Chien C. Lee

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  • Asian Ant Mantis (Odontomantis sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Flower mantis (Theopropus elegans), female. Sabah, 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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  • A Giant Forest Ant (Dinomyrmex gigas) receives a droplet of sweet honeydew from the abdomen of a juvenile leaf-footed bug (Notobitus sp.). The bugs, which obtain more sugar than they need from the plant juices they feed on, are fiercely guarded by the ants in return. Mutually beneficial trophobiotic relationships such as this are very advantageous in the competitive ecosystem of the rainforest. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Marauder Ants (Carebara affinis) attacking a beetle grub. The minor workers are assisted by their larger sisters, the majors and super-majors, which use their powerful mandibles to cut the grub into smaller pieces. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Camouflaged fulgorid planthopper (Episcius sp.). Esmeraldas, 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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  • With forests full of keen-eyed predatory birds, many of Madagascar’s smaller creatures have evolved incredibly cryptic appearances to evade detection. In the case of this Ghost Mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa), the remarkable leaf like mimicry serves also to conceal it from potential prey, which will be seized and eaten alive if they venture too close. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Mantis (Mythomantis serrata). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stilt-legged weevil (Talanthia phalangium). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tortoise beetle (Basiprionota decempustulata). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Fruit-piercing moth (Eudocima phalonia) using its stout proboscis to feed on the sweet juice of wild figs (Ficus fistulosa). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Katydid (Panoploscelis specularis). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys cf. lobata) standing guard over her egg sac. Such behavior might enable her to deter parasitoid wasps from destroying her brood, a common threat for mantises. Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A damselfly (Coenagrionidae) feeding on a pygmy grasshopper (Tetrigidae) which it has caught during flight. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Fruit piercing moths (Eudocima phalonia) converge on a cluster of ripe figs (Ficus fistulosa) to feed on the sweet juice. Many moths in this family have similar feeding habits and can be damaging to commercial fruit crops. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Few things exemplify the incredible complexity of rainforest ecosystems more than that of mutualisms between species. Here, a group of Giant Forest Ants (Dinomyrmex gigas) tend to a pair of lanternflies (Pyrops cultellatus), a relationship that has a net benefit for both species. The lanternflies, feeding directly from the phloem of the tree with their piercing straw-like mouthparts, harvest much more sugar-rich fluid than they actually need; the excess being excreted intermittently as a squirt of honeydew droplets from their abdomen. The ants position themselves directly behind and below the lanternflies and intercept these droplets with their heads, then consume the fluid and share it with their nestmates. In return, the ants guard the lanternflies and will ferociously attack any potential threat. Sarawak, 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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  • Giraffe Weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa), male. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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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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  • After several months of feeding on Aristolochia leaves, the mature caterpillar of this large birdwing butterfly (Troides andromache) prepares for its final moult into the pupal stage when metamorphosis will transform it into an adult. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys trigonodera). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger beetle (Therates sp.). Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Ant-mimicking tiger beetle (Neocollyris sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Magnetic termite mounds (Amitermes laurensis), aligned to avoid the intense heat of the summer sun. Queensland, Australia.
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  • Hooktip moth caterpillar (family Drepanidae). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo)
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  • Weevil (Episomus sp.). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Metapocyrtus lindabonus). Davao, Philippines.
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  • Peruvian Shield Mantis (Choeradodis rhombicollis). Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador.
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  • Picture-winged fly (Cleitamia sp., family Platystomatidae) with spider-like patterns on its wings to deter predation from spiders. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Unable to fly with a load many times her own weight, a female Thread-waisted Sand Wasp (Ammophila beniniensis) hauls a large caterpillar which she has paralyzed with her sting. She is seeking a burrow she has prepared in advance and, even though it may be a considerable distance away, she shows a remarkable orientation ability even though there may be numerous obstacles in her path. Once placed inside, with the burrow sealed shut by small rocks and its entrance hidden from potential thieves, the ill-fated caterpillar will serve as live food for the single egg the wasp has deposited along with it. Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
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  • Dragon-headed Katydid (Lesina blanchardi), juvenile. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although many small insects disguise themselves as ants to take advantage of their unpalatability, mimicry by another ant species is quite a rare occurrence. At a quick glance the two ants in this photo appear the same, especially while they are quickly scurrying down a stem, but closer inspection reveals that in fact there is a clever deception taking place. The ant at the bottom is Crematogaster inflata, an uncommon species from the rainforests of Borneo, which is distinctive in having a swollen orange metathorax. Its glands can exude a toxic sticky fluid as a defense and predators thus tend to avoid this species, heeding its bright warning coloration. At top is a relatively harmless Camponotus ant (actually an unnamed species) that mimics the Crematogaster in size, shape, and color - although its orange coloration is found on its abdomen rather than its thorax.  Observations of this species are rare but curiously, these Camponotus mimics have only ever been observed in close proximity to colonies of Crematogaster inflata. The exact nature of their association and whether or not these mimics derive other advantages from their toxic models is still unknown. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Mantis (Enicophlebia hilara). Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • A Giant Palm Weevil (Macrochirus praetor), one of the world's largest weevils, from the forests of Taman Negara (Malaysia).
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  • Ant-mimicking tiger beetle (Neocollyris sp.). Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Anisodera sp.), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) is an ambush predator. Utilizing its superb camouflage it waits for unsuspecting insect prey to come withing striking distance. This juvenile specimen will lose some of its petal-like appearance when it matures. West Java, Indonesia.
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  • Dragon Head Katydid (Lesina blanchardi), male. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A butterfly caterpillar (Cupha erymanthis) standing guard over a clutch of parasitic wasp pupae that recently hatched from its body. Having been impregnated by eggs from a female wasp, the larvae develop within the caterpillar, consuming its flesh as they grow. In order to keep their host alive, the wasp larvae are careful to avoid all vital organs and the caterpillar thus appears and behaves rather normal until the larvae eventually emerge. In a similar vein to the mind-controlled zombie ants, the wasp larvae also secrete some cocktail of hormones that modify the behavior of the caterpillar, in this case it is induced to stand guard and protect the wasp pupae from predators or other parasitic wasps until it eventually dies of starvation. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Flightless tiger beetle (Tricondyla sp.). South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • The Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) is an ambush predator. Utilizing its superb camouflage it waits for unsuspecting insect prey to come withing striking distance. This juvenile specimen will lose some of its petal-like appearance when it matures. West Java, Indonesia.
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  • Nearly invisible, this katydid’s (Arnobia sp.) patterned wings and profile match almost seamlessly with the corrugated texture of the leaf on which it perches. There is increasing evidence that some insects actively seek out substrates which maximize their camouflage, but exactly how they achieve this in a bewildering microcosm of varied colors and a range of predators that have better eyesight than they do remains unclear. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Botryonopa sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Leaf-cutter Ants (Atta laevigata) return to their nest carring sections of leaves which will be used to feed their underground fungus gardens. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Mutualisms between ants and treehoppers are so effective that sometimes multiple species can occur together on the same plant without conflicts. Here, a Myrmecaria ant worker tends to a short-horned Tricentrus sp., while an extravagantly adorned Pyrgauchenia biuni feeds nearby. Both of these treehoppers feed on the plant phloem, tapping into the stem with their proboscis, and secrete excess sugary fluid which the ants gather. In return the ants not only fiercely protect the treehoppers from predators, but sometimes also assist in distributing the young hoppers to suitable branches on the host stem. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf beetles (family Chrysomelidae). Kibale National Park, Uganda.
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  • Tiger beetle (Therates sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Marauder Ants (Carebara affinis) attacking a beetle grub. The minor workers are assisted by their larger sisters, the majors and super-majors, which use their powerful mandibles to cut the grub into smaller pieces. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Cholus ellipsifer) on palm inflorescence. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Giant Forest Ants (Dinomyrmex gigas) tending to fulgorid planthoppers (Scamandra polychroma) for honeydew secretions. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Ants (Dolichoderus beccarii) protecting treehoppers from which they harvest honeydew. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger beetle (Habrodera owas), mating. Canal des Pangalanes, Madagascar.
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  • Planthopper (Rhotana marmorata), showing wings that mimic the appearance of a jumping spider which is one of their primary predators. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Grasshopper (Euthymia sp.). Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar.
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  • In the insect world, even having a vicious sting isn’t enough to always save you from some larger predators. Here, in the dry spiny forest of southern Madagascar, a wasp has fallen prey to a giant robber fly (Microstylum sp.). With fast wings, excellent eyesight, and piercing mouthparts, robber flies catch other insects in mid flight and suck out their insides like a juice pack. Berenty Private Reserve, Amboasary, Madagascar.
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  • The Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) is an ambush predator.  Utilizing its superb camouflage it waits for unsuspecting insect prey to come withing striking distance.  Pictured here is a juvenile specimen. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A cockroach (Allacta sp.) attending to a Cixiid planthopper (Singabenna praestans), waiting for honeydew secretions. Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger beetle (Calomera opigrapha). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Chloridolum promissum. A beautiful longhorn beetle from the rainforest of Central Sulawesi.
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  • During mating, the male tiger beetle uses his mandibles to grasp the female at the rear of her thorax in a groove called the 'coupling sulcus'. The contours of this groove correspond only to the mandibles of a male of her own species, and prevents interspecific breeding by allowing the female to throw off a male of another species. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf beetle (Trichochrysea hirta). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys moultoni). Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Longhorn beetle (Sphingnotus mirabilis). Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Golden Forest Ant (Polyrhachis ypsilon). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dung beetle (Paragymnopleurus sparsus), rolling scat of Sambar Deer. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • When approached by a potential predator, these amazingly camouflaged leaf grasshoppers (Chorotypus sp.) align their flattened bodies with the leaf they are perched on and remain completely still to accentuate their mimicry. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Giant ant lion (Palpares amitinus). Amboasary, Madagascar.
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  • Leaf katydid (Cratioma oculatum), female. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Wasp-mimicking moth (Atrijuglans hetaohei). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stag beetle (Prosopocoilus occipitalis), male. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With over 60,000 currently recognized species (and perhaps double that still awaiting discovery), rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) are without a doubt the most diverse family of organisms on the planet. Most are relatively unnoticed because of their often diminutive size and secretive habits, but a few species such as this predatory one (Actinus imperialis) are larger and more colorful. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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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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  • Aphiocephalus guerini. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Violin Beetle (Mormolyce matejmiciaki). Violin Beetles are found in forested habitats in tropical Southeast Asia. Their bizarre flattened wing-sheaths allow them to maneuver under tree bark and cracks where they hunt for other insects. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Scarcely larger than your thumb, the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta pusio) is the world’s smallest parrot. Here, a mated pair peer out from their nest hole that they have excavated in an arboreal termite mound within the lowland rainforest of western New Guinea. Papua, Indonesia.
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  • A juvenile Broad-headed Bug (family Alydidae) showing mimicry of a small ant. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Geometrid moth (Agathia deliciosa). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male flower scarab (Mecynorhina harrisi), prepared to ward off rivals with his formidable horn, guards a female while she feeds on tree sap. Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.
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  • Bush-tailed Moth (Dudusa vethi), using defensive posture to expose urticating hairs on the tip of its abdomen. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Mossy masquerade: a young Moss Mimic Katydid (Championica montana) doing what it does best. If you specialize in eating moss it’s a big plus if you look like it as well. In the damp cloud forests of Costa Rica, every surface is covered with dripping wet bryophytes, such as the leaf this katydid is perched on. Although abundant, it’s not the most energy rich food in the world, so these insects conserve their energy by moving slowly while they graze. Faced with a potential threat, they simply lay flat against the mossy substrate and disappear. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Ant-mimicking mantis (Acromantinae), nymph. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Katydid (Promeca sp.), female. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • It’s always important to have a backup plan. The first line of defense for most stick insects is of course their excellent camouflage, but sometimes this just isn’t enough. If this giant Diesbachia sophiae is attacked, it suddenly transforms from a green stick into a startling display by raising its boldly checkered wings. This may be enough to make some predators think twice before going in for the kill, giving enough time for the insects to escape. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf katydid (Tympanophyllum arcufolium), female. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) allows its wings to expand and harden after emerging from its cocoon.  It will now live only long enough to find a mate. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiny, ubiquitous, and comprising many thousands of species, parasitoid wasps extract a heavy toll on their hosts, with many species responsible for keeping other insect populations in check. Here, a female wasp (Anastus sp.), just a few millimeters in length, drills her ovipositer into the eggshell of an Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas), the world's largest moth. Her developing larvae will consume the contents of the egg and pupate therein before emerging as adults. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima). Yunnan, China.
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  • Wasp-mimicking moth (Xestocasis sp.). Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Slug moth caterpiller (Parasa sp.). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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