Chien C. Lee

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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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  • Under the protective concealment of night, this raspy cricket (family Gryllacrididae) sheds its final skin, slowly and delicately pulling its long antennae from their old sheath. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • The male Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) has delicate feathered antennae which are capable of detecting the female moth pheromones at a distance of up to several miles. 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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  • 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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  • Long antennae are an important sensory apparatus for many insects but they can be a hindrance when it comes to concealing yourself. Some species, such as this mossy stick insect (Antongilia lacinata), have given them up (having only short antenna) in favor of better camouflage, probably a good trade-off considering this insect isn't highly mobile anyway. Photographed exactly as found on a mossy tree trunk. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • It can be argued that the perfection of camouflage is largely driven by the acuity of a predator’s vision. In many insects, such as among the great diversity of stick insects (phasmids), this selective pressure probably derives from the keen eyesight of insectivorous birds. Here, a female phasmid (Hermagoras sigillatus) from the Bornean rainforest performs a remarkable crypsis by folding her front legs forward, their expanded flanges matching together to form the resemblance of a decaying twig. This disguise not only breaks up the outline of her head (at bottom in this photo), but also conceals her antennae which otherwise could give away her disguise. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • 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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  • Incredible camouflage of a neotropical epiphyll-mimicking katydid (Clepsydronotus deciduus). Ephiphylls are tiny plants and lichens that grow on the surfaces of leaves in tropical rainforests, usually being detrimental to their host because they block light to the leaves. Having selected such an epiphyll-ridden leaf, the katydid is able to blend with the mottled colors and rough texture to conceal itself despite being completely exposed on the upper surface. Notice also how the katydid has carefully folded its long threadlike antennae under itself – if they were to stick out then the insect could be much more easily discovered by sharp-eyed birds. Choco, Colombia.
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  • After detecting the presence of a wood-boring grub with her antennae, a female ichneumon wasp drills through the tree bark with her ovipositor to deposit an egg on the insect's body. Halmahera, Indonesia.
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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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  • Leaf insect (Cryptophyllium oyae), male. Usually considerably rarer than the flightless females, male Phyllium can also be distinguished by their narrower body shape and long antennae. The taxonomy of many Phyllium species remain poorly studied due to how infrequently they are observed. Ha Giang, Vietnam.
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