Chien C. Lee

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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 beetles (family Chrysomelidae). Kibale National Park, Uganda.
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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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Botryonopa sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Metapocyrtus lindabonus). Davao, Philippines.
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  • Giraffe Weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa), male. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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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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  • 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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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Anisodera sp.), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stilt-legged weevil (Talanthia phalangium). 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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  • Weevil (Episomus sp.). Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tortoise beetle (Basiprionota decempustulata). 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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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus). 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Chloridolum promissum. A beautiful longhorn beetle from the rainforest of Central Sulawesi.
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  • Leaf beetle (Trichochrysea hirta). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Glitter Weevil (Compsus sp.). Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Earth-boring dung beetle (Blackburnium rhinoceros), male. This unusual dung beetle is a member of the family Geotrupidae, often referred to as the earth-boring dung beetles. They are known for laying their eggs in burrows which are sometimes provisioned with leaf litter or dung. Wasur National Park, South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Dung Beetle (Epilissus splendidus). Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Weevil (Rhinoscapha cf. humboldtiana). Papua, Indoensia (New Guinea).
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  • Trilobite beetle (Platerodrilus foliaceus), female. East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Borneo).
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  • Weevil (Cratosomus sp.). Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, 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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  • Longhorn beetle (Sphingnotus mirabilis). Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Dung beetle (Paragymnopleurus sparsus), rolling scat of Sambar Deer. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Net-winged beetle (Broxylus majeri). Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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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 small dung beetle (Paragymnopleurus maurus) is preparing a ball made from monkey droppings in which it will deposit its eggs and then bury. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Aphiocephalus guerini. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Like other members of its genus, the males of this rhinoceros beetle (Xylotrupes ulysses clinias) exhibit variation in horn size with some individuals having very long horns (as shown here) and others with very short horns. This extreme dimorphism is controlled by an environmentally influenced genetic switch. South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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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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  • 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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  • Jawed sawyer (Macrodontia batesi). Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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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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  • Leaf beetle (Promechus whitei). West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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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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  • A large male rhinoceros beetle (Beckius beccarii). This species is endemic to the forested regions of New Guinea. West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Darkling beetle (Tetraphyllus sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Longhorn beetle (Euryphagus lundii), female. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Click beetles (Semiotus regalis). Bogota, Colombia.
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  • Pleasing fungus beetle (Erotylus incomparabilis). Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • Darkling beetle (Strongylium sp.). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Two male stag beetles (Cyclommatus montanellus magnificus) attempting to overpower one another using their formidable mandibles. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The highly specialized antennae of many beetles can reveal much about each species’ particular lifestyle. Here, a Malayan Giant Click Beetle (Oxynopterus audouini) shows off his impressive comb-like antennae, a feature only males possess and which are used to increase their ability to detect the faint pheromones of females in the dense vegetation of the rainforest. Reaching lengths of over 6cm, this is one of the world’s largest species of click beetles (family Elateridae), and is known for having larvae which predate on termites. 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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  • Dung beetle (Paragymnopleurus maurus), rolling scat of Sambar Deer. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf beetle (Callicolaspis heros). Napo, Ecuador.
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  • Darkling beetle (Cerogria sp.). Sarawak Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The remarkable feathered antennae of a Callirhipid cedar beetle (Callirhipis sp.) from the montane rainforests of New Guinea. Papua, Indonesia.
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  • Lion Beetle (Ulochaetes leoninus). California, USA.
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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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  • Sundew (Drosera burmannii) with trapped prey. Bokor National Park, Cambodia.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus), pair mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dung beetle (Scarabaeus sp.), rolling dung. Bundala National Park, Sri Lanka.
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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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  • One of the largest beetles in Borneo, this magnificent species (Chalcosoma moellenkampi) is found in lowland and hilly rainforests and is frequently attracted to lights. Only the males have the distinctive horns. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This beautiful stag beetle (Neolamprima adolphinae) is native to the mountains of New Guinea. The oversized mandibles distinguish this male. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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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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  • 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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  • Tortoise beetle (Stolas excelsa). Mashpi, Ecuador.
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  • Giant ladybird beetle (Synonycha grandis). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Click beetle (Campsosternus templetoni). Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka.
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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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  • Dung beetle (Proagoderus watanabei), male feeding on herbivore scat. Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This beautiful stag beetle (Neolamprima adolphinae) is native to the mountains of New Guinea. The oversized mandibles distinguish this male. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • As some of the most vital sensory organs among insects, it's no wonder that antennae come in a great variety of shapes and sizes to suit their various specializations. Here, a male Callirhipid beetle displays his extravagant feelers which are over half the length of his body. Like the feathery antennae of some male moths, this shape is designed to maximize the surface area to enable detection of even the faintest pheromones of distant females. However, unlike moths, these 'flabellate' (fan-like) antennae can be neatly folded away for protection when they're not needed, such as when the beetle is burrowing under bark or in rotten wood. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pair of the largest dung beetles in Borneo (Catharsius dayacus) clean up after the droppings of a Sambar Deer in the rainforest of Danum Valley, Sabah. Although this species does not roll balls like its more well-known relatives, it nevertheless is responsible for burying large amounts of animal scat and provides a vital ecological service. Nearly a hundred species of dung beetles have been recorded from Danum alone; studies have shown that their diversity not only directly reflects the wide assortment of vertebrates in an area but also can serve as a valuable indicator of habitat heterogeneity and forest disturbance. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Looking as if it were dipped in liquid gold, a jewel scarab (Chrysina argenteola) almost seems more mineral than insect. Renowned for their remarkable colorations, Chrysina beetles fetch high prices among collectors, with some species and color variations fetching hundreds of dollars. Recent research into the metallic nature of their exoskeletons reveals that it possesses unique properties in the way it reflects polarized light, essentially being 'optically ambidextrous'. The reason why they have such unusual colorations still remains a mystery, although it has been suggested that the highly reflective surface may serve to camouflage them under the right lighting conditions, or even perhaps dazzle predators. Canandé Reserve, Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
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  • Weevil (Arachnobas sp.) with mites. Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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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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