the first ghost mantis recorded from Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania9.jpgPhyllocrania9A Gorongosa ghost mantis with a freshly laid ootheca.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania8.jpgPhyllocrania8A molting ghost mantis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania6.jpgPhyllocrania6A female ghost mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa) – these insects are such superb mimimcs of dry vegetation that it is often difficult to tell which part belongs to the plant and which to the insect.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania13.jpgPhyllocrania13Ghost mantids are extremely polymorphic in both their coloration and the shape of the strange processes on their heads.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/phyllocrania11.jpgPhyllocrania11No two individuals of ghost mantids are alike, which prevents their principal predators, birds and primates, from learning how to tell them apart from real leaves.2022-10-11T01:19:48+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/11/01/treehoppers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/umbonia.jpgUmboniaTreehoppers are excellent parents – this female Thorn treehopper (Umbonia sp.) is shielding her eggs with her body; if necessary she can also use her powerful legs to kick potential predators.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/umbelligerus.jpgUmbelligerusWhat possible function can these massive horns play in this Costa Rican treehopper Umbelligerus sp.?https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/poppea_capricornis.jpgPoppea_capricornisA portrait of a Costa Rican treehopper Poppea capricornis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/membracis.jpgMembracisTwo extreme examples of treehopper morphology – Membracis zonata, showing disruptive coloration that conceals the fact of being an insect, and Cladonota ridicula, a perfect imitator of a dead speck of vegetation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/harmonides3.jpgHarmonides3An ant can elicit the production of a droplet of honeydew by gently stroking the treehopper (Harmonides sp.) with her antennae.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/harmonides2.jpgHarmonides2A colony of treehoppers (Harmonides sp.) is like a pasture full of cattle for ants, who protect the insects and collect their nutritious honeydew.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/bocydium2.jpgBocydium2Nobody really knows what the strange structures on the head of the Bocydium treehopper are for. They don't use them in courtship and seem pretty ineffective for defense.2017-11-24T07:19:51+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/08/25/empusids/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/empusa.jpgEmpusaThe Cape empusid mantis (Hemiempusa capensis) devouring a grasshopper.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/idolomantis2.jpgIdolomantis2Nymphs of the Devil's mantis (Idolomantis diabolica) resemble dry, shriveled leaves, which allows them to blend among the vegetation, where they hunt fast flying insects. Interestingly, this species is not interested in slower insects and those that walk or crawl on the vegetation – the prey must be flying really fast to elicit this predator's response. (This photo shows a captive individual.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/idolomorpha4b.jpgIdolomorpha4bMale empusid (I. dentifrons) cleaning his pectinate antennae.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/idolomorpha3.jpgIdolomorpha3A portrait of a male empusid Idolomorpha dentifrons from Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. This photo is a composite of four vertical frames.2015-09-15T22:07:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/08/02/scorpionflies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/panorpa.jpgPanorpaA male and a female of Panorpa acuta – the male's scorpion-like "tail" carries his genitalia and a so-called notal organ, which helps him hold the female's wings during copulation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/panorpaf4.jpgPanorpaF4A male and a female of Panorpa acuta – the male's scorpion-like "tail" carries his genitalia and a so-called notal organ, which helps him hold the female's wings during copulation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/panorpaf3.jpgPanorpaF3A female scorpionfly feeding on a dead moth. Unlike their close relatives, hanging scorpionflies (Bittacus), members of the genus Panorpa usually feed on insect carrion rather than trying to catch live ones.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/panorpa3.jpgPanorpa3A male scorpionfly (Panorpa acuta) from Estabrook Woods, MA.2023-07-18T14:34:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2015/03/12/mozambique-diary-red-headed-flies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mylabris_blisters.jpgMylabris_blistersI strongly suspect that Red-headed flies are Batesian mimics of blister beetles of the genus Mylabris. These beetles not only cause painful, long-lasting blisters but are also potentially deadly toxic.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bromophila5.jpgBromophila5Red-headed flies, which in Mozambique emerge at the end of the rainy season, like to hang in clusters on leaves.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bromophila3.jpgBromophila3One peculiar morphological characteristic of the Red-headed flies is the absence of the ocelli, which are typically found on the head of other flies.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bromophila2.jpgBromophila2Adult Red-headed flies feed on dung and other decaying organic matter.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bromophila.jpgBromophilaRed-headed flies (Bromophila caffra) are striking and common animals in East and southern Africa, but little is known about their biology.2017-07-29T15:47:17+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2015/01/12/dermatobia-redux/2020-12-08T03:45:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/30/when-a-bumblebee-is-not-a-bumblebee/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/max.jpgMaxMaxhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cuterebra_larva.jpgCuterebra_larvaA bot fly larva, extracted from Max's skin [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cuterebra.jpgCuterebraEmasculating bot fly (Cuterebra emasculator) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EX]2015-11-26T02:24:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/12/a-giant-among-the-smaller-majority/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/birgus8.jpgBirgus8Live young coconut crabs for sale at a seafood market on Okinawa, Japan [Canon PowerShot SX100 IS]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/birgus9.jpgBirgusLike all arthropods, coconut crabs need to molt periodically, and the process takes place in a deep underground burrow [Canon 1D MKII, Canon 100mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/birgus7.jpgBirgusLegs of coconut crabs are of different length, perfectly adapted for climbing coconut trees [Canon 1D MKII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/birgus6.jpgBirgusThe chelae ("claws") of coconut crabs are incredibly powerful, capable of cracking open a coconut shell [Canon 1D MKII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/birgus3.jpgBirgusCoconut crab (Birgus latro) on GUam, Solomon Islands [Canon 1D MKII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]2015-01-02T20:10:57+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/09/18/uo-the-rain-caller/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus6.jpgRhinophrynus6Perhaps not the most graceful of frogs, uo’s morphology is perfectly adapted to fossorial lifestyle and hunting for social insects.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus5.jpgRhinophrynus5A portrait of uo, or the Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynus dorsalis) from Belize.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus4.jpgRhinophrynus4A male uo.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus3.jpgRhinophrynus3The mouth of uo is very small and surrounded by cushion-like pads.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus2.jpgRhinophrynus2Rarely seen on the surface of the ground, uo is a strictly fossorial frog, emerging only at the onset of torrential rains of the wet season.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rhinophrynus.jpgRhinophrynusResembling a small balloon, uo is surprisingly agile as it runs and hops on the forest floor.2015-03-20T09:51:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/05/27/my-life-is-now-complete/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/zorotypus4.jpgZorotypus4A wingless form of zorapteran (Zorotypus hubbardi) from Sapelo Island, GAhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/zorotypus3.jpgZorotypus3Zorapteran (Zorotypus hubbardi), the only species of the order Zoraptera found in the United States.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/zorotypus2.jpgZorotypus2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/zorotypus.jpgZorotypusMost zorapterans are pale, wingless and blind. Winged forms only appear if the decaying long in which they live can no longer support the population of these insects.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/spanish_moss.jpgSpanish_mossWarm, humid, and festooned with Spanish moss, the oak forest of Sapelo Island, GA, is an ideal habitat for the Zoraptera.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/armadillo.jpgarmadilloI wish I could have spent more time in Georgia – it would have been nice to see armadillos in a form other than flattened pancakes on the highway. On my drive from Savannah to Atlanta I counted 27 carcasses of these animals killed by cars.2015-08-09T09:59:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/02/18/mozambique-diary-pardalota/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pardalotaf.jpgPardalotaFA female P. reimeri cleaning her foot.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/arctiid.jpgArctiidAn unidentified, aposemtically-colored tiger moth found on the same plants as Pardalota.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pardalota3.jpgPardalota3A defensive display of Pardalota reimeri – these katydids feed on highly toxic plants and is likely that their bodies are loaded with poisonous alkaloids.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pardalota2.jpgPardalota2Pardalota reimeri, probably the most colorful and one of the rarest katydids in the world. The individuals I observed in Quirimbas are the first record of this species in 103 years.2015-01-29T07:53:13+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/21/a-biblical-arachnid/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cryptocellus.jpgCryptocellusNeotropical dinospiders, like this Cryptocellus sp., are smaller and distinctly "fuzzier" than their African counterparts. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ricinoides4.jpgRicinoidesDinospiders are surprisingly long-lived and can take several years to mature. [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cryptocellus2.jpgCryptocellusImmature dinospiders, like this Cryptocellus sp. from Costa Rica, are usually brightly colored. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ricinoides5.jpgRicinoidesThe male Atewa dinospider (Ricinoides atewa) from Ghana has a huge second pair of legs, which are probably used in male-to-male combat. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2017-03-18T13:31:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/26/african-tuesday-heelwalkers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mantophasma2.jpgMantophasma2Kuduberg heelwalker (Mantophasma kudubergense) from Namibia [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sclerophasma.jpgSclerophasmaA yet undescribed species of heelwalker (Sclerophasma sp.) from South Africa [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mantophasma.jpgMantophasmaKuduberg heelwalker (Mantophasma kudubergense) from Namibia [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/brandberg.jpgBrandbergHabitat of the Gladiator on top of the Brandberg Massif in Namibia [Nikon D1x, Nikkor 17-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tyrannophasma.jpgTyrannophasmaThe first live heelwalker ever photographed – Gladiator (Tyrannophasma gladiator) from Brandberg, Namibia, which I photographed in March 2002 [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm]2014-12-25T16:35:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/11/25/mozambique-diary-not-all-flies-fly/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/raymondia.jpgRaymondiaMembers of the family Streblidae, such as this Raymondia sp., collected from the Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hildebrandtii), often exhibit interesting adaptations in their wing morphology, such as the ability to fold them longitudinally along the back. This presumably helps them move swiftly in the pelage of their hosts.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/penicillidia.jpgPenicillidiaPenicillidia bat flies (Nycteribiidae) are some of the most unusual members of the order Diptera and hardly resemble their winged relatives. This individual was collected from a Long-winged bat (Miniopterus natalensis) in Gorongosa, Mozambique.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/penicillidia_jen.jpgPenicillidia_JenA painting (undoubtedly the first and only) of a bat fly (Penicillidia sp.) burrowing in the fur of a Long-winged bat (Miniopterus).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/lipoptena2.jpgLipoptena2Louse flies (Hippoboscidae) are close, equally modified for ectoparasitic lifestyle family of flies. This Lipoptena sp. was collected from a Nyala antelope while it was fitted with a GPS collar. Louse flies are parasites of large mammals and birds, and some are considered serious pests of sheep.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/glossina2.jpgGlossina2Tsetse fly (Glossina sp.) from Gorongosa feeding on my blood. Luckily, tsetses in this area do not carry the dreaded sleeping sickness (but it does not make it any less painful).2020-08-27T03:57:25+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/10/22/what-to-do/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/votes.jpgVoteshttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/spider_in_sink.jpgSpider_in_sink2014-10-30T14:44:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/09/30/a-new-voice-in-the-chorus/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/orocharis3.jpgOrocharis3A pair of Jumping Bush Crickets (Orocharis saltator) from Massachusetts. Females have long, needle-like ovipositors, which they use to lay eggs deep into the stems of plants.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/orocharis2.jpgOrocharis2A male Jumping Bush Cricket (Orocharis saltator).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/orocharis_spectrum.jpgOrocharis_spectrumSonogram of the Jumping Bush Cricket (Orocharis saltator); click here to listen to the recording.2017-10-01T21:05:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/08/25/mozambique-diary-webspinners/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/sand_forest.jpgSand_forestSilken galleries of webspinners covering trees in the Sand Forest of Gorongosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/oligotoma.jpgOligotomaMales of many webspinner, such as this cosmotropical Oligotoma saundersii, are fully winged. Their wings can easily flex in half over the top of the body to help them move backward in the narrow silky corridors.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/embia4.jpgEmbia4The thin sheet of silk acts as an invisibility cloak, protecting foraging webspiners from their principal enemies, ants.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/embia3.jpgEmbia3The front tarsi of webspinners are strongly enlarged to accommodate silk-producing glands.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/embia2.jpgEmbia2An adult female of a yet unidentified webspinner from Gorongosa National Park.2018-09-14T17:15:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/06/11/mozambique-diary-amphisbaenians/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ricardo.jpgRicardoMy assistant Ricardo Guta looking for insects and other animals in the habitat of the Gorongosa amphisbaenian.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chirindia4.jpgChirindia4Although it looks like a soft and squishy, the amphisbaenian’s head hides a strong skull that allows it to push through even the hardest soil.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chirindia2.jpgChirindia2Most people would hardly look twice at this small, pink “worm”, but this amphisbaenian (Chirindia swynnertoni) from Gorongosa probably looks like the now extinct ancestor of all snakes.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chirindia.jpgChirindiaGorongosa amphisbaenian (Chirindia swynnertoni)2014-06-16T19:40:40+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/05/18/glass-katydid/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/glass_katydid2.jpgGlass_katydid2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/glass_katydid.jpgGlass_katydid2014-05-21T16:54:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/04/07/mozambique-diary-the-house-of-spiders/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ed.jpgEdPiotr Naskrecki and Edward O. Wilson in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/theraphosid.jpgTheraphosidTarantulas, known in southern Africa as baboon spiders, may look frightening but are generally harmless. Their main line of defense is not their venom, but tiny urticating hairs that cover the entire body.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/nephila.jpgNephilaThe golden orb-weaver (Nephila senegalensis) is one of the largest spiders of Gorongosa. Its name comes from the beautifully golden coloration of its silk.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/nephilengys4.jpgNephilengys4Each spider in the Hippo House was sheltered in a tubular retreat, a behavior typical of all species in the genus Nephilengys.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/nephilengys2.jpgNephilengys2An unlucky katydid that flew into a web under the Hippo House is immediately killed and wrapped in silk by a female orb weaver.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/nephilengys.jpgNephilengysOrb weaver (Nephilengys cruentata) from the Hippo House.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hippo_house.jpgHippo_HouseThe skeletal remains of the Hippo House, once a busy restaurant and observation point. Orb weaver (Nephilengys cruentata) from the Hippo House.2014-11-16T05:21:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/07/a-view-from-the-other-side-a-guest-post-by-kristin/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cederberg4.jpgCederberg4Glorious Cederberg. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/argiope_australis.jpgArgiope_australisCompared to a solifugid, this tiger spider (Argiope australis) seems like sweet, harmless bunny. [Canon G10]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cederberg2.jpgCederberg2A storm passes over the top of a mountain in Cederberg at the end of a scorchingly hot day. This place is worth every degree and every arachnid above my comfort level. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/car.jpgcarSpider-free living. Hey, if I believed it, that was all that mattered. [Canon G10]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cederberg.jpgCederbergThe Verandah. Doesn’t it look delightful? Note the interesting choice to install a screen on a door that doesn’t meet the floor, and the lack of a screen on the window. [Canon G10]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/solphugid.jpgSolphugidThe very first solifugid that I ever saw. When I posted this photo on Flickr, the always hilarious Brandi Schuster commented, “Solifugid. That sounds like the noise that I would make if I ever saw one of those fuckers in real life.” [Canon G10]2014-04-06T14:48:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/01/30/mozambique-diary-devonian-sashimi/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lungfish2.jpgLungfish2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lungfish1.jpgLungfish1A fishermen from Dingue Dingue and his catch. The first animal is the African lungfish (Protopterus annectens).2014-04-04T10:19:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/03/18/bugshot-2014-sapelo-island-ga/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/atlanticus.jpgAtlanticusAmbient light macrophotography: Atlantic shield-back (Atlanticus testaceus)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/enyaliopsis_molt.gifEnyaliopsis_moltTime lapse macrophotography: A molting katydid (Enyaliopsis petersi)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/celidophylla.jpgCelidophyllaWide-angle macro: Sylvan katydid (Celidophylla albiomacula)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cicada.jpgCicadaHigh-speed macrophotography: Periodical cicada (Magicicada septendecim)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/polyrhachis.jpgPolyrhachis2014-06-24T15:29:43+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/02/15/mozambique-diary-sibylla/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sibylla6.jpgSibylla6Sibylla are voracious predators of insects found on tree bark and branches.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/phyllocrania2.jpgPhyllocrania2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/phyllocrania.jpgPhyllocraniaSibylla mantids are closely related to the otherworldly Ghost mantids (Phyllocrania paradox). I have not yet found one in Gorongosa, but I am pretty sure that we have them there.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sibylla5.jpgSibylla5Young Sibylla are very spindly looking and are found usually on leaves and tips of thin branches.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sibylla3.jpgSibylla3A male Sibylla cleaning his antennae.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sibylla.jpgSibyllaThe Precious Sibyl mantids (Sibylla pretiosa) are usually found high on the branches of savanna trees.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/sibylla4.jpgSibylla4A portrait of the Precious Sibyl mantis (Sibylla pretiosa) – it is easy to get the impression that this insect really thinks.2015-09-27T22:34:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/02/01/mozambique-diary-blind-snakes-of-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/leptotyphlops2.jpgLeptotyphlops2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rhinotyphlops3.jpgRhinotyphlops3https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/leptotyphlops.jpgLeptotyphlopsPeter's thread snake (Leptotyphlops scutifrons), the smallest snake in Mozambique.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rhinotyphlops2.jpgRhinotyphlops2The body of blind snakes is glossy smooth, reducing friction when moving underground. It also makes holding them in your hand rather difficult.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rhinotyphlops.jpgRhinotyphlopsThe morphology of the Giant blind snake (Megatyphlops schlegelii) reveals its perfect adaptation for subterranean life – there is no neck or distinct tail, which means that the animal can move as easily forward as backward in the underground tunnels; notice the sharp defensive spike on the end of the body.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/snakes.jpgsnakesA comparison of the largest blind snake of Gorongosa, the Giant blind snake (Megatyphlops schlegelii), and the smallest one, the Peter's thread snake (Leptotyphlops scutifrons)2014-11-06T17:49:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2014/01/21/mozambique-diary-a-welcoming-coneheads/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ruspolias.jpgRuspoliashttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ruspolia.jpgRuspoliaA female conehead (Ruspolia consobrina) found in a Maputo hotel.2014-01-21T16:58:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/12/31/mozambique-diary-victims-of-our-deficiencies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/vultures1.jpgVulturesWe tell ourselves that vultures are ugly and disgusting, but I think we are just jealous of their superior abilities and survival skills.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/sable21.jpgSable2Thirty minutes later all meat has been stripped from the antelope's carcass, leaving only bones, pieces of skin, and the stomach content.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/vultures2.jpgVultures2Once the lions had left about fifty White-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) descended onto the carcass.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/sable.jpgSableAfter following a radio-collared lion, Gorongosa veterinarian Rui Branco (right) lead us to a freshly killed sable antelope.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/billy_idol.jpgBilly_IdolAm I the only person who thinks that the White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) looks like Billy Idol's doppelgänger?2018-11-16T19:46:28+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/12/19/who-was-per-brinck/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/b_karooensis.jpgB_karooensisB. karooensis occurs in karoo vegetation along the western coast of South Africa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/b_elegans.jpgB_elegansBrinckiella elegans – a beautiful species from Western Cape Province of South Africa. Females of all species in this genus, and males in at least one, are completely wingless. This is rare among katydids and I still don’t have a good explanation for this loss of the ability to both fly and produce courtship calls.2013-12-29T16:51:39+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/10/helmeted-katydids/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sasima.jpgSasimaA nymph of Sasima versteegi is a perfect mimic of mossy vegetation of the humid, lowland rainforest on New Guinea.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/phyllophorella_woodfordi.jpgPhyllophorella_woodfordiA molting female of Phyllophorella woodfordi from the Solomon Islands.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/phyllophora.jpgPhyllophoraAlthough mostly diurnal, some species, such as this Phyllophora sp. from New Britain, can be found during the day on understory vegetation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/spermatophore.jpgSpermatophoreWhat looks like a pair of testicles at the base of a female's ovipositor is the spermatophylax, a nuptial gift produced by the male during mating. It consists mostly of nutritious carbohydrates and proteins, and is subsequently consumed by the female. Its presence ensures that the male's sperm has enough time to enter the females genital opening, and effectively prevents her from mating with another partner, at least for some time. The nutrients in the spermatophylax also contribute to the fitness of his and her offspring.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/coxae.jpgCoxaeThe sternocoxal stridulatory apparatus of a helmeted katydid. The first segment (coxa) of the last pair of legs is covered with dense, parallel ridges that rub agains a series of pegs on the surface of mesosternal lobes on the ventral side of the thorax. The sound produced in this way is noise-like, typical of a defensive stridulation.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sasima5.jpgSasima5Some helmeted katydids, such as this Sasima versteegi from the Western Province of PNG, are huge.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sasima3.jpgPhyllophoraThe body of helmeted katydid nymphs, like in this Phyllophora sp. from Eastern Highlands Province of PNG, is almost entirely covered by the helmet-like pronotum.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/phyllophora2.jpgPhyllophora2Helmeted katydid (Phyllophora boschami) from Pogera gold mining camp in the Enga Province of Papua New Guinea.2020-10-06T20:13:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/11/25/hugewings/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/corydalids.jpgCorydalidsThree species of hugewings common in New England.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/platyneuromus.jpgPlatyneuromusThe function of the large lobes on the head of Central American dobsonfly Platyneuromus soror is a complete mystery.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/corydalus.jpgCorydalusA female dobsonfly taking off from a leaf at night in Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chloronia.jpgChloroniaOne of the few colorful members of the order Megaloptera, a Costa Rican dobsonfly Chloronia sp.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/corydalus_female.jpgCorydalus_femaleFemale dobsonfly in her natural habitat along a stream in Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/corydalus_male.jpgCorydalus_maleThe enormous mandibles of a male dobsonfly (Corydalus)look like formidable weapons, but they are not. The males use them only in ritualized combat with other males and are too weak to use them to pinch or hurt anybody.2013-11-30T10:13:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/11/05/the-amazing-glass-katydid/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/phlugis_cr.jpgPhlugis_CRTheir huge eyes are a good indication of Glass katydids’ mode of hunting – they are diurnal sit-and-wait predators of small flies and other soft insects. This newly discovered, yet unnamed species from Costa Rica hunts small flying insects along the edges of mid-elevation rainforest.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/phlugis_nymph2.jpgPhlugis_nymph2As they age, Glass katydids begin to lose their transparency, and older nymphs and aduls acquire pale green coloration.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/phlugis_nymph.jpgPhlugis_nymphA young nymph of Glass katydid (Phlugis teres) from Suriname sitting on the tip of my finger.2013-11-15T21:21:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/11/15/mozambique-diary-poetic-justice/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/centipede.jpgcentipedeCentipede (Ethmostigmus sp.) devouring a House snake (Lamprophis capensis)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/aparallactus.jpgAparallactusThe Cape centipede-eater (Aparallactus capensis) from Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique2013-11-18T01:04:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/31/scary-scary-stuff/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/panda.jpgPanda2013-10-31T16:36:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/10/22/bog-killers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/damselfly.jpgDamselflyEven an insect as big as a damselfly can fall victim to a sundew.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/drosera.jpgDroseraSundew (Drosera rotundifolia) from Ponkapoag Bog, MA with two half-digested midges.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/sarracenia4.jpgSarracenia4Purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) from Ponkapoag Bog, MA. The color of the plant is an indirect indication of the availability of nitrogen – the greener the plant, the more nitrogen is present in its environment. A recent study demonstrated that pollution by synthetic fertilizer makes carnivorous plants less interested in insects and more reliant on nitrogen dissolved in the water.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/sarracenia.jpgSarraceniaThe pitchers of S. purpurea are its modified leaves, not flowers. Its true and remarkably beautiful flowers appear in the late spring and, unlike the pitchers, are insect-friendly.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/sarracenia3.jpgSarracenia3Unlucky insects and arachnids being digested in the pitcher.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/sarracenia2.jpgSarracenia2Looking like a hungry snake, the gaping mouth of the pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) invites unsuspecting insects to their death.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/neonemobius_sonogram.jpgNeonemobius_sonogramThe call of the Sphagnum ground cricket is a soft, high-pitched trill, which is easy to miss unless your are looking for it. Click here to hear the recording of the call at the natural speed, followed by a fragment slowed down 5 times.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/neonemobius.jpgNeonemobiusSphagnum ground cricket (Neonemobius palustris) from Ponakpoag Bog, MA.2016-02-27T21:31:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/10/14/the-chorus-grows/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/phyllopalpus4.jpgPhyllopalpus4A male Handsome trig (Phyllopalpus pulchellus)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/phyllopalpus_sonogram.jpgPhyllopalpus_sonogramSonogram of the Handsome trig (Phyllopalpus pulchellus); click here to listen to the recording.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/phyllopalpus3.jpgPhyllopalpus3A singing male Handsome trig (Phyllopalpus pulchellus)2013-10-18T19:19:01+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/10/11/music-in-my-head/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/spectrum2.jpgSpectrum2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/spectrum.jpgSpectrumA sonogram of a composite recording of most of the orthopteran species singing in my garden. On a good night I can hear them all, but here I decided to add them one by one to the recording to make each species' song stand out. Click here to listen to this soundscape. Please note that some species (esp. Scudderia and Microcentrum) may not be audible to a certain group of listeners (I am talking about you, men 35 or older; I count myself incredibly lucky for still being able to hear all my local species – but who knows for how long). It will help if you listen to this recording through headphones or external speakers; most built-in computer speakers may not be able to reproduce all frequencies (esp. the low frequency drumming of Meconema). (If you would like to see an animated sonogram with species names appearing as they join the chorus, click here; it is a large file, suitable only for a fast connection.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/katydids.jpgKatydidsSome of katydid neighbors. Just like with the crickets, the number under each name represents the sequence of joining the musical performance in the composite recording below.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/crickets.jpgCricketsSome of the cricket species I recorded in or near my garden. The number under each name represents the sequence of joining the musical performance in the composite recording below.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/eunemobius.jpgEunemobiusMale Carolina ground crickets (Eunemobius carolinus) are the hardiest of all my garden's musicians, and may continue to woo females with their song well into late November.2013-11-10T15:23:47+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/10/04/footprint-cave-belize/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/schizomus.jpgSchizomusA new, yet unnamed species of the pygmy vinegaroon (Schizomus sp.) from the Footprint Cave.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/mayfly.jpgmayflyThe strands are covered with droplets of oxalic acid, which trap and kill unlucky insects, such as this mayfly, that brush against them in flight.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/webworms.jpgwebwormsSilk strands on the cave ceiling, produced by the larvae of predaceous fungus gnats (Keroplatidae: ?Macrocera sp.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/troglophiloscia.jpgTroglophilosciaA troglobitic isopod crustacean Troglophiloscia sp.; note its lack of pigmentation and eyes, characteristics typical of cave-dwelling organisms.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/mayagryllus.jpgMayagryllusFemale cave cricket Mayagryllus apterus, a species endemic to the Caves Branch system of Belize.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/africa.jpgAfricaAfrica in Mesoamerica – a beautiful, little pool on the floor of the upper chamber of the Footprint Cave; it even has an adjoining pool that looks like the Arabian Peninsula.2013-10-05T14:02:44+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/09/12/mozambique-diary-the-fat-coneheads-of-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ruspolia.jpgRuspoliaThe genus Ruspolia is represented in Gorongosa by at least six species, some of which may be new to science. R. consobrina is one of few katydids that are routinely eaten by people in Africa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bird.jpgbirdConehead katydids' mortal enemy, the Black-bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster) – I have watched this bird slowly walk in tall grass and expertly pick katydids and grasshoppers that were invisible to me.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/pseudorhynchus_hastifer2.jpgPseudorhynchus_hastifer2The large, elongate head of the conehead katydid Pseudorhynchus hastifer hides powerful grinding muscles and help this animal blend in among blades of grass.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/pseudorhynchus_pungens.jpgPseudorhynchus_pungensThe body of the Conehead katydid Pseudorhynchus pungens looks just like a blade of grass and few predators can spot them.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/lanista_annulicornis3.jpgLanista_annulicornis3Conehead katydid Lanista annulicornis (a.k.a. L. africana) showing its huge, sharp mandibles designed for cutting and crushing grass seeds. They also do an admirable job on human skin.2013-11-05T14:22:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/09/07/mozambique-diary-the-cat-mantis/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/heterochaeta2.jpgHeterochaeta2A male Cat mantis at sunset.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/heterochaeta.jpgHeterochaetaWhen cornered the Cat mantis rears up to make itself look bigger and flashes beautifully yellow and black hind wings that normally lie hidden under the cryptically colored front wings.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/heterochaeta5.jpgHeterochaeta5While resting on a branch the Cat mantis keeps its forelegs outstretched to the side, enhancing the illusion of being just another dead stick.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/heterochaeta4.jpgHeterochaeta4Despite his huge size, a Cat mantis (Heterochaeta orientalis) is virtually impossible to spot in its natural setting of bare branches in the woodland savanna of Gorongosa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/heterochaeta3b.jpgHeterochaeta3BI decided to christen this impressive praying mantis (Heterochaeta orientalis) the Cat mantis, on the account of its head morphology, but even its defensive behavior reminds me of a cranky cat (is there any other kind?).2014-03-25T09:17:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/08/18/they-can-count-too/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/s_pistillata_song.jpgS_pistillata_songhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/scudderia_ovipositionlg.gifScudderia_ovipositionLGThe song of S. pistillata – notice how the number of syllables increases in each subsequent phrase. Click here to hear it. (Based on a recording from the Singing Insects of North America.)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/scudderia_oviposition.gifScudderia_ovipositionThis is how it's done: the female first chews off the edge of the leaf, and then uses her mouthparts to carefully guide her ovipositor in between the two layers of the epidermis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/nymph.jpgnymphNymphs of bush katydid can be recognized by their bright, emerald green coloration and the presence of a small "cone" on the head.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/s_pistillata.jpgS_pistillataThe counting katydid, Scudderia pistillata – males of this species add one syllable to each subsequent "click", and the male with the highest number of syllables has the highest chance of attracting a female. This individual is from Sanbornville, NH.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/scudderiaf.jpgScudderiaFA female Fork-tailed bush katydid (S. furcata) from Boston ovipositing between the two layers of a leaf's epidermis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/scudderiaf2.jpgScudderiaF2A female Fork-tailed bush katydid (S. furcata) from Boston ovipositing between the two layers of a leaf's epidermis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/s_fasciata.jpgS_fasciataA male Treetop bush katydid (S. fasciata) from Woburn, MA.2017-02-11T21:36:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/08/14/says-trig/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/anaxipha_sonogram.jpgAnaxipha_sonogramThe call of the Say's trig (click here to hear it).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/anaxipha.jpgAnaxiphaA male and a female of the Say's trig (Anaxipha exigua) from Woburn, MA.2015-07-24T08:38:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/08/08/sapo/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/phyllomedusa_tomopterna.jpgPhyllomedusa_tomopternaTiger monkey frog (Phyllomedusa tomopterna) from Suriname.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/phyllomedusas.jpgPhyllomedusasThree species of Leaf frogs (Phyllomedusa) found in Suriname (from the left clockwise): P. vaillantii, P. tomopterna, and P. bicolor. These frogs are also known as monkey frogs, on the account of their grasping hands and the ability run up vertical lianas.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/eggs.jpgEggsA clutch of freshly laid eggs of P. bicolor.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/phyllomedusa_bicolor3.jpgPhyllomedusa_bicolor3A female and a male of P. bicolor from southern Suriname.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/phyllomedusa_bicolor.jpgPhyllomedusa_bicolorA pair of Giant leaf frogs (Phyllomedusa bicolor) from Suriname, which I mistook for a four-eyed chimera.2013-08-12T13:32:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/23/hanging-in-there/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_tarsus.jpgBittacus_tarsusA raptorial tarsus of Bittacus strigosus.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_strigosus2.jpgBittacus_strigosus2A hanging scorpionfly in a characteristic hunting position.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_moz.jpgBittacus_MozA hanging scorpionfly (Bittacus sp.) from Mozambique showing the main difference between scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) and crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) – the presence of the second pair of wings.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_head.jpgBittacus_headThe head of Bittacus strigosus; notice the characteristic, elongated mouthparts, typical of most scorpionflies.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_prey.jpgBittacus_preyHanging scorpionflies (Bittacus sp.) from Sichuan, China, with moth prey.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bittacus_strigosus.jpgBittacus_strigosusHanging scorpionfly (Bittacus strigosus) from Estabrook Woods, MA.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/panorpa.jpgPanorpaA male of the common scorpionfly (Panorpa acuta) from Estabrook Woods, MA; notice the scorpion-like tip of the abdomen.2013-08-05T05:36:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/25/my-crumbling-beliefs/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pantophthalmus2.jpgPantophthalmus2A female Pantophthalmus bellardii.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pantophthalmus3.jpgPantophthalmus3A portrait of Pantophthalmus cf. pictus from Guanacaste, Costa Rica.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pantophthalmus.jpgPantophthalmusA female Pantophthalmus bellardii from Paloverde, Costa Rica; notice the partially retracted, telescopic ovipositor.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/panthophthalmid.jpgPanthophthalmidA posion arrow frog (Dendrobates pumilio) next to a timber fly (Pantophthalmus sp.) on a palm leaf at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.2013-08-28T05:04:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/11/a-portrait-of-a-marine-iguana/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/iguana.jpgIguanahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/amblyrhynchus.jpgAmblyrhynchus2013-07-11T18:54:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/06/new-life/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/simandoa.jpgSimandoaThe Simandou Mts. blattodean (Simanoda conserfariam Roth & Naskrecki, 2003) is an insect that may be already extinct in the wild. I first found it in a cave in SE Guinea (West Africa), a place that was part of a large mining concession. Although mining operations in the Simandou were recently halted (presumably soon to be resumed), the cave was on the path of a major road that was being constructed and it may no longer exist.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ingrischia.jpgIngrischiaPapua New Guinea is one of the richest places on the planet in yet undiscovered and unnamed species – nearly 80% of all species that I had collected there turned out to be new to science. One of the new species was the Ingrisch's katydid (Ingrischia macrocephala Naskrecki & Rentz, 2010), which my co-author David Rentz aptly christened "a katydid designed by a committee."https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rhicinoides_atewa.jpgRhicinoides_atewaIn addition to my work on insects, I have occasionally dabbled in arachnids. The Atewa dinospider (Ricinoides atewa Naskrecki, 2008) was an exciting discovery I made in SE Ghana.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nhagutua.jpgNhagutuaDuring the Cheringoma Plateou biodiversity survey in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, I crawled out of my tent one morning and the first insect I saw was my Agile grasshopper. Little compares to the joy of seeing for the first time a living individual of a species that you have described and named.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/rhachitopis.jpgRhachitopisI described the Agile grasshopper (Rhachitopis brachyopterus Naskrecki, 1992) based on a small series of preserved specimens collected in Zimbabwe, but until recently have not seen a live individual. This is very common in entomology as most species are described using specimens from museum collections, often collected tens or even over a hundred years earlier.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/silaka.jpgSilakaTo my enormous relief, I have recently located a thriving population of the Transkei shieldback in the coastal forest of the Silaka Nature Reserve near Port St. John's. The species is real.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/transkeidectes.jpgTranskeidectesThe Transkei shieldback (Transkeidectes multidentis, 1992) was one of the first species that I described, based on a single specimen collected in 1947 near Port St. John's in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Describing a new species based on a single specimen is a horrible idea (you never know whether you might be dealing with an aberrant form of something already known), and ever since I have been looking for more individuals to confirm the existence of this species.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/brinckiella_arboricola.jpgBrinckiella_arboricolaMy friend Corey Bazelet and I discovered the handsome, wingless katydid Brinckiella arboricola Naskrecki & Bazelet, 2009 in the Geogap Nature Reserve of Northern Cape.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/tankwa.jpgTankwaThe Martian landscapes of the Northern Cape of South Africa, despite its foreboding appearance and extremely harsh conditions, is home to a number of very interesting orthopteroid insects.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pitilla.jpgPitillaThe Costa Rican rainforest is home to about 350 species of katydids, many yet unknown, of which I have so far discovered and named a little over 50.2013-09-13T04:16:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/24/the-amazing-flying-gooseberries/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bullacris_f.jpgBullacris_FFemale flying gooseberry (Bullacris sp.) from Richtersveld, South Africa [Canon 1D MkII, Sigma 15mm EX DG Diagonal Fisheye, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bullacris_m2.jpgBullacris_M2Male flying gooseberry (Bullacris sp.) from Richtersveld, South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, two speedlights Canon 580EX]2014-05-28T01:15:39+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/07/02/night-callers-2/2021-03-01T04:06:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/27/the-miracle-of-parallel-evolution/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/hyperolius.jpgHyperoliusAfrican reed frogs have more typical eyes, positioned on the sides of the skull.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/centrolenella.jpgCentrolenellaOne distinguishing feature of true glass frogs is the position of their eyes, which point forward, giving them more human-like appearance.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glass_frogs.jpgGlass_frogsHerpetologists, can you tell which is which? Left: Centrolenella spinosa from Costa Rica, right: Hyperolius cf. pusillus from Mozambique.2013-06-29T03:29:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/23/there-is-a-fly-in-my-car/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/calliphora2.jpgCalliphora2A jumping spider (Phidippus audax) with its blowfly meal.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/calliphora.jpgCalliphoraAlthough the larvae of bluebottle flies (Calliphora vomitoria) feed on decaying flesh, adults are often attracted to flowers and feed on nectar.2014-10-21T19:35:11+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/20/sweat-the-small-stuff/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/reduviid.jpgReduviidI missed this one – an African assassin bug from Guinea also has phoretic mites and pseudoscorpions, but I only noticed them while processing this photo. It is possible that their natural history parallels that of the Neotropical Harlequin beetle and its passengers.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mites.jpgmitesUnidentified phoretic mites on the body of a Harlequin beetle serve as food to pseudoscorpions.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/pseudoscorpion.jpgPseudoscorpionA phoretic pseudoscorpion (Cordylochernes scorpioides) uses the body of the Harlequin beetle to move from one fig tree to another, and to find mating partners and food.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/acrocinus2.jpgAcrocinus2A female Harlequin beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) from Guyana. The body of these insects is a vibrant ecosystem for several species of arachnids.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/anthia.jpgAnthiaGround beetle (Anthia fornasinii) carrying a dead cicada. In South Africa these beetles are known under the charming name "oogpister" ("eye pisser") on the account of their ability to squirt defensive chemicals from their abdomen straight into the eyes of potential predators.2013-06-21T14:09:48+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/18/mozambique-diary-how-to-kill-an-assassin/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora5.jpgGlymmatophora5After a few minutes the millipede is dead (but read the entire story to see what happened next).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora4.jpgGlymmatophora4The assassin bug's bite makes the millipede convulse and exude yellow droplets of toxic benzoquinones.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora2.jpgGlymmatophora2The assassin bug positions itself so that its rostrum can be inserted between the millepede's legs.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora3.jpgGlymmatophora3Once in place, the assassin bug delivers the deadly bite.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora1.jpgGlymmatophora1Without the millepede being aware of it, the assassin bug slowly crawls on top.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora.jpgGlymmatophoraThe hunt begins –the assassin bug notices the millepede and begins to approach it.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/glymmatophora6.jpgGlymmatophora6The African assassin bug (Glymmatophora sp.) from Gorongosa, Mozambique2015-12-04T20:01:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/11/when-life-gives-you-lemons/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/kinisternon.jpgKinisternonNatural areas surrounding the Delaware Bay are full of amazing creatures. I found this Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) on a country road near the ocean.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/heron.jpgHeronDuring the day, when horseshoe crabs were deep in the ocean, I photographed other things. Great Blue Heron hunting mud crabs in the marshes of the Prime Hook Nature Reserve made for an interesting subject.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/uv.jpgUVHorseshoe crabs, like some of their distant arachnid cousins, fluoresce under ultraviolet light. A dark, moonless night last weekend was a good opportunity to photograph it.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/limulus11.jpgLimulus11Once I used some fill-in light I was able to capture the true, dynamic character of the scene – waves crashing over the bodies of horseshoe crabs tumbling in the brown waters of the Delaware Bay.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/limulus10.jpgLimulus10An 8 second exposure of mating horseshoe crabs (ISO 1250, 14mm, f 7.1) – I like these kinds of shots, but they give the false impression of the scene being static and dreamy.2013-06-15T01:48:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/13/only-in-america/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/three.jpgthreeAdult periodical cicadas live for only a couple of weeks, and during this time they feed on juices of plants.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/exuvia.jpgexuviaAn empty exuvia of a periodical cicada.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/teneral.jpgteneralNewly emerged (eclosed) periodical cicadas are almost snow white, but within a couple of hours their body darkens and their exoskeleton becomes hard.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/molt.jpgmoltWhen finally ready to molt, cicada nymphs climb trees and other tall objects, and transform into beautiful adults.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nymph.jpgnymphNymphs of periodical cicadas spend 13 or 17 years underground, feeding on roots of trees. Their front legs are enlarged and perfectly adapted for digging.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/magicicada.jpgMagicicadaA nymph and an adult of a 17-year periodical cicada (Magicicada septemdecim) from Meriden, CT.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/flag.jpgflagOnly in America – both 13- and 17-year periodical cicadas are found mostly in the northeastern portion of the United States, with a few broods extending as far West as Kansas and as far South as Louisiana.2013-06-16T14:00:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/06/bugshot-2013-in-belize/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bugshot3.jpgBugshot3https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bugshot2.jpgBugshot2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bugshot.jpgBugShot2013-06-08T09:52:40+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/06/04/mozambique-diary-somebody-has-to-clean-this-mess/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bambi.jpgBambihttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/max.jpgMaxhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/max2.jpgMax2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/anachalcos.jpgAnachalcosPlum dung beetles (Anachalcos convexus) do not display sexual dimorphism, and both males and females form dung balls; this species is also often seen feeding on dead insects.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/scarab4.jpgscarab4Male Heliocopris andersoni, one of the largest and most impressive dung beetles in Africa.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/scarab2.jpgscarab2Female Heliocopris sp. taking off, apparently not satisfied with the quality of the dung she found.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bruno.jpgBrunoBruno de Medeiros with one of the largest dung beetles found in Gorongosa, Pachylomerus femoralis.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/scarab3.jpgscarab3The Green dung beetle (Garreta nitens)is a pretty, diurnal species.2018-07-08T07:01:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/31/mozambique-diary-the-abominable-frogman/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mo.jpgMOMO and a rather angry, and very deadly, Twig snake (Thelotornis capensis)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hyperolius.jpgHyperoliusMO was not the only one interested in catching the colorful reed frogs (Hyperolius marmoratus)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/leptopeles3.jpgLeptopeles3The Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings movies seems to have been inspired by that of the Yellow-spotted tree frog (Leptopelis flavomaculatus).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/frogs.jpgFrogsSome of the frog species recorded by MO Roedel during the Cheringoma biodiversity survey.2013-08-29T07:53:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/28/mozambique-diary-manticora-redux/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/larva4.jpgLarva4A Manticora larva, just like its parents, is a voracious killing machine.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/larva_cricket.jpgLarva_cricketThis cricket is done for – a Manticora larva grabbed its front leg and is dragging it down the burrow.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/larva2.jpgLarva2Only the head and pronotum of a larva of Manticora is heavily sclerotized, while the rest of the body is soft and safely tucked inside the burrow. Notice the anchor-like structure on the 5th abdominal segment.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/larva.jpgLarvaThe head of a Manticora larva blocking the entrance to its burrow.2014-02-02T21:43:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/21/mozambique-diary-on-the-benefits-of-being-lazy/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tracks.jpgTracksTracks of the crocodile that took, and most likely ate, our hide.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/bob2.jpgBob2Bob Poole holding all that remains of his hide, and his tripod dragged into the river by a crocodile.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/croc.jpgcrocA Gorongosa crocodile sliding into the Urema River.2013-05-24T11:59:24+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/20/mozambique-diary-the-lizard-quest-2/2013-06-01T01:37:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/17/mozambique-diary-alipes/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/alipes2.jpgAlipes2A closeup of the "feathers". Their function in this centipede remains a mystery.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/alipes.jpgAlipesA feather-legged centipede (Alipes sp.)2018-08-29T13:56:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/14/the-greatest-show-on-earth-happening-now/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/limulus5.jpgLimulus5https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/uv.jpgUVJust like their distant relatives, scorpions, horseshoe crabs display green fluorescence under the ultraviolet light.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/trilobite.jpgTrilobiteTiny horseshoe crab larvae, known as the trilobite larvae, twirling in their aquarium-like egg shells. Soon they will break free to begin a short pelagic period, after which they settle on the bottom of the ocean to begin a lifestyle similar to that of their parents.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/attenborough.jpgAttenboroughhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/limulus4.jpgLimulus4Delaware Bay is the best place in the world to see these magnificent animals. On a good night one could easily see 100,000 horseshoe crabs.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/limulus.jpgLimulusThe best time to see Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) is on the nights of the full and new moon in May and June.2016-01-12T10:36:56+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/05/10/mozambique-diary-i-have-fallen-and-i-cant-get-up/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/melissotarsus3.jpgMelissotarsus3A winged, reproductive male of Melissotarsus. These are the only members of the colony capable of walking on flat surfaces.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/melissotarsus4.jpgMelissotarsus4A Melissotarsus worker walking through a narrow passages of her nest; notice the second pair of legs, which is pressed against the ceiling of the corridor.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/melissotarsus.jpgMelissotarsusOpened corridors of the Melissotarsus (probably M. emeryi) colony within the wood of Knobthorn (Acacia nigrescens). The yellow objects are diaspidid scale insects, which the ants raise for their meat.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/melissotarsus2.jpgMelissotarsus2Melissotarsus ants are incapable of walking or even standing on flat, smooth surfaces, and immediately fall on their back, unable to right themselves up.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/leeanne.jpgLeeanneLeeanne Alonso collecting Melissotarsus ants from an acacia treehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/nhagutua.jpgNhagutuaSunrise over Nhagutua Gorge in Gorongosa National Park2013-12-15T23:43:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/04/12/mozambique-diary-is-this-tortoise-broken/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/amblyomma.jpgAmblyommaTortoise tick (Amblyomma sp.) actually looks like a tortoise, and its opisthosma is almost as hard as the reptile's shell.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/leg.jpglegAn enormous tick (Amblyomma sp.) on the tortoise's leg.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/kinixys_juvenile.jpgKinixys_juvenileA juvenile Hingeback tortoise; its hinge is not yet developed.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/kinixys.jpgKinixysAn adult Hingeback tortoise (Kinixys belliana) from Gorongosa. What looks like a wound on its carapace is flap of skin that allows the shell to close and protect the hind legs and tail.2013-04-15T15:03:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/04/08/mozambique-diary-sylvan-katydids-of-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pseudophyllinae.jpgPseudophyllinaeSylvan katydids of Gorongosa in their typical daily resting poses: Blue-legged sylvan katydid (Zabalius ophthalmicus), Elegant sylvan katydid (Acauloplax exigua), Common bark katydid (Cymatomera denticollis) and Greater bark katydid (Cymatomerella spilophora).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/acauloplax2.jpgAcauloplax2Female Elegant sylvan katydid, showing fake leaf damage and leaf-like venation on her wings.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/spectrogram.jpgSpectrogramA song of the Blue-legged sylvan katydid (Zabalius ophthalmicus). Click here to listen to the recording: first played at the normal speed, followed by a fragment slowed down by a factor of 10 (for the katydid-challenged listeners, i.e., most males over 35).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bark.jpgBarkBark-mimicking sylvan katydids of Gorongosa: Common bark katydid (Cymatomera denticollis) and Greater bark katydid (Cymatomerella spilophora)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cymatomerella.jpgCymatomerellaGreater bark katydid (Cymatomerella spilophora)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/leaves.jpgLeavesLeaf-mimicking sylvan katydids of Gorongosa in their typical daily resting pose: Blue-legged sylvan katydid (Zabalius ophthalmicus) and Elegant sylvan katydid (Acauloplax exigua)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/acauloplax.jpgAcauloplaxMale Elegant sylvan katydid (Acauloplax exigua) in his typical resting position.2016-02-18T07:22:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/04/05/mozambique-diary-manticora/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/manticora8.jpgManticora8I have read in several places that the male Mantcora's enormous mandibles are not good at catching prey – not true, they are excellent killing devices! [Canon 6D, Canon 16-35mm + an extender, 3 x Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/manticora10.jpgManticora10A male Manticora with prey [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/manticora6.jpgManticora6A spider found by Manticora did not stand a chance – in a couple of seconds all that was left of the animal was a pile of body parts. [Canon 6D, Canon 16-35mm + an extender, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/manticora3.jpgManticora3The mandibles of a male Manticora latipennis are truly impressive. In addition to catching and killing prey, males use them hold and guard a female during copulation. [Canon 6D, Canon 16-35mm + an extender, 3 x Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/manticora7.jpgManticora7A male Monster Tiger Beetle (Manticora latipennis) killing one of his favorite prey items, a grasshopper (Humbe tenuicornis) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x Canon 580EXII]2014-06-26T19:45:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/30/mozambique-diary-playing-a-detective/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tenebrionid.jpgTenebrionidThree developmental stages of a mystery beetle, found together in the same tree "colony", tentatively identified as Strongylium sp. (Tenebrionidae). [Canon 6D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/pupae.jpgpupaeA cluster of pupae in a tree cavity. [Canon 6D, Canon 100mm macro, illuminated with a headlamp]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/larvae.jpglarvaeMysterious beetle larvae in a tree cavity in Gorongosa. [Canon 6D, Canon 100mm macro, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2016-10-13T17:17:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/31/mozambique-diary-a-talking-grasshopper/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/oscillogram.jpgOscillogramAn oscillogram of the mandibular stridulation of C. cognatus; click here to listen to the sound.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/cataloipusmf.jpgCataloipusMFFemales of C. cognatus are much larger than the males; they are also completely silent, whereas males produce a loud mandibular stridulation. [Canon 6D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/cataloipus.jpgCataloipusA male Cataloipus cognatus munching on grass. [Canon 6D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x Canon 580EXII]2014-10-06T06:31:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/29/mozambique-diary-its-good-to-have-my-gear-back/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/crow.jpgcrowAfrican Pied Crow (Corvus albus) is a handsome, intelligent bird, but for some reason birders tend to ignore this species.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/weaver.jpgweaverThere is a small colony of Village Weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) near my cabin. This male was finishing his nest and frequently displayed if any female was around.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/baboon.jpgBaboonThis Yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) got in our cabin this morning and stole our bananas. Just a reminder to keep our doors and windows locked, we are on their turf here.2013-04-02T12:15:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/27/mozambique-diary-the-real-birds-of-paradise/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/legs.jpglegsLegs of burrwing mayflies (Polymitarcyidae) are reduced to useless stubs and are completely non-functional. Males' front legs are slightly larger and may by used during mating, which also takes place in the air.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/polymitarcyid.jpgPolymitarcyidOnce an adult male burrowing mayfly lands on the the surface of the water it dies within a few minutes. (The angel-like halo around this insect's head is a reflection of my flash, which normally I would not tolerate, but in this case it seems appropriate.)2013-03-29T10:52:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/26/mozambique-diary-a-reversal-of-fortune/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/miomantis.jpgMiomantisThis poor mantis clearly overestimated her hunting abilities – the spider she had caught not only managed to escape her grip, but also killed and eventually ate her.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/miomantis2.jpgMiomantis2Miomantis is a large genus of small praying mantids, with about 75 species known from across Africa. Females, like this individual, are usually short winged, while males are fully winged and are excellent fliers.2013-03-27T03:45:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/25/mozambique-diary-the-marbled-half-piglet/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/hemisus.jpgHemisusIf unable to dig, a Shovel-nosed frog inflates its body, making itself difficult to swallow.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/digging.jpgDiggingThe preferred mode of escape of the Shovel-nosed frog is to disappear underground. Their pointy snout and powerful hind legs allow them to dig in completely in only a few seconds.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/hemisus2.jpgHemisus2Although officially known as the Shovel-nosed frog (Hemisus marmoratus), I think you will agree that a direct translation of its scientific name, the Marbled half-piglet, is more appropriate.2013-03-25T14:09:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/23/mozambique-diary-it-is-loud-out-here/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/brachytrupes2.jpgBrachytrupes2Singing males always face the burrow and dive in at the slightest disturbance. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm, Canon MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/brachytrupes3.jpgBrachytrupes3A male Tobacco cricket (Brachytrupes membranaceus) singing at the entrance to his burrow. The shape of the opening acts as an amplifier to his already very loud song. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2013-04-21T13:38:13+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/24/mozambique-diary-the-stuff-of-dreams/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/nephila_senegalensis.jpgNephila_senegalensisBanded-legged golden orb weaver (Nephila senegalensis) from Gorongosa [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2013-03-25T12:58:50+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/18/mozambique-diary-back-in-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/carabids.jpgCarabidsBelow my feet, carnage. A big Anthia ground beetle killed another individual and is now gorging on it favorite soft part – the ripped off genitalia. [Canon 180mm, Canon MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/horatosphaga.jpgHoratosphagaOne of the first katydids I spotted was Horatosphaga serrifera, and elusive species, knwon only from a small handful of specimens. This group is highly sexually dimorphic and males look nothing like this chunky, flightless female. [Canon 14mm, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2013-03-18T16:44:35+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/13/spring-grasshoppers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/chortophaga.jpgChortophagaAn adult male of the Green-striped Grasshopper photographed in May 2012 [Canon 7D, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/chortophaga2.jpgChortophaga2A nymph of the Green-striped Grasshopper (Chortophaga viridifasciata) found today in Woburn, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2013-03-13T22:59:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/05/african-tuesday-beware-of-the-snail/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/carabid.jpgcarabidA defeated ground beetle will need to spend many hours cleaning itself.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/carabid_snail2.jpgCarabid_snail2A few minutes later the snail slides away protected with a cocoon of sticky mucus foamhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/carabid_snail.jpgCarabid_snailA ground beetle (Carabidae: Antiinae) attacking a land snail in Atewa, Ghana [Canon 1DMkII, Canon 100mm macro, Canon MT 24EX twin light]2018-01-19T17:17:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/03/01/coneheads/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/c_hastata.jpgC_hastataBrown-faced Spearbearer (Copiphora hastata), a large rainforest species that I discovered on my first visit to Costa Rica [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/podacanthophorus.jpgPodacanthophorusVargas' conehead (Podacanthophorus vargasi) is a small canopy katydid, found at middle elevations in Costa Rica [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/c_rhinoceros.jpgC_rhinocerosRhinoceros Spearbearer (Copiphora rhinoceros) is an efficient predator, capable of catching and devouring other katydids and even small lizards [Canon 10D, Nikkor 17-35mm, Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/lirometopum.jpgLirometopumCentral American Pit Bull katydid (Liromoetopum coronatum) lacks the large defensive cone on its head, but makes up for it with sharp, powerful jaws. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/c_hastata2.jpgC_hastata2A portrait of Brown-faced Spearbearer (Copiphora hastata) [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm]2013-03-03T09:35:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/19/african-tuesday-duck-faced-lacewings/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/nemia2.jpgNemia2The head and mouthparts of spoon-winged lacewings is elongated and well-adapted for fitting into long corollas of flowers [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 x Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/nemia.jpgNemiaSpoon-winged lacewings (?Nemia sp.) from Richtersveld National Park, South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 x Canon 580EX]2019-11-04T03:48:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/18/slipping-out-of-the-skeleton/2020-06-07T03:18:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/17/mom-would-have-been-so-proud/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tenodera_f_final_molt.jpgTenodera_F_final_moltA female Chinese mantis expanding her wings after the final (imaginal) molt.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tenodera_1-8.jpgTenodera_1-8The complete developmental cycle of Chinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis) - it began on December 4th, 2012 and ended with the final molt on February 17th, 2013.2013-02-19T00:18:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/12/join-me-in-belize-to-learn-macrophotography/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bugshot.jpgBugshot2013-02-14T20:26:31+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/12/african-tuesday-matabele-ants-of-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tonga.jpgTongaA budding myrmecologist Tonga Torcida watching a returning raid of Matabele ants (you can see Tonga assisting E.O. Wilson with ant research in Gorongosa in the new, fantastic BBC documentary "Africa: The Future") [Canon 7D, Canon EF 14mm, diffused twin flash Canon MT-24EX + speedlight 580EX II]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/pachycondyla4.jpgPachycondyla4Matabele ant worker carrying a pupa [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/pachycondyla_raid.jpgPachycondyla_raidA column of Matabele ants streaming towards a termite mound [Canon 7D, Canon EF 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/pachycondyla2.jpgPachycondyla2Matabele ants (Pachycondyla analis) returning from a successful raid on a termite colony in Gorongosa. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm with an extension tube Canon EF 12 II, diffused twin flash Canon MT-24EX]2022-02-22T18:10:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/21/stalk-eyed-flies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/diopsids.jpgDiopsidsStalk-eyed flies usually spend the night in large roosts close to small bodies of water (Guinea) [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/diopsid2.jpgDiopsid2With eyes on such long stalks, keeping them clean is not an easy task. Not surprisingly, these flies spend a lot of time on personal hygiene. [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/diopsid.jpgDiopsidStalk-eyed fly (Diopsis sp.) from Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2020-10-22T07:37:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/10/ice-crawlers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gallosiana.jpgGallosianaJapanese species of ice crawlers, or garoamushi, are distinctly larger than their American counterparts and, because of their higher metabolic rates, faster and more difficult to catch. The species most common in Japan is Galloisiana nipponensis. Garoamushi are found primarily in areas that have a mean annual temperature of 12°C, but even in these cool areas they hide deep in the soil throughout most of the year. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chichibu.jpgChichibuCool, shady, and humid subalpine and alpine valleys in the beautiful Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park not far from Tokyo are an example of the typical habitats of Japanese ice crawlers. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 16-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gallosiana2.jpgGallosiana2In contrast to North American species, the fossorial Asian species, like this Japanese Galloisiana nipponensis, which spend their entire life deep underground, are blind and never forage on the surface. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/grylloblatta43.jpgGrylloblatta43https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/grylloblatta3.jpgGrylloblatta3Ice crawler Grylloblatta campodeiformis from Alberta, Canada. [Canon 10D. Canon 100mm, ambient light]2013-02-11T20:15:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/02/05/african-tuesday-being-bark/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bark.jpgBarkHow many insects can you see? I was thrilled to discover that lantern bugs (Druentia variegata) in Gorongosa are visited by several species of insects seeking their sweet honeydew.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/theopompa.jpgTheopompaA young praying mantis (Theopompa sp.) is nearly invisible on a lichen-covered bar, and as dangerous to animals living on trees as a lion is to grazers of the Gorongosa plains.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mecostibus.jpgMecostibusTrees of the southern African savanna are home to wingless grasshoppers of the family Lentulidae. They display many characteristics typical of juvenile stages, and entomologists speculate that this group may be an example of neoteny. (Mecostibus mopanei, Gorongosa).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cymatomera3.jpgCymatomera3When threatened, bark katydids fan their wings to reveal aposematic coloration and spray the attacker with foul-smelling chemical.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cymatomera2.jpgCymatomera2Bark katydid (Cymatomera denticollis) looks just like a flake of bark.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/baobabs.jpgBaobabsThe bark of baobabs (Adansonia digitata), a common tree of Gorongosa, is a great place to look for cryptic animals.2013-03-23T14:30:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/26/upside-down-world/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dragon.jpgDragonArboreal lizards, like this forest dragon (Hypsilurus modestus) from New Guinea, often wait for their prey while sitting upside-down on tree trunks. [Canon 1D MkII, Sigma 15mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/spider.jpgSpiderNearly all spiders that are sit-and-wait predators prefer to wait for the prey with their heads pointing down. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phyllocrania.jpgPhyllocraniaCute, and its proper position. Most praying mantids, like this African Phyllocrania paradoxa, never point their heads up. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teleutias.jpgTeleutiasMolting is the most dangerous time in the life on insect. Using Earth's gravitation to slip out of the old exoskeleton is the fastest and safest way to do it. (Katydid, Teleutias sp., from Suriname) [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/perezoso.jpgPerezosoSloths can achieve their large body size on nutritionally poor diet of leaves because they spend little energy on walking. [Canon 1D MKII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/empusa.jpgEmpusaHanging, rather than standing, is less costly energetically, and allows praying mantids to invest more resources into their large raptorial legs (Empusa capensis from South Africa) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/epitenodera.jpgEpitenoderaMost praying mantids, like this Epitenodera sp. from Mozambique, spend most of their lives hanging with their heads towards the ground. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bat.jpgBatNotice anything wrong? For some reason we are able to accept that bats like to live upside-down, but we find it difficult for other animals. (Fruit bat, Myonycteris torquata, from Ghana)[Canon 5D, Canon 180mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]2018-09-13T03:54:29+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/25/what-butterflies-like/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/fort_fordyce3.jpgFort_Fordyce3The best spots to see large aggregations of tropical butterflies are often places visited by large grazers. Their dung often attracts many different species of insects seeking sodium and amino acids. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/guyana_puddling3.jpgGuyana_puddling3To some butterflies, residues of my sweat were more tempting than the stuff in the sand (tapir – 0, me – 1) [Canon 5D, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/guyana_puddling4.jpgGuyana_puddling4This large aggregation of butterflies puddling in Guyana is probably made up mostly of male individuals. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 16-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/guyana_puddling2.jpgGuyana_puddling2Puddling butterflies turned out to be remarkably skittish – in order to get a wide angle shot of these insects I had to leave the camera in the sand, and use a radio controlled trigger (seen on the left) to get the shots. [Canon 5D, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/fort_fordyce2.jpgFort_Fordyce2African veined white (Belenois gidica) extracting minerals from wet sand (Eastern Cape, S. Africa) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/guyana_puddling.jpgGuyana_puddlingA cluster of puddling butterflies on a sandy river bank in Guyana [Canon 5D, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/fort_fordyce.jpgFort_FordyceIn Eastern Cape of South Africa, a beautiful flock of butterflies is puddling on the side of a road. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm]2013-01-30T14:44:57+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/23/life-in-the-season-of-death/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/boreus_mating.jpgBoreus_matingIf he cannot get hold of her mouthparts, the males will sometimes grab the female's antennae to secure her position on his back. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/boreus_mating2.jpgBoreus_mating2The male has highly modified wings that resemble a pair of scissors. He uses them to claps the female's elongated mouthparts during mating. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/boreus.jpgBoreusA female snow scorpionfly (Boreus brumalis) is completely wingless and carries a long ovipositor. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2013-01-29T20:33:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/12/blue-land-crab/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cardisoma_f.jpgCardisoma_FUnable to break her ties to the sea, a female blue land crab cautiously approaches the edge of the beach to release her eggs during the full moon. She cannot swim, thus she must be careful not to be swept away by the waves, and soon she runs back to her burrow in the forest. Her planktonic larvae will develop into tiny crabs in less than two months and then will leave the ocean to begin terrestrial life. [Nikon D1x, Nikkor 17-35mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/cardisoma_m.jpgCardisoma_MMales of the blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) from the Dominican Republic sport giant claws used in territorial display and combat. [Nikon D1x, Nikkor 17-35mm]2013-01-12T16:24:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/08/getting-low-and-wide-part-2/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/fungi.jpgfungiA cluster of mushrooms (possibly Hygrocybe sp.) in a New England forest. [Canon 1D MkII, Sigma 15mm, ambient light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/brackets.jpgbracketsCustom flash brackets that I use in most of my wide-angle macrophotography. They are designed to be mounted directly on the front of the lens, and fit lenses with the diameter of 58-82mm.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/molt.jpgMoltEven in extreme wide-angle closeups, flash illumination is not always required. This molting grasshopper in Suriname was photographed using only ambient light with a hand-held Canon 7D camera and Canon 14mm lens.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/lucanid.jpgLucanidA stag beetle (Cyclommatus eximius) from the highlands of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Here I used a Canon 16-35mm with an extension tube, mounted on a full-frame camera Canon 1Ds MkII.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bees.jpgbeesWide-angle macrophotography usually requires long exposures, and thus capturing fast-moving animals is difficult. Here, mammalogist Burton Lim is processing bats collected in Suriname, while small stingless bees are gorging on cornmeal that he uses to dry his specimens. I was able to freeze the action and partially expose the background using twin flashes Canon MT-24EX, and Canon EF 14mm mounted on Canon 7D.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/clusia.jpgClusiaIn order to get a sharp photo of this Clusia grandiflora flower on the dark, shady forest floor in Suriname I filled a small Ziplock bag with soil and leaves, and used it as a beanbag. This 1 second exposure was taken with a Canon EF 14mm on Canon 7D, illuminated with twin flashes Canon MT-24EX.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/dragonfly.jpgDragonflyCosta Rican dragonfly (Gynacantha tibiata) drying off its wings after the rain. Taken with a Canon 16-35mm lens with an added extension tube Canon EF 12 II; lighting was provided by a twin flash Canon MT-24EX.2013-01-31T07:22:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2013/01/04/getting-low-and-wide-part-1/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pandinus.jpgPandinusWide-angle macro does not necessarily mean that the scene must include a part of the landscape. It can also be used to draw attention to a detail of the main subject, such as the stinger of this scorpion (Pandinus imperator) from Ghana. Here I used a Canon 16-35mm lens with an added extension tube Canon EF 12 II on a Canon 1Ds MkII body; despite the closeness to the subject (its telson was nearly touching the lens) I was able to use a simple reflector to illuminate the scene.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pachycondyla.jpgPachycondylaA column of Matabele ants (Pachycondala analis) returning from a successful raid on a colony of termites in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. This photo was taken with a Canon 16-35mm lens with an added extension tube Canon EF 12 II; lighting was provided by a diffused twin flash Canon MT-24EX.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/manduca.jpgManducaA tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) on tomatoes in our garden. This photo was taken using a Sigma 15mm lens – notice a strong barrel distortion, particularly visible in the curvature of the stick on the right.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/dictyophorus.jpgDictyophorusThe greater the depth of field the stronger the illusion that you are part of the scene. This photo of a foam grasshopper (Dictyophorus griseus) from Mozambique was taken with a Canon EF 14mm on Canon 7D, illuminated with twin flashes Canon MT-24EX.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/toads.jpgToadsGetting low to the ground enhances the illusion that you are as small as the subjects of the photo. I photographed these leaf toads (Rhinella lescueri) in Suriname using a Canon EF 14mm on Canon 7D with an angle viewfinder, and lighted it with a single speedlight Canon 580EXII in a softbox.2013-06-30T14:53:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/31/the-most-interesting-find-of-2012/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/paraclystis.jpgParaclystisCaterpillar of Paraclystis integer, a termite inquiline from Mozambique (lateral and dorsal views) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/paraclystis2.jpgParaclystis2A fragment of the carton structure of the Schedorhinotermes lamanianus colony with termite soldiers and caterpillars of Paraclystis integer [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2013-11-08T11:16:44+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/27/a-year-in-review-part-2/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/12_rhampholeon.jpg12_Rhampholeonhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/11_operophtera2.jpg11_Operophtera2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/11_operophtera.jpg11_Operophterahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/10_meloe7.jpg10_Meloe7https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/9_mantis_religiosa.jpg9_Mantis_religiosahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/8_maxi.jpg8_Maxihttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/8_amblyrhynchus4.jpg8_Amblyrhynchus4https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/7_phymata.jpg7_Phymata2012-12-31T08:35:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/26/the-year-in-review-part-1/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/6_universe.jpg6_Universehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/6_python.jpg6_Pythonhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/5_lobosceliana.jpg5_Loboscelianahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/4_roeseliana.jpg4_Roeselianahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/3_theraphosid.jpg3_Theraphosidhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2_sphodromantis.jpg2_Sphodromantishttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/1_diestrammena.jpg1_Diestrammena2012-12-30T16:09:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/23/they-grow-so-fast/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tenodera_1-31.jpgTenodera_1-3Instars I, II, and II of the Chinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tenodera_1-3.jpgTenodera_1-3Instars I, II, and II of the Chinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis).2020-09-26T16:27:47+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/20/insect-mimicking-snakes/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bothrochilus.jpgBothrochilusAdult ringed pythons lack the bright, conspicuous coloration of the juveniles – it may be difficult to mimic a walking stick if you are over a meter long! [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/nicrophorus_heurni.jpgNicrophorus_heurniBurying beetle Nicrophorus heurni from Papua New Guinea. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/megacrania.jpgMegalocraniaAposemtic walking stick Megalocrania batesi from Papua New Guinea. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bothrochilus2.jpgBothrochilus2A young ringed python (Bothrochilus boa) from Papua New Guinea. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2015-09-10T11:24:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/17/parktown-prawn/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/libanasidus_female.jpgLibanasidus_femaleMale Parktown Prawn (Libanasdus vittatus) from the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Limpopo. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/libanasidus1.jpgLibanasidusMale Parktown Prawn (Libanasdus vittatus) from the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Limpopo. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/libanasidus.jpgLibanasidusMale Parktown Prawn (Libanasdus vittatus) from the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Limpopo. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2023-09-25T14:16:48+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/13/mantidflies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mantispid4.jpgMantispid4Mantidfly (Dicromantispa sp.) from Costa Rica. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/climaciella3.jpgClimaciellaSeveral species of mantidflies are mimics of wasps. North American Climacella brunnea mimics polystine wasps, and local color morphs of this species resemble the dominant wasp species in the area (this individual is from Massachusetts.) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mantispid3.jpgMantispid3Mantidfly (Pseudoclimaciella sp.) from Botswana devouring a planthopper. [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mantispid2.jpgLeptomantispaMantidfly (Leptomantispa sp.) from Saba, Dutch West Indies. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX + MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hersiliid2.jpgHersiliidThe female two-tailed spider (Hersilia sp/) is still guarding her egg sack, unaware that all her eggs have probably been devoured by a mantidfly; the inset shows an empty pupal skin of the recently hatched mantidfly. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mantispid.jpgMantispidMantidfly emerging from a spider egg sack on the tree trunk in Cambodia. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, MT 24EX twin light]2016-03-23T00:46:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/11/weevils/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/trachelopharus.jpgTrachelopharusThe long “neck” of the giraffe weevil (Trachelophorus giraffe) is used in ritualized male combat (Madagascar). [Nikon D1X, Sigma 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/rhinostomus.jpgRhinostomusThe bearded weevil (Rhinostomus barbirostris) is a species with an interesting sexual polymorphism. A proportion of males in each population is smaller than other individuals of this sex, and resembles females in their appearance. This allows them to sneak unnoticed past the larger males and approach the female without being challenged (Costa Rica). [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/cholus.jpgCholusA Costa Rican weevil Cholus cinctus in flight. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 16-35mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2012-12-11T14:38:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/07/mass-migration/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/locustana4.jpgLocustanaBrown locust (Locustana pardalina) [Canon 5D, Canon 16-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/swarm.jpgSwarmA swarm of brown locusts in Eastern Cape, South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/locustana5.jpgLocustanaFlightless brown locust hoppers (Eastern Cape, South Africa) [Canon 5D, Canon 16-35mm, MT 24EX twin light]2013-04-20T16:41:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/03/more-babies/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tenodera_mother.jpgTenodera_motherA proud mother with one of her babies [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tenodera_baby2.jpgTenodera_babyA newly hatched CHinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2012-12-04T12:34:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/12/01/predatory-katydids/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/peringueyella.jpgPeringueyellaThe genus Perigueyella from South Africa includes very long but very slender predatory katydids. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX + MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clonia_melanoptera5.jpgClonia_melanoptera5Fynbos vegetation in the Western Cape Province, a typical habit of the Black-winged clonia. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/saga_natoliae.jpgSaga_natoliaeSaga natoliae from Turkey is one of the largest Palaearctic insects. This individual has just caught a White-faced katydid (Decticus albifrons), another huge European insect. [Nikon 90S, Fuji Velvia 50]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clonia_melanoptera4.jpgClonia_melanoptera4Fynbos vegetation in the Western Cape Province, a typical habit of the Black-winged clonia. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clonia_vittata.jpgClonia_vittataClonia vittata from South Africa devouring a grasshopper. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX + MT 24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/clonia_melanoptera.jpgClonia_melanopteraBlack-winged clonia (Clonia melanoptera) from South Africa waiting for its prey. [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX + MT 24EX twin light]2016-07-30T20:14:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/25/a-bump-in-the-road/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/japyx.jpgJapyxDipluran (Japyx sp.) from Ghana. I was lucky to have an extra, uncorrupted copy of the original Canon RAW file on a data DVD made immediately after taking the photos.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/japyx-damaged32.jpgJapyx-damaged32All my backup files had the same type of corruption, which must have originated on the first drive, and was copied to other drives.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/japyx-damaged.jpgJapyx-damagedA partially corrupt RAW file. This type of damage is often the result of a physical flaw of the hard drive, and cannot be repaired.2012-12-01T06:20:16+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/19/what-happens-on-the-fourth-thursday-of-november/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/alsophila2.jpgAlsophilaFemale Fall cankerworm moth (Alsophila pometaria) from Estabrook Woods, MA. [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/operophtera2.jpgOperophtera2Female Winter moth (O. brumata) on the tree trunk of a maple tree in front of our house. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, speedlight Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/operophtera.jpgOperophteraA caterpillar and adults of the Winter moth (Operophtera brumata). [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/moths.jpgmothsWinter moths on my kitchen window, a sure sign that Thanksgiving is near. [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]2014-04-26T16:53:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/16/no-pockets-no-problem/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mole_crickets.jpgMole_crickets2012-11-19T17:51:28+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/13/an-auditory-cyclops/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/choeradodis2.jpgChoeradodisLeaf mantis (Choeradodis rhombicollis) in flight (Costa Rica) [Canon 10D, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580E + MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tenodera2.jpgTenodera_earThe single ear between the hind (metathoracic) legs of a Chinese mantis [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tenodera1.jpgTenoderahttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/tenodera.jpgTenoderaChinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis) – notice a narrow, oval opening between its hind legs [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2012-11-19T16:41:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/09/solifugids-arachnid-teddybears-with-big-teeth/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/malleoli.jpgMalleoliThe underside of solifugids' last pair of legs carries strange organs known as malleoli. Their exact function is not known, but they appear to be very sensitive scent organs. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/solfugid.jpgSolfugidSolifugids are efficient hunters, capable of overpowering very large prey. Before swallowing their food they must macerate it very well, using a "cheliceral mill." [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/solfugid3.jpgSolfugidThe "head", or propeltidium, of a solifugid is a giant ball of muscles that power their huge chelicarea, and the first pair of "legs" (pedipals) are usually held in the air, sensing for prey and danger. (Mozambique) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/solfugid4.jpgSolfugidThe body of a solifugid is covered with long hairs. These are sense organs, capable of detecting the tiniest changes in the temperature, humidity, or air movement (South Africa) [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm, speedlight Canon 580EX + Canon MT-24EX twin light]2013-10-21T01:47:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/07/go-red-white-and-blue/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cicadellid.jpgCicadellid2013-11-10T03:02:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/11/05/the-ultimate-couch-potatoes/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/scale.jpgscaleAn unidentified scale insect on tree bark in Mozambique [Canon 7D, Canon 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/scales_crematogaster.jpgScales_CrematogasterAnts (Crematogaster sp.) collecting honeydew from gall-like scale insects (Kermesidae)(Guinea) [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/scales.jpgscalesWax scale insects (?Ceroplates sp.) visited by a wasp collecting honeydew (Mozambique) [Canon 7D, Canon 180mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/forcipomya3.jpgForcipomyiaTick flies (Forcipomyia ixodoides group) permanently attached to the antenna of a walking stick (Costa Rica) [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/forcipomyia4.jpgForcipomyiaTick-fly (Forcipomyia tettigonaris) attached to the wing of a katydid (Cycloptera speculata)(Suriname) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro/Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dermacentor_variabilis.jpgDermacentor_variabilisA fully engorged female dog tick (Dermacentron variabilis) is nearly completely incapable of movement [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2012-11-21T23:44:26+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/06/leaf-eating-leaves/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pterochroza.jpgPterochrozaWhen threatened, the peacock katydid suddenly opens up its wings and reveals a pattern that looks like the yes and a beak of a large bird [Canon 7D, Sigma 15mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/typophyllum.jpgTypophyllumThose leaf katydids that lack brightly colored hind wings, like this Typophyllum erosum from Guyana, often fall to the ground and play dead if approached by a predator. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm, ambient light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mimetica.jpgMimeticaCosta Rican Leaf katydid (Mimetica mortuifolia) fakes the appearance of a partially necrotic leaf [Nikon D1, Sigma 180mm, ambient light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pterochroza2.jpgPterochrozaPeacock katydids (Pterochroza ocellata) take leaf mimicry to the next level, and some individual have a very convincing "fungal damage" on their wings [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 16-35mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/celidophylla3.jpgCelidophyllaGiant true leaf katydid (Celidophylla albimacula) from Costa Rica is the largest katydid in Central America – an adult female is about the size of the palm of your hand. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, speedlight Canon 580EXII]2012-11-07T21:18:57+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/30/a-disappearing-goliath/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/goliathus.jpgGoliathus2017-07-13T02:26:22+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/23/tasty-silk-weavers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla2.jpgOecophyllaAfrican weaver ants carrying a live snail to their nest (Mozambique). [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla7.jpgOecophyllaAfrican weaver ants carrying a live snail to their nest (Mozambique). [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/polichne.jpgPolichneAn ant-mimicking katydid Polichne sp. resembles a green weaver ant worker. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla.jpgOecophyllaAfrican weaver ant (O. longinoda) from Mozambique. [Canon 7D ,Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla4.jpgOecophyllaA worker of African weaver ant (O. longinoda) using a larva as a tube of glue to stitch together leaves (Guinea). [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla6.jpgOecophyllaAfrican weaver ant workers pulling leaves closer together, while others bind them with larval silk. [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oecophylla3.jpgOecophyllaAustralian green weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) guarding a lycaenid caterpillar, which repays for the service with honeydew rich in amino acids. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2014-11-20T19:58:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/19/dwarfs-of-lovane/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bradypodion_occidentale.jpgBradypodion_occidentaleWestern Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion occidentale) from Namaqua National Park in the Northern Cape province of South Africa [Canon 1D MkII, Sigma 15mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bradypodion.jpgBradypodionCape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum) at Lovane near Stellenbosch; the name of this vineyard is derived from a Xhosa word "U’Lovane", which means Chameleon. [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2012-10-19T16:47:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/18/pygmies-of-mt-gorongosa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rhampholeon7.jpgRhampholeonAn adult male of the Mt. Gorongosa Pygmy Chameleon [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/brookesia.jpgBrookesiaVadon's Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia vadoni) from northeastern Madagascar [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/brookesia_superciliaris2.jpgBrookesia_superciliarisBrown Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia superciliaris) from Madagascar, although Yoda Chameleon might be a more apt name. [Nikon D1x, Nikkor 17-35mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rhampholeon2.jpgRhampholeonI found this female and a newly hatched baby sitting close to each other on the same branch, and soon the young chameleon climbed the adult and stayed on top of her for a while. Pygmy chameleons generally take a few months to hatch from eggs, and thus it is not certain that she was the baby's mother. Still adorable, though. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rhampholeon4.jpgRhampholeonThe tongue of the pygmy chameleon rarely misses. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rhampholeon3.jpgRhampholeonMt. Gorongosa Pygmy Chameleon would look right at home walking alongside a triceratops. If a triceratops were the size of your pinky, that is. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, MT-24EX twin light]2013-03-04T11:37:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/14/the-other-whipscorpions/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/rowlandius.jpgHansenochrusA female shorttailed whipscorpion (Hansenochrus sp.) from Saba, West Indies. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mastigoproctus4.jpgMastigoproctusDuring their mating ritual the male of the giant vinegaroon uses his large pedipals to gently guide caress and steer the female. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/uropygid.jpgUropygidLike their close relatives, tailless whipscorpions, vinegaroons use their first pair of legs as sensory organs to detect prey (Thelyphonus sp., Cambodia)[Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 120mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mastigoproctus.jpgMastigoproctusThe "whip", or flagellum, of a vinegaroon act as an extremely sensitive antenna that collects information about the world around the animal. It its base the pygidium has two small nozzles that spray a defensive acid cloud. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, ambient light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mastigoproctus3.jpgMastigoproctusThe mouthparts of the giant vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus) from Arizona are an efficient machinery for catching and crushing prey. These arachnids produce no venom, and must rely on their strength alone to overpower their victims. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/thelyphonus.jpgThelyphonusA rainforest vinegaroon (Thelyphonus sp.) from Cambodia. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2012-10-26T20:26:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/11/never-too-late-to-learn/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/orocharis_oscillogram.jpgOrocharis_oscillogramA recording of the call of the Jumping Bush Cricket (made with an iPhone 4Gs in front of the MCZ on Oct. 10th, 2012, temp. 13°C [55.4°F]) - click to hear the recordinghttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/orocharis.jpgOrocharisMale Jumping Bush Cricket (Orocharis saltator), found in front of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, MA. (Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm, speedlights Canon 580EXII)2015-09-06T12:46:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/10/armored-katydids-or-koringkriek/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/eow.jpgEOWEdward O. Wilson with one of his favorite organisms, the Mozambique armed katydid (Enyaliopsis petersi) [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon 580EXII)https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hetrodes.jpgHetrodesKoringkriek (Hetrodes pupus), a common species across South Africa and one of the largest members of the Hetrodinae. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/hemihetrodes.jpgHemihetrodesBachmann's katydid (Hemihetrodes bachmanni) from the Northern Cape province of South Africa displays green coloration, rare among katydids of the subfamily Hetrodinae. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/reliques.jpgReliquesSouth African armored katydid (Acanthoproctus cervinus) on the cover of "Reliques: Voyages à la découverte des témoins vivants de l'évolution"2020-06-26T07:54:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/08/life-saving-beetles/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mylabris.jpgMylabrisBlister beetle (Mylabris sp.) from South Africa, close relatives of oil beetles, advertise their toxicity with bright, aposematic coloration.[Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/meloe6.jpgMeloeMales of oil beetles have modified antennae, which act as an extra pair of hands to hold the female during copulation. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/meloe2.jpgMeloeWhen disturbed, the oil beetles often pay dead and exude droplets of their blood through their leg joints. This female, however, probably has little cantharidin in her blood and will need to mate in order to replenish her supplies. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/meloe5.jpgMeloeA mating pair of oil beetles (Meloe impressus). Notice the bright yellow cervical membrane on the underside of the pronotum, which mimics the appearance of droplets of cantharidin-laden blood. [Canon 7D, Canon 180mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII] 2020-08-25T04:17:21+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/06/the-scariest-animal-that-will-never-hurt-you/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus21.jpgPhrynus2https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/daemon3.jpgDaemonhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/daemon1.jpgDaemonSeveral species of tailless whipscorpions live in caves, like this Daemon variegatus from Mozambique. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus3a.jpgPhrynus3aFemale whipscorpions are devoted mothers and carry their young until they are ready to begin an independent life. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 100mm, Canon 580EX speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/charinus.jpgCharinusMembers of the genus Charinus, like this C. pescotti from northern Queensland, have very short pedipalps. They apparently hunt by gently herding their prey towards the mouth with their antenniform first pair of legs, and only when it is very close grab it with the pedipalps. [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus4.jpgPhrynusCannibalism is not uncommon among tailless whipscorions, as demonstrated by this Phrynus from the Dominican Republic. [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus2.jpgPhrynusUnlike insects and most arachnids, tailless whipscorpions continue to molt periodically even after reaching maturity. [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus3.jpgPhrynusFemale whipscorpions are devoted mothers and carry their young until they are ready to begin an independent life. [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 100mm, Canon 580EX speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/phrynus.jpgPhrynusTwo males of Costa Rican Phrynus parvulus engaged in a territorial battle. [Canon 10D, Canon 100mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/heterophrynus.jpgHeterophrynusHeterophrynus sp. from Guyana has just sensed the presence of a cricket and is ready to pounce on it the moment the insect moves. This genus has some of the longest pedipalps among these arachnids. [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2020-09-25T22:50:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/04/nine-months-and-counting/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis8.jpgTaumantis8A first generation parthenogenetic female with her last exuvia [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis7.jpgTaumantis7Sixth instar (sub-adult) [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis61.jpgTaumantis6Fifth instar [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis6.jpgTaumantis6https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis5.jpgTaumantis5Fourth instar [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis4.jpgTaumantis4Third instar [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis3.jpgTaumantis3Second instar [Canon 7D,Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis2.jpgTaumantis2The mother Taumantis with one of her newly hatched daughters [Canon 7D,Canon Canon 100mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/taumantis1.jpgTaumantis1Praying mantids emerge from the egg case (ootheca) as larva-like pronymphs, and immediately molt [Canon 7D,Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]2013-05-22T20:57:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/10/01/be-glad-that-we-are-big/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ascalaphid3.jpgAscalaphidAn adult owlfly from Mozambique [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm, 2 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ascalaphid.jpgAscalaphidA larva of an owlfy waiting for a victim on a tree in Botswana [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/palpares4.jpgPalparesAn adult antlion (Palpares sp.) from South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pit.jpgpitAn ant desperately tries to leave the sand pit, but a sudden explosion of sand sends it back to the bottom, straight into the jaws of an antlion. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm, 2 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/antlion_larva.jpgantlion_larvaAn antlion larva from Costa Rica – its large body serves as an anchor, permanently buried in the sand, while the head on a long "neck" is the weapon that catches the prey. [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]2014-05-12T13:13:05+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/14/alien-predators-in-my-garden/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tenodera4.jpgTenodera parasinensisA female Chinese mantis devouring a grasshopper [Canon 7D,Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mantis3.jpgMantis religiosaThe distinguishing mark of the European mantis is the black and white spot on the inner surface of its front coxae [Canon 7D,Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tenodera.jpgTenoderaA portrait of a male of the Chinese mantis (Tenodera parasinensis); this is the individual that came my lights and bounced off my head [Canon 7D,Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mantis.jpgMantisEuropean mantis (Mantis religiosa) in my garden [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, MT-24EX twin light]2012-09-30T15:43:40+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/30/celebrate-blattodeans/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mantis_marc.jpgMantis_MarcOne of Marc Socié's drawings from the exhibit.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/exhibit.jpgexhibitThe exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History devoted to blattodeans (which are, apparently, also known as cockroaches.) [iPhone 4GS]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/megaoblatta3.jpgMegaoblattaGiant blattodean (Megaloblatta gigantea), was until recently considered to be the largest member of its order. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]2014-10-22T05:07:45+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/27/our-top-predator/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/scutigera7.jpgScutigeraHouse centipede with a cockroach prey [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/scutigera4.jpgScutigeraHouse centipede with a cockroach prey [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/scutigera3.jpgScutigeraHouse centipede with a cockroach prey; notice the large fangs (forcipules), which deliver the venom that kills the victim, and a prehensile foot holding the cockroach's leg. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/scutigera2.jpgScutigeraHouse centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) are born with only 4 pairs of legs, but eventually develop 15 pairs [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]2018-09-06T14:16:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/24/artists-take-on-the-smaller-majority/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/frog-window-complete.jpgFrog-Window-CompleteA stunning stained glass window made for the Rama Exhibitionhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/uroplatus-painting-sharlena-wood_sm.jpgUroplatus-painting-Sharlena-Wood_smAnother take on the satanic gecko by Sharlena Woodhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/3308858201_8048b1c77a_o.jpg3308858201_8048b1c77a_oSatanic gecko by "sengkelat"https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/monkey_frog_study_by_preyemal-d4qmw2z.jpgmonkey_frog_study_by_preyemal-d4qmw2zMonkey frog by Scott Severancehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/526092_3949932709098_79243171_n.jpgAgalychnisRed-eyed tree frog by Amelia Bliss Sikeshttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/the_ball_blattodean_study_by_preyemal-d4qmxp1.jpgthe_ball_blattodean_study_by_preyemal-d4qmxp1Ball blattodean by Scott Severancehttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/frog2.jpegfrog2Okawango reed frog by Pine Roehrs2012-09-25T16:26:32+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/22/beanie-babies-with-teeth/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/uroplatus_phantasticus3.jpgUroplatus_phantasticusLeaf tail geckos are high masters of camouflage, and this is one of the reasons why so little is known about their biology [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/uroplatus_phantasticus4.jpgUroplatus_phantasticusSatanic leaf gecko is a highly polymorphic species, and comes in many different color shades; this species, like many geckos, can also change its color thanks to the presence of chromatophores in its skin. [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/uroplatus_fimbriatus.jpgUroplatus_fimbriatusGiant leaf tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus), proudly displaying its mouth full of teeth [Nikon D1X, Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 IF-ED, fill-in flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/uroplatus_phantasticus.jpgUroplatus_phantasticusSatanic leaf gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) – despite its unfortunate common name, there is nothing evil about this beautiful lizard [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]2012-09-23T10:31:01+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/20/the-eye/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/agalychnis.jpgAgalychnisThe eye of the Red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas) from Costa Rica [Canon 10D, Canon MP-E 65mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]2012-10-15T22:30:49+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/18/dangerous-candy/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/taphronota_ferruginea.jpgTaphronota_ferrugineaCandy-like colors of the bushopper Taphronota ferruginea from Guinea spell out a loud warning [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/phyteumas_whellani.jpgPhyteumas_whellaniBushhopper Phyteumas whellani from Mozambique fans its wings as a warning sign [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/phymateus4.jpgPhymateusA nymph of a bushhopper Phymateus viridipes from Mozambique can afford being slow and conspicuous thanks to the toxins in its body [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dictyophorus.jpgDictyophorusBushhopper Dictyophorus cuisinieri from Guinea defending herself with toxic foam [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dictyophorus7.jpgDictyophorusBushhopper Dictyophorus spumans from South Africa, also known as the foam grasshopper, is deadly toxic, and it tells you all about it with its bright coloration [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]2014-03-11T12:08:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/16/lantern-bugs-in-action/2013-05-22T21:47:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/09/the-mystery-of-flying-honeydew/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/moths.jpgmothsLantern bug with two simultaneous moth guests (small Platynota sp. and larger Elaeognatha argyritis) [Canon 10D, Canon 100mm macro, MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/moth3.jpgEuclystisMoth (Euclystis proba) with a freshly caught droplet of honeydew [Canon 10D, Canon 100mm macro, MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/blattodeans.jpgBlattodeansTwo species of blattodeans (Eurycotis spp.) collecting honeydew from the same lantern bug individual [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fulgorid.jpgFulgoridLantern bug (Enchophora sanguinea) expelling a jet of honeydew droplets [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2012-10-13T05:17:34+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/10/the-mystery-of-flying-honeydew-a-strange-case-of-unabashed-thievery/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/euglandina4.jpgEuglandinaOnce the snail is covered with honeydew, the ant climbs its head and begins to drink it; this thieving behavior is known as kleptotrophobiosis. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fulgorid3.jpgFulgorid with guestsOnce the snail is covered with honeydew, the ant climbs its head and begins to drink it; this thieving behavior is known as kleptotrophobiosis. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fulgorid2.jpgFulgoridAn ant (Camponotus sp. n.) approaches and waits for the lantern bug's honeydew to accumulate on the snail's head [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fulgorid4.jpgFulgoridLantern bug sending a stream of honeydew droplets that accumulate on the snail's foot [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/euglandina3.jpgEuglandinaSnail Euglandina aurantiaca tapping a lantern bug (Phrictus quinquepartitus) with its tentacles [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]2012-10-14T01:31:46+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/04/the-benefits-of-constant-rain/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aseroe.jpgAseroeSea anemone mushrooms (Aseroë sp.) from New Britain [Canon 1D MkII, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/amphipod.jpgamphipodPink, terrestrial amphipod crustacean from the Muller Range of PNG [Canon 40D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/papuagrion2.jpgPapuagrionA semi-terrestrial naiad (nymph) of a damselfly (Papuagrion sp.) on a Pandanus leaf. [Canon 40D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/oreophryne.jpgOreophryneMale of a yet unnamed, new species of tree frog (Oreophryne sp. n.) guarding a clutch of eggs in the Muller Range of PNG [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/forest.jpgforestEven in the middle of the day, forests of New Guinea can appear dark, saturated with water and engulfed in a perpetual mist. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 16-25mm]2012-09-05T04:16:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/03/a-record-breaker-in-my-neighborhood/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/myrmecophilus3.jpgcricketsTwo species of crickets I found together in the wood ants' colony in Woburn, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/myrmecophilus2.jpgMyrmecophilus pergandeiFemale of Eastern ant cricket (Myrmecophius pergandei) (note the lack of wings and highly reduced eyes) [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/myrmecophilus.jpgMyrmecophilusEastern ant cricket (Myrmecophius pergandei) in the nest of the wood ant (Formica ?fusca) in Woburn, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII]2012-09-04T15:56:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/27/red-headed-bush-cricket/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/phyllopalpus1.jpgPhyllopalpusA closeup of the head of a Red-headed Bush Cricket nymph showing enlarged palps [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/phyllopalpus2.jpgPhyllopalpusA Red-headed Bush Cricket nymph cleaning its antenna [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/phyllopalpus.jpgPhyllopalpusA closeup of the head of a Red-headed Bush Cricket nymph showing enlarged palps [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, speedlights Canon 580EXII]2014-09-24T18:01:15+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/01/the-other-aquatic-iguana/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/norops3.jpgNorops with preyAquatic iguana swallowing its prey [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/norops5.jpgNorops with preyAquatic iguana with a freshly caught aquatic blattodean [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/norops4.jpgNorops aquaticusAquatic iguana (Norops aquaticus) on rocks in a rainforest stream in Costa Rica [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 24-105mm]2012-09-02T20:56:36+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/21/focus-stacking-of-live-subjects/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/tachinid_stack_series2.jpgTachinid_stack_seriesComponent images used to produce the stacked-focus image of a tachinid fly.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/tachinid_stack_series.jpgTachinid_stack_seriesComponent images used to produce the stacked-focus image of a tachinid fly.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/tachinid.jpgTachinidTachinid fly (Tachinidae) from Mozambique [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII; 6 images, taken at f14; combined in Helicon Focus]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/psocid.jpgPsocidA bark louse (Psocoptera) from Mozambique [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII; 12 images, taken at f10; combined in Helicon Focus]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/roeseliana.jpgRoeselianaRoeseli's katydid (Metrioptera roeselii) from Concord, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII; 2 images, taken at f14; combined in Helicon Focus]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/clogmia.jpgClogmiaPsychodid fly (Clogmia albipunctata) from Woburn, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII; 9 images, taken at f11; combined in Helicon Focus]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ceresa2.jpgCeresaTreehopper (Ceresa sp.) from Woburn, MA [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII; 7 images, taken at f16; combined in Helicon Focus]2016-03-22T16:03:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/09/01/against-the-sun/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/diplopod2.jpgdiplopodA giant millipede from Mozambique shot against late afternoon sun; the trees in the background help filter the sunlight and reduce its intensity. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mantid2.jpgmantidA grass mantis (<em>Hoplocorypha</em> sp.) from Botswana against the setting sun. Here I used only a very weak "pop" of flash because I wanted the insect to appear almost as a silhouette.https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/lily.jpglilyThe flowers of the Impala lily (Adenium multiflorum) shot against the sun; here I did not need any fill-in light because the sunlight filtered through their corollas provided enough illumination. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/chameleon.jpgchameleonFlap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) from Mozambique; I framed the animal in such a way that its body blocked the sun, but I still needed to add some fill-in flash to counterbalance the brightness of the sky. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mantid.jpgmantidA grass mantis (Hoplocorypha sp.) from Botswana against the setting sun. Here I used only a very weak "pop" of flash because I wanted the insect to appear almost as a silhouette. [Nikon D1x, Sigma 180mm, flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/diplopod.jpgdiplopodA giant millipede from Mozambique shot against late afternoon sun; the trees in the background help filter the sunlight and reduce its intensity. [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2012-09-03T17:32:59+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/30/the-rarity-of-blue/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/japan_crab-800pix.gifIlyoplaxMale blue mud crab (Ilyoplax pusillus) from Kyushu, Japan performing a courtship display [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, 2 speedlights 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/dendrobates.jpgDendrobatesBlue poison arrow frog (Dendrobates azureus) from Guyana [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm macro, 2 speedlights 580EX]2012-11-06T18:48:13+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/16/galapagos-in-red-and-blue/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/grapsus2.jpgGrapsusThese three individuals of different ages exemplify the color change that takes place during Sally Lightfoot crabs' development [Canon 7D, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/grapsus.jpgGrapsusCrabs on the volcanic rocks on the shores of Isabela [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/grapsus4.jpgGrapsusAll mature Sally Lightfoot crabs (Grapsus grapsus) display a wonderful combination of red, blue, and orange [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]2019-04-17T01:10:02+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/29/danger-in-black-and-white/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/termites.jpgtermitesThese termites may not look appealing, but they are perfectly safe to eat, even when alive. They are not particularly tasty (believe me, I tried), but remarkably nutritious and easy to find in almost any tropical habitat. [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/bipalium.jpgBipaliumI have no idea if this flatworm Bipalium rauchi from Cambodia is toxic, but I am not going to test it (in laboratory trials terrestrial flatworms were rejected as prey by salamanders, and even a casual contact with flatworms caused adverse reaction in these amphibians.) [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/flatworm.jpgflatwormI have no idea if this flatworm Bipalium rauchi from Cambodia is toxic, but I am not going to test it (in laboratory trials terrestrial flatworms were rejected as prey by salamanders, and even a casual contact with flatworms caused adverse reaction in these amphibians.) [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, 2 speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/geometrid.jpggeometridsIn general, don't eat anything that wants to be seen, like these caterpillars of a geometrid moth from Ghana. They feed on toxic lichens, and consequently their body is equally inedible to us. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/sphingid.jpgPseudosphinx tetrioNothing spells danger better than the pattern on this caterpillar. This larva of a hawk moth Pseudosphinx tetrio from Guyana feeds on toxic plants of the family Apocynceae, and its body is loaded with toxic alkaloids. [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm, speedlight Canon 580EX]2024-12-26T04:55:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/27/red-headed-bush-cricket-part-2/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/phyllopalpus_m.jpgPhyllopalpus_pulchellusVentral and frontal views of a male Handsome Trig [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights 580EXII; the frontal view is a composite of 10 stacked images shot at f11]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/phyllopalpus_m2.jpgPhyllopalpus_pulchellusMale Handsome Trig (Phyllopalpus pulchellus) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]2023-09-06T05:13:09+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/25/my-local-bioblitz/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/suckers.jpgSuckersBrowsers and grazers: A. Red-legged Grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum); B. Marsh Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus curtipennis); C. Two-Striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus); D. Short-winged Green Grasshopper (Dichromorpha viridis).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/browsers.jpgBrowsersPlant-sucking insects: A. Leafhopper (Agallia sp.); B. Red-banded Leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea); C. Acanaloniid planthoper (Acanalonia conica).https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/predators.jpgPredatorsSit-and-wait predators: A. Mantisfly (Climaciella brunnea); B. Ambush bug (Phymata americana); C. European praying mantis (Manits religiosa).2012-12-26T09:47:12+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/22/the-holotype-that-walked-away/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/conolophus.jpgConolophusLand iguanas, like most Galapagos wildlife, are completely unperturbed by people, and one needs to be careful not to trip over one while walking on a path! [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/conolophus3.jpgConolophusFemales of the Galapagos land iguana are smaller and have a lower dorsal crest [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/conolophus2.jpgConolophusA male of the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) from North Seymour [Canon 7D, Canon 100-400mm]2012-10-24T21:18:00+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/20/galapagos-lava-lizards/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus8.jpgMicrolophusGalapagos Mockingbird (Mimus parvulus) killing and eating a lava lizard (M. indefatigabilis) on Santa Cruz [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus6.jpgMicrolophusA lava lizard (M. albemarlensis) hunting flies on a basking sea lion [Canon 5D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus2.jpgMicrolophusM. bivittatus from San Cristobal, the easternmost and one of the oldest island of the archipelago, represents one of the most basal ("primitive") lineages of the Galapagos lava lizards [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus5.jpgMicrolophusA male of M. indefatigabilis from North Seymour shows a beautiful pattern and a small crest [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm macro]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus4.jpgMicrolophusSome species of lava lizards show a strong sexual dimorphism; interestingly, it is often the females that have more brightly colored throat and head. This female of M. indefatigabilis is surveying her territory from a large rock on North Seymour.[Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/microlophus7.jpgMicrolophusOn Fernandina lava lizards resemble young marine iguanas in their black coloration. They belong to the youngest species (Microlophus albemarlensis), which colonized the island only about 30 thousand years ago.[Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]2013-09-12T09:48:51+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/18/galapagos-a-most-unexpected-find/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/oroperipatus2.jpgOroperipatusVelvet worms have a round mouth opening, and a pair of glands on both sides that shoot sticky strands used to entangle their prey [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/oroperipatus.jpgOroperipatusVelvet worm (Oroperipatus sp.) from Santa Cruz [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2012-08-18T17:46:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/17/galapagos-the-lovely-orthopterans/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/copiphora2.jpgCopiphoraConehead (Copiphora brevicauda), an introduced species that probably arrived in the Galapagos in the 1980's [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/schistocerca.jpgSchistocercaPainted locust (Schistocerca melanocera), found on our boat but probably originating from Fernandina [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light + Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nesoecia.jpgNesoeciaCookson's katydid (Nesoecia cooksoni) from Santa Cruz; the wings of this species are greatly reduced and used only for sound production [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nesoecia2.jpgNesoeciaCookson's katydid (Nesoecia cooksoni) from Santa Cruz [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]2017-12-02T15:34:08+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/15/galapagos-marine-iguanas/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus10.jpgAmblyrhynchusA lone iguana (A. cristatus mertensi) on the shores of Santiago [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus7.jpgAmblyrhynchusSanta Cruz iguana (A. cristatus hassi) basking on the shores of an inland salt water pool [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm] https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus9.jpgAmblyrhynchusAn aggregation of Fernandina iguanas (A. cristatus cristatus) [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus6.jpgAmblyrhynchusGenovesa iguana (A. cristatus nanus), the smallest subspecies of marine iguanas [Canon 7d, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus5.jpgAmblyrhynchusA portrait of Fernandina iguana (A. cristatus cristatus). Is there any doubt as to where the inspiration for Godzilla came from? [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus.jpgAmblyrhynchusIguanas (A. cristatus mertensi) trying to get a bit of warmth from the rocks on a cool, cloudy day [Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/amblyrhynchus2.jpgAmblyrhynchusMarine iguana (A. cristatus mertensi) resting in a tidal pool on Santiago [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]2012-08-23T18:00:37+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/14/galapagos-the-birds/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/swallow-tailed_gull.jpgSwallow-tailed_gullMating Swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus), the world's only nocturnal gull species, endemic to the Galapagos. Where else in the world can you photograph mating birds with a 14mm lens? [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/blue_footed_booby.jpgBlue_footed_boobyBlue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) from North Seymour [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nazca_boobies2.jpgNazca_boobiesNazca boobies (Sula granti), a male and a chick from Genovesa [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cormorants3.jpgCormorantsGalapagos flightless cormorants (Nannopterum harrissi] from Fernandina [Canon 5D, Canon 100-400mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/mocking_bird.jpgMockingbirdsGalapagos mockingbirds (Mimus parvulus) from Genovesa [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/finches.jpgFinchesDarwin's finches are rather uniform in their appearance, but each species displays a different beak shape and feeding specialization. Males of most species are black, while females and juveniles are speckled grey. A. Large Ground Finch (Geospiza magnirostris)from Genovesa; B. Sharp-beaked Ground Finch (Geospiza difficilis), male, from Genovesa; C. Small Cactus Finch (Geospiza scandens) from Santa Fe; D. Green Warbler-Finch (Certhidea olivacea) from Genovesa.2013-04-09T06:32:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/08/03/a-break-and-a-frog/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ameerega-trivittatam2.jpgAmeerega-trivittataM2Male Three-striped poison arrow frog with a clutch of tadpoles on his back [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 x 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ameerega-trivittatam.jpgAmeerega-trivittataMhttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ameerega-trivittata.jpgAmeerega-trivittataFemale Three-striped poison arrow frog (Amereega trivittata) on the forest floor in Suriname [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2012-08-03T22:48:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/31/how-to-shoot-against-a-black-background/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/grass2.jpggrassGrass flowers [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/black_studio.jpgBlack background studioMy basement photo studiohttps://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cuterebra_black.jpgCuterebraEmasculating bot fly (Cuterebra emasculator) photographed on a piece of glass against a black background [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mantis.jpgMantis religiosaEuropean preying mantis (Mantis religiosa) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EX]2012-07-31T17:22:53+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/26/dont-talk-too-loudly-somebody-may-be-listening/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/phymata.jpgPhymataAn adult ambush bug female [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm, Canon 580EXII speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/phymata2.jpgPhymata nymohA young nymph of the ambush bug (Phymata americana) from Concord, MA [Canon 1Ds MarkII, Canon MP-E 65mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]2013-07-12T05:02:51+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/22/my-rainforest-portrait-studio/2012-09-17T11:21:38+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/21/stay-away-from-my-cucumbers/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/acalymma_vittatum.jpgAcalymma_vittatumStriped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum) [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, three speedlights Canon 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/plate.jpgplate2012-07-21T19:01:47+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/19/sharp-spines-strange-sex/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micrathena_clypeata3.jpgMicrathena_clypeataMicrathena clypeata from Suriname [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micrathena4.jpgMicrathena clypeataMicrathena clypeata from Suriname [Canon 7D, Canon MP-E65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micrathena_cyanospina.jpgMicrathena_cyanospinaMicrathena cyanospina from Suriname [Canon 7D, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG, Canon 580 EXII speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micrathena1.jpgMicrathena schreibersiMicrathena schreibersi from Suriname [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm macro, two speedlights Canon 580EX]2015-03-04T23:29:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/18/how-to-swim-on-dry-land/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/comicus1.jpgComicusSplay-footed cricket (Comicus capensis) [Canon 7D, Canpn 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/comicus2.jpgComicusSplay-footed cricket (note the shape of its feet) [Canon 7D, Canpn 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/comicus.jpgComicusSplay-footed cricket (Comicus capensis) [Canon 7D, Canpn 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/sossusvlei.jpgSossusvleiGiant sand dunes of Sussusvlei (note a springbok antelope in the lower right corner) [Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm]2012-07-20T13:40:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/17/devils-got-a-pretty-face/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/limacodids2.jpgLimacodidsSome limacodid caterpillars, like these Acharia sp. from Suriname, cluster together to enhance their warning message [Canon 7D, Sigma 15mm EX DG Diagonal Fisheye, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/perola_producta.jpgPerola_productaAdult limacodid moth (Perola producta) from Costa Rica) [Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 180mm macro, two Canon 580EX speedlights]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/limacodid.jpgLimacodidAn unidentified limacodid caterpillar from Cambodia [Canon 1D MkII, Canon MP-E65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light + Canon 580EX speedlight]2012-07-18T03:30:14+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/16/wax-tail-hopper/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pterodictya2.jpgPterodictya reticularisFemale wax-tail hopper [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, three diffused Canon 580EXII speedlights]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pterodictya3.jpgPterodictyaFemale wax-tail hopper walking away from her freshly laid eggs [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, two diffused Canon 580EXII speedlights]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pterodictya.jpgPterodictyaFemale wax-tail hopper (Pterodictya reticularis) laying eggs and covering them with wax [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, two diffused Canon 580EXII speedlights]2012-07-17T05:15:18+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/14/the-eventual-usefulness-of-stuff/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bolitoglossa_robusta1.jpgBolitoglossa_robustaGiant ree salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta), Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm, Canon 58EXII speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/osteocephalus_taurinus.jpgOsteocephalus_taurinusTree frog (Osteocephalus taurinus), Sipaliwini, Suriname [Canon 7D, Canon 14mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bolitoglossa_robusta.jpgBolitoglossa_robustaGiant ree salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta), Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica [Canon 7D, Canon 16-35mm, Canon 58EXII speedlight]2012-07-16T01:01:07+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/13/the-mantis-wasp/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/podagrion.jpgPodagrion femaleFemale mantis wasp (Podagrion sp.) cleaning her ovipositor [Canon 1D MKII, Canon MP-E 65mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light + Canon 50EX speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/podagrion2.jpgPodagrion waspMantis wasp (Podagrion sp.) freshly emerged from a preying mantis' ootheca [Canon 1Ds MKII, Canon 100mm macro, Canon MT-24EX twin light + Canon 50EX speedlight]2012-07-17T13:04:24+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/13/macro-lenses-shorter-is-better-often/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/agalychnis_wide.jpgRed-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) from Costa Rica [Nikon D1X, Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 IF-ED, fill-in flash Nikon SB-28DX]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/agalychnis_long.jpgRed-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) from Costa Rica [Nikon D1, Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO, ambient light]2012-07-17T00:58:04+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/11/a-portrait-of-the-competition/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/lophostoma.jpgLophostomaWhite-throated Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma silvicolum) [Canon 7D, 100mm, 3 x 580EXII]2012-07-12T13:28:52+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/11/macro-lenses-longer-is-better-sometimes/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/paracilacris.jpgParacilacrisThreatened katydid (Paracilacris periclitatus) from South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, 180mm macro, 580EX speedlight]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/alfredectes.jpgAlfredectesAlfred's katydid (Alfredectes semiaeneus) from South Africa [Canon 1Ds MkII, 100mm macro, 580EX speedlight]2012-07-11T21:40:06+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/10/beautiful-aliens/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/roeseliana_brachypterous_f2.jpgRoeseliana_brachypterous_F2Brachypterous form of Roesel's katydid [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/roeseliana_brachypterous_f.jpgRoeseliana_brachypterous_FBrachypterous form of Roesel's katydid [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/roeseliana_macropterous.jpgRoeseliana_macropterousMacropterous form of Roesel's katydid [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/roeseliana_brachypterous.jpgRoeseliana_brachypterousBrachypterous form of Roesel's katydid [Canon 7D, 100mm macro, 3 speedlights 580EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/ornament_1.pngornament_1https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/neon_green.pngneon_green2012-07-10T16:59:55+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/08/improvising-with-light/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/naskrecki_4915.jpgA newly emerged cicadaA newly emerged cicada [Canon 1Ds MkII, 100mm, illuminated with a hand-held LED headlamp]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/naskrecki_3988.jpgMystery turretsMystery clay turrets on the forest floor in Suriname [Canon 1Ds MkII, 16-35mm, ambient light]2015-08-10T08:09:42+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/06/out-of-africa/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mozambique_2012_0069.jpgDriver ant king (Dorylus sp.)2012-07-09T00:39:54+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/06/test-post/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/naskrecki_001.jpgTreehopper (Membracis sp.)Treehopper (Membracis sp.) from Suriname [Canon 7D, MP-E 65mm, 3 external speedlights 580 EXII]https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/spacer_1.jpgspacer_12013-05-23T18:00:33+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.com/2012/07/07/wide-angle-macro/https://thesmallermajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/schedocentrus.jpgSchedocentrusSylvan katydid (Schedocentrus basalis) from Suriname in her natural habitat [Canon 7D, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG, Canon 580 EXII speedlight]2013-08-08T15:43:20+00:00monthlyhttps://thesmallermajority.comdaily1.02025-09-29T07:19:31+00:00