Chien C. Lee

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  • Tortoise beetle (Basiprionota decempustulata). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a common pest across Southeast Asia and its large fatty grubs ('sago worms') are often consumed by local people. Recent molecular studies have shown that the once synonymized R. vulneratus (shown here) of Borneo and Indonesia, represents a distinct species from R. ferrugineus, despite the great deal of color variation in each. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Anisodera sp.), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • You might think that an animal with an excessively long neck would be predisposed to unfortunate injuries, but such eccentricities in body form can become justified in the competitive arena of sexual selection. This tiny Bornean weevil (Cycnotrachelus satelles), closely related to the famous Giraffe Weevil of Madagascar, uses his lengthy neck in wrestling matches to dislodge rival males off their food plants during mating season. Having intimidating physical attributes can sometimes mean combat is not even necessary: males have been observed facing off, nodding their heads (the necks are hinged in the middle) before one makes a retreat. The females, which are not thus pressured by competition, have much shorter necks. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Looking like a bunch of trilobite sarcophagi, a cluster of tortoise beetle pupae remain huddled together as they wait to pupate into adults. Although blind, immobile and otherwise defenseless in this stage, each pupa is capable of flexing its body up and down when disturbed, and the combined motion of the entire group may serve to befuddle a potential predator or parasite. Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Napo, Ecuador.
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  • A fly-mimicking weevil (Hoplocopturus sp.) from the Ecuadorian rainforest. Most cases of insect mimicry involve the imitation of a toxic or distasteful species as a model, so the reason for this beetle to appear like an entirely edible fly is not immediately apparent. However, entomologists studying these insects suggest that because flies are so agile and quick, most visually-oriented predators (particularly birds) probably learn to avoid wasting their time pursuing them, hence the incentive for this “evasive mimicry”. Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Giraffe Weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa), male. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Weevil (Metapocyrtus lindabonus). Davao, Philippines.
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  • Pleasing fungus beetle (Erotylus incomparabilis). Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • Leaf beetle (Callicolaspis heros). Napo, Ecuador.
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  • A fly-mimicking weevil (Hoplocopturus sp.) from the Ecuadorian rainforest. Most cases of insect mimicry involve the imitation of a toxic or distasteful species as a model, so the reason for this beetle to appear like an entirely edible fly is not immediately apparent. However, entomologists studying these insects suggest that because flies are so agile and quick, most visually-oriented predators (particularly birds) probably learn to avoid wasting their time pursuing them, hence the incentive for this “evasive mimicry”. Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Glitter Weevil (Compsus sp.). Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Darkling beetle (Cerogria sp.). Sarawak Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although the ‘zombie ants’ are undoubtedly the most infamous, entomopathogenic fungi come in a great diversity of species, many of which specialize in a particular type of prey. Here, a weevil has been killed by Ophiocordyceps curculionum, and is now a host to three fruiting bodies that have been releasing new spores. Like the mind-controlling fungi in ants, this pathogen similarly manipulates the weevil like a puppeteer to position itself in the ideal spot before it dies. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • With its unique patterns and remarkably long front legs, the Harlequin Beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) is one of the most impressive and distinctive insects of the Neotropics. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Tortoise beetles (Basiprionota decempustulata), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A Giant Palm Weevil (Macrochirus praetor), one of the world's largest weevils, from the forests of Taman Negara (Malaysia).
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  • Stilt-legged weevil (Talanthia phalangium). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Botryonopa sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Cholus ellipsifer) on palm inflorescence. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Hispine leaf beetle (Alurnus dallieri). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
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  • Paracycnotrachelus sp. Some beetles of the extremely diverse family leaf-rollers (families Attelabidae and Rhynchitidae, numbering several thousand species) are called Giraffe Weevils due to their long necks. They measure only 1-2cm in total length. Uthai Thani, Thailand.
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  • With the color blue being so rare in nature, it’s an obvious choice if you want to really stand out from the crowd. The incredible coloration of this Eupholus weevil from the rainforests of New Guinea probably warns of its toxicity to predators, but in fact it actually possesses no blue pigment at all. Tiny scales which cover the beetle’s shell contain three-dimensional photonic crystal structures that refract light in a similar fashion to that of an opal stone. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Frog-legged Leaf Beetle (Sagra buqueti), male. Among the most beautiful of all beetles, a jeweled frog-legged leaf beetle perches on foliage in the Borneo rainforest. With over a dozen species in the genus, Sagra beetles are characterized by their metallic colors and enlarged hind limbs. Rather than being jumpers as their name would otherwise suggest, their spiny hind legs are used in defense and probably also male-male combat. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Longhorn beetle (Sphingnotus mirabilis). Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Aphiocephalus guerini. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Like a glittering jewel of the rainforest, the almost unnatural colors of a Eupholus weevil (E. mimikanus) probably serve as a warning to predators of its distastefulness. Considered by many to be among the most beautiful weevils in the world, most Eupholus are endemic to New Guinea.
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  • Leaf beetles (family Chrysomelidae). Kibale National Park, Uganda.
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  • Jawed sawyer (Macrodontia batesi). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Euryphagus lundii), female. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Chloridolum promissum. A beautiful longhorn beetle from the rainforest of Central Sulawesi.
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  • Darkling beetle (Strongylium sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf beetle (Trichochrysea hirta). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Warning colorations, such as those exhibited by these tiny fungus beetles (Corynomalus marginatus), which exude a foul chemical when disturbed, doesn’t always guarantee immunity from predators. To enhance their defense, many such insects often cluster in aggregations; not only is there greater safety in numbers but the combined colorations of all the individuals together results in an amplified warning signal that encourages even naive predators to get the message. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Leaf beetle (Promechus whitei). West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Weevil (Episomus sp.). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Darkling beetle (Tetraphyllus sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Rhinoscapha cf. humboldtiana). Papua, Indoensia (New Guinea).
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  • Weevil (Cratosomus sp.). Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Frog-legged Leaf Beetle (Sagra buqueti), male. Among the most beautiful of all beetles, a jeweled frog-legged leaf beetle perches on foliage in the Borneo rainforest. With over a dozen species in the genus, Sagra beetles are characterized by their metallic colors and enlarged hind limbs. Rather than being jumpers as their name would otherwise suggest, their spiny hind legs are used in defense and probably also male-male combat. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Giant ladybird beetle (Synonycha grandis). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf of Colocasia gigantea with round holes left by feeding Chrysomelid beetle (Aplosonyx ancora). The beetle bites circular leaf trenches to drain the leaf of its toxic latex prior to consumption. Ha Giang, Vietnam.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus), pair mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Darkling beetle (Cuphotes erichsoni), mimic of unpalatable fungus beetles (Gibbifer spp., Erotylidae). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Tortoise Beetle (Thlaspidosoma dohrni). Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tortoise beetle (Stolas excelsa). Mashpi, Ecuador.
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  • Lion Beetle (Ulochaetes leoninus). California, USA.
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  • Blister beetle (Horia debyi). The larvae of blister beetles of the genus Horia prey on the larvae of Xylocarpa carpenter bees. This is an adult male, evidenced by the enlarged hind femora. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Fungus beetle (Encaustes sp.) exhibiting Muellerian mimicry of associated ground beetles (Lioptera sp.). Both fungus beetles and ground beetles show the same orange and black patterns and are similarly distasteful to predators. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Longhorn beetle (Mallodon chevrolatii). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A metallic darkling beetle (Strongylium sp.), frequently found in association with decaying wood and fungi. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Arachnobas sp.) with mites. Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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