Chien C. Lee

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  • Ecuador Poison Frog (Ameerega bilinguis). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Ecuador Poison Frog (Ameerega bilinguis), male. Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • Cloud forest. Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Lowland rainforest in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Gold-Nugget Treefrog (Boana picturata), an endemic to the chocó pacific rainforests of Ecuador and Colombia. Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Gold-Nugget Treefrog (Boana picturata), an endemic to the chocó pacific rainforests of Ecuador and Colombia. Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Spanning nearly 7 million square kilometers, it is difficult to conceptualize just how vast the Amazon rainforest is. Here, the Tiputini River winds its way through a tiny corner of the Amazon Basin in eastern Ecuador, eventually emptying its waters into Peru, Brazil, and then the Atlantic Ocean nearly 3 thousand kilometers away. Having lost nearly 20% of its forest cover in recent decades, the Basin is still under siege today from threats such as mining, oil drilling, and clearing for farming. Despite these losses, much still remains intact and just as imperative as ever to continue protective efforts for these invaluable forests. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A jewel of Ecuador’s high-elevation cloud forests is the spectacular Plate-billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris). Unlike the more familiar toucans of lowland rainforests, these birds inhabit the coldest and wettest mountains of the Andes. Despite their predilection for these remote habitats, they are threatened by both habitat loss and capture for the pet trade. Mindo, Ecuador.
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  • Hidden in the dense leaf litter of the rainforest floor, an Amazonian Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta) lies in wait for its next meal. With a mouth wider than the length of its body, and a voracious appetite to boot, these frogs can consume prey as large as small reptiles and rodents. This species is widely distributed in the Amazon Basin, but nowhere particularly abundant. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • The Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata), a big reason why hikers in the Amazonian rainforest always proceed with trepidation when stepping off the trail into thick vegetation. One of the largest ants in the world, this species is infamous for its ferocious sting which some (unfortunate) individuals consider equivalent in pain to being shot. The ant's sting contains a neurotoxic venom and has been rated by biologists as the only perfect "4+" on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, making it the most painful of all insect stings. Coca, Ecuador.
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  • Endemic to the lowland Chocó rainforests of northwestern Ecuador and southwestern Colombia, the Little Devil Poison Frog (Oophaga sylvatica) is another species whose continued existence is dependent on the preservation of these dwindling habitats. Although it can occasionally be found in secondary forests and agricultural plantations, it can only survive where nearby intact rainforest provides the epiphytic water-filled bromeliads it needs to breed. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Smallest of all the anteaters, the Silky Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is seldom seen because it spends much of its life high in the rainforest canopy, often curled up as an indistinguishable ball of fluff. They have no teeth and can only defend themselves by means of their razor sharp sickle-like fore-claws, which are usually used for tearing open ant nests. Females bear a single youngster at a time, which is carried on their back until large enough to feed on its own. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Camouflaged fulgorid planthopper (Episcius sp.). Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Slug moth caterpiller (Parasa sp.). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Sun Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum), male hiding on the underside of a leaf. The pattern on the back of this species mimics a cluster of the frog's eggs, which help to deter attacks by predatory wasps. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Gold-banded Rain Frog (Pristimantis aureolineatus), pair in amplexus. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Katydid (Eurymetopa obesa). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Marañón White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus yuracus). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Cushion plant (Plantago rigida) among alpine Páramo vegetation. Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Vieira's Snail-eating Snake (Sibon vieirai). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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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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  • Red-headed Barbet (Eubucco bourcierii), male. Mindo, Ecuador.
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  • Although cryptically disguised as a dead leaf when at rest, the Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) packs a big surprise for its secondary defense. When disturbed, it raises its wings to expose strikingly colored eyespots, which can be enough to startle a potential predator away. This large katydid exhibits a great deal of intraspecific variation such that the wing patterns and camouflage of no two individuals are ever the same, and entomologists at one time had described over a dozen species that are now attributed to P. ocellata. These variations in coloration help to prevent any predator from learning a search pattern to recognize this species and its defense. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Pleasing fungus beetle (Erotylus incomparabilis). Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • The Chocoan Rainforest along the Pacific coast of Panama, Colombia, and northern Ecuador is one of the world's most endangered rainforest habitats. It is separated from the Amazon rainforest by the Andes mountains, and is home to a great diversity of endemic species. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata) killed by parasitoid fungi (Ophiocordyceps ponerinarum). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Ecuadorian Toadheaded Pitviper (Bothrocophias campbelli). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Tarantula (Pamphobeteus sp.), male. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Painted Antnest Frog (Lithodytes lineatus), a mimic of toxic dendrobatid frogs. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Peruvian Shield Mantis (Choeradodis rhombicollis). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Striped Sharpnose Snake (Philodryas argentea). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant). Papallacta, Ecuador.
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  • Purple Anole (Anolis purpurescens). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Dead-leaf moth (Oxytenis albilunulata). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Perez's Snouted Frog (Edalorhina perezi). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Swamp forest dominated by Moriche Palm (Mauritia flexuosa) covers vast areas of the Amazon Basin. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Ecuadorian Hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), female feeding juvenile female. Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Tarantula (Pamphobeteus sp.). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A female pompilid wasp (Eragenia congrua) hauls a paralyzed spider (Corinna sp.) towards her nest, after having neatly amputated its legs to make the transport of her victim easier. This will not be food for her, but for her offspring. Her nest consists of a hole in the soft bark of a tree, and once depositing the spider inside she will lay a single egg, which upon hatching into a larva will consume the still-living host. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • With a full palette of colorful wing scales at their disposal, butterflies are capable of pulling off some of the most convincing and complex mimicries in the insect world. At first glance this is a common clear-winged Ithomiid butterfly, which are known for their toxicity and unpalatability. However, it is actually a Clearwinged Mimic-white (Dismorphia theucharila), a non-toxic species of the family Pieridae. It can be distinguished from its toxic models (Oleria spp.) by counting the number of legs: Dismorphia has six, whereas Oleria stands on only four. Insectivorous birds don’t have time to stop and count the legs on every butterfly in the forest, so this mimicry is a highly successful one. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Napo Saki (Pithecia napensis). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A lone Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) ventures down to the rainforest floor to take a sip of mineral mud at a clay lick. This is a common phenomenon with the larger parrots of the region and was often believed to be due to the fact that the birds ingest the clay to help neutralize toxins in the fruits that they consume. More recent observations suggest that they may simply be obtaining salt – a mineral that is in particularly scarce supply in the western Amazon Basin. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Spiny orbweaver (Micrathena kirbyi), female putting the final touches of silk on her egg sac. 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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  • Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Assassin bug (Zelurus sp.) which mimics a spider wasp. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • The dreaded Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata), in possession of the most painful sting on the planet, here has fallen prey to an even more sinister organism: a parasitoid fungus (Ophiocordycipitaceae). The ‘zombification’ of insects in tropical rainforests has been well documented, but the incredibly precise way that these fungi control the behavior of their hosts prior to consuming them is not yet fully understood. Recent research indicates that, rather than invading the brain which might kill the insect prematurely, the fungus may directly control the muscles of its host like a puppet. In this way it can lead the ant to a location where it is more likely to infect others. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • It’s hard at first glance not to be fooled by the appearance of this wasp-mimicking katydid (Aganacris nitida), which is modeled after a stinging thread-waisted wasp (Eremnophila spp.). To enhance the effectiveness of this masquerade, the katydid also copies the wasp’s quick erratic movements, as most other katydids (especially camouflaged ones) move rather slowly. Katydids possess no chemical or otherwise painful defenses, and make for particularly good meals for predators, which is the driving force behind their remarkable disguises. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Looking like a cross between a dragonfly and a butterfly, owlflies (family Ascalaphidae) are in fact more closely related to ant lions and lacewings. These nocturnal predators feed on small insects that they catch on the wing. By day, they sleep concealed on twigs, or in this unusual case (Cordulecerus sp.), as a group together on a root hanging above a stream. Sleeping in an aggregation with their antennae held outstretched in a perimeter may help to better detect the approach of predators, keeping the group safer than sleeping alone. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Glasswing Butterfly (Cithaerias cliftoni), male. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Pale-striped Poison-Frog (Ameerega hahneli). Coca, Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • Emerald Glassfrog (Espadarana prosoblepon), male showing humeral spines for intraspecific combat. Mindo, Ecuador.
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  • Babbling Torrenteer (Hyloscirtus alytolylax), young froglet metamorph. Mindo, Ecuador.
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  • Wax-tailed Planthopper (Pterodictya reticularis). The waxy filaments may serve to mimic an insect that has been keeled by parasitoid fungi, and thus dispel a predator's interest. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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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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  • Sun Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum), male. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Leaf katydid (Typophyllum mortuifolium), female. Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Blunthead Tree Snake (Imantodes cenchoa), a lizard hunting specialist that due to its extremely slender body is able to seek out sleeping lizards on even the most delicate of branches. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus), male. Mindo, Ecuador.
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  • In possession of one of the most painful stings in the insect world, tarantula wasps (Pepsis spp.) are avoided by just about every animal in the forest. This makes them a great thing to be mistaken for, especially if you happen to be an otherwise defenseless katydid such as this (Aganacris velutina). The katydid not only mimics the wasp’s distinctive coloration of a shiny black body with bright orange wings and antennae, but also its quick and jerky movements, making it appear decidedly ‘un-katydidlike’. This is particularly amazing considering katydids are family of insects normally renowned for their remarkable camouflage colorations. Canandé Reserve, Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Although cryptically disguised as a dead leaf when at rest, the Peacock Katydid (Pterochroza ocellata) packs a big surprise for its secondary defense. When disturbed, it raises its wings to expose strikingly colored eyespots, which can be enough to startle a potential predator away. This large katydid exhibits a great deal of intraspecific variation such that the wings patterns and camouflage of no two individuals are ever the same, and entomologists at one time had described over a dozen species that are now attributed to P. ocellata. These variations in coloration help to prevent any predator from learning a search pattern to recognize this species and its defense. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Buthid scorpion (Tityus sp.) preying on a smaller scorpion. Yasuní National Park, Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • Weevil (Cholus ellipsifer) on palm inflorescence. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Moth killed by Akanthomyces fungi. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Giant Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Katydid (Panoploscelis specularis). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Neotropical Snail-Eater (Dipsas indica). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii). Papallacta, Ecuador.
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  • Sun Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum), male hiding on the underside of a leaf. The pattern on the back of this species mimics a cluster of the frog's eggs, which help to deter attacks by predatory wasps. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Ecuadorian Hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), juvenile male. Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Mallodon chevrolatii). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Calathea sp. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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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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  • Shag-carpet Caterpillar (Prothysana), one of two species that, aside from their curious appearance, exhibit a remarkable form of mimicry. Tiny parasitoid wasps are known for extracting a heavy toll on caterpillars: their larvae devour a caterpillar from inside out, emerging once they are ready to turn into adult wasps and leaving their distinctive white cocoons in the process. At a glance, the white dorsal hairs of Prothsyana look exactly like these wasp cocoons, so much so that the wasps themselves likely avoid laying their eggs in this caterpillar, believing that it has already been eaten. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • “Parasitoids” are defined as different from “parasites” in that they ultimately kill their host, and among the most nefarious of these are those that are able to manipulate the behavior of their host, keeping them alive only until they no longer need them. This unfortunate katydid is in the process of having a horsehair worm (Nematomorpha) vacate its body. Although the katydid is still alive, the worm has slowly devoured most of its internal organs while growing inside to many times the length of its host’s body. Even when fully developed, the worm keeps from killing the insect because it uses it for transport – somehow compelling the katydid to seek out a source of water where the worm can finally complete its life cycle. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • At the onset of dusk, a pair of Many-banded Aracari (Pteroglossus pluricinctus) arrive at their roosting tree hole where they will be joined by the rest of their family group to spend the night. These birds are unusual among toucans for their gregarious behavior with as many as half a dozen sleeping together. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • With its fearsome appearance, the Spiny Devil (Panacanthus cuspidatus) surely ranks as one of the most impressive of all katydids. Endemic to the upper Amazon Basin, this large insect uses its prickly front legs in self-defense and also to capture prey – it feeds both on vegetation and other insects. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Walker's moth (Sosxetra grata). Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas). Cosanga, Ecuador.
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  • Hispine leaf beetle (Alurnus dallieri). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador
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  • Spiny katydid (Panacanthus varius), female. Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • While the majority of katydids masquerade as leaves, this species (Anaphidna sp.) takes on a different strategy: it rests with its wings raised in the air to mimic a lichen-covered twig. The long filamentous antennae of many insects, which can sometimes betray their camouflage to a predator and are thus often kept tucked away for concealment, are in this species deceptively disguised with bends and kinks. Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Few warning signals in nature are as blatant as the colors of the Aquatic Coral Snake (Micrurus surinamensis), and for good reason: it possesses a highly potent neurotoxic venom. Unique among South American elapid snakes, its venom appears to be specialized for its favored prey of fish and eels, although can undoubtedly be fatal for mammals as well. They are, however, very non-aggressive and bite only when attacked or accidentally stepped on – the latter of which is rare thanks to their gaudy coloration. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Stick grasshopper (Paraproscopia aberrans). Looking much like a typical walking stick (Phasmida), these grasshoppers exploit a similar defense strategy but with the added bonus that they can jump away from a predator if needed. Yasuní National Park, 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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  • This large royal moth (Bathyphlebia eminens), a member of the giant silkmoth family (Saturniidae) is endemic to the cloud forests of Ecuador.
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  • The shady understory of the Ecuadorian rainforest hosts a great diversity of butterflies that are adapted specifically for this dimly lit ecosystem. Although we often rank butterflies on how gaudy and beautiful their wings patterns are, among the most remarkable of the understory are those that bear transparent wings, such as this Glasswing Butterfly (Dulcedo polita). When perched under the right conditions they can appear almost invisible. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Endemic to the Amazon Basin, the Reticulated Poison Frog (Ranitomeya ventrimaculata) is a small species, reaching only 2cm in length. Adults live on the forest floor but venture up to 40m in the canopy to deposit their eggs in the water-filled bromeliads. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • The incredible camouflage of the Amazonian Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta) becomes even more apparent when viewed from above. It is no wonder that these frogs are not strong jumpers; they prefer to remain motionless even upon the approach of a potential predator. Being sit-and-wait predators, they can sometimes spend several days staked out in the same spot, moving only nights of heavy rainfall. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Grasshopper (Helolampis coloniana). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Emerald Cicada (Zammara smaragdula). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Tiger moth (Correbidia sp.) which mimics a toxic net-winged beetle (Lycidae). Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Darkling beetle (Cuphotes erichsoni), mimic of unpalatable fungus beetles (Gibbifer spp., Erotylidae). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Many-banded Aracari (Pteroglossus pluricinctus). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A juvenile Lowland Paca (Cuniculus paca) photographed by camera trap. These large rodents are solitary and live in burrows, emerging only at night to forage on vegetation of the forest floor, including fallen fruits, and are important dispersers of many rainforest seeds. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Army Ants (Eciton burchellii). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Although most people are familiar with the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the scrublands and prairies of the southern US, it is originally an animal from tropical rainforests, including the Amazon Basin. This individual uses a fallen log to cross a stream during its nocturnal foray for insects and other tiny tasty morsels. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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