Chien C. Lee

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  • Tortoise beetles (Basiprionota decempustulata), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf-mining beetle (Anisodera sp.), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stick insect (Dinophasma saginatum), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger Leeches (Haemadipsa picta), mating. Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tiger beetle (Habrodera owas), mating. Canal des Pangalanes, Madagascar.
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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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  • Cicadas (Huechys fusca), mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Wasp moths (Amata pseudextensa), mating. Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Stick insects (Dajaca monilicornis), mating pair. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Mating pair of stick insects (Staelonchodes sodalis) showing extreme dimorphism between male and female of the same species. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • In a habitat that would be deadly to most other insects, the freezing temperatures high on the slopes of Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador are home to a very unusual walkingstick: Monticomorpha flavolimbata. Feeding on páramo vegetation that is frequently crusted over with frost, this species has been recorded at altitudes of up to 5000m, making it the highest elevation known for any stick insect. Presumably its dark coloration helps it to more efficiently absorb the sun’s fleeting warmth.
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  • Longhorn beetle (Pericycos teragramus), pair mating. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Competition for mates can be fierce at choice breeding sites, especially when the season to raise young may be limited. Here, among the ferns over an ephemeral forest pool, a male Black-dotted Tree Frog (Litoria nigropunctata) (on the left) uses his hind legs to kick an amplexing rival male in an attempt to dislodge him from the back of the female. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Boophis luciae, amplexing pair. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Gold-banded Rain Frog (Pristimantis aureolineatus), pair in amplexus. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Bornean Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus borneensis), pair in amplexus. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • World within: the watery chamber of a carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes ampullaria) hosts a myriad of tiny specialized creatures. An amplexing pair of the Matang Narrow-mouthed Frog (Microhyla nepenthicola), one of the world’s smallest amphibians, has visited the plant to deposit their eggs – they will breed nowhere else. They are flanked by a developing tadpole and the pupa of a predatory Elephant Mosquito (Toxorhynchites sp.). The plant benefits from everything entering the pitcher: detritus falling from the canopy above, insect prey that are drowned inside, or small visiting organisms like these that may help to break down the contents and leave their waste behind. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A pair of Short-nosed Tree Frogs (Leptomantis gauni) in amplexus, perched on the foliage of a tree on the bank of a clear stream. Eggs will be deposited in a foam nest overhanging the water so that the emerging tadpoles can drop directly into the stream below. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Leaf beetles (family Chrysomelidae). Kibale National Park, Uganda.
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  • Harlequin Tree Frog (Rhacophorus pardalis).  A female making a foam nest on a small tree overhanging a breeding pond.  After depsiting her eggs they will be fertilized by the two accompanying smaller males. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Yellow-flecked Glassfrog (Sachatamia albomaculata). Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • Matang Narrow-mouthed Frog (Microhyla nepenthicola), in amplexus.  This is the smallest frog in the Old World and it rears its young exclusively in the fluid of pitcher plants. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Spider katydid (Paraphisis sp.), female with spermatophore. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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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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  • This large female katydid (Eumacroxiphus brachyurus) carries a spermatophore pack near the tip of her abdomen from a recent mating. The formidable-appearing ovipositor will allow her to place her eggs deep in the substrate of her choice. Sarawak, 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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  • A Red-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) living up to its name: here with a large black carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp.) it has caught in mid-air. While most bee-eaters prefer open woodlands and forest edges, this species is unusual in that it is typically found deep within rainforest. Flashy colors in birds are often possessed only by the males and typically function as a means of advertising for a mate. However, in this species both males and females sport a bright red face, which suggests that the coloration may serve a different purpose. One theory is that this may serve to attract flower-feeding insects to venture closer for a look - a convenient way for the bird to catch an easy meal. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This female Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis) has just been gifted a small lizard (Madascincus melanopleura) by her mate as part of a courtship ritual. Despite their name, these birds are not dependent on water, and typically hunt for insects and small vertebrates on the forest floor. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Endemic to the mountains of central Sri Lanka, the Rhino Horn Lizard (Ceratophora stoddartii) is named for the unusual spine found on the snout of males. This is likely a product of female mate selection. Central Province, Sri Lanka.
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  • The Smooth Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is the largest otter species in Southeast Asia, reaching up to 1.3 meters in length. Smooth Otters mate for life and hunt cooperatively for fish. Sungai Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With a fleshy protuberance on its snout that can hang flaccid or stand stiffly straight, New Guinea’s long-nosed frogs are as bizarre in appearance as they are rare. The exact function of its elaborate rostral spike isn’t yet known, but being only found in the males it likely has something to do with mate selection. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • With a flair for home decor, the Vogelkop Bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata) produces perhaps the most artful creation of any animal, all in the name of romance. Here, a male bird shows off his collection of freshly collected flowers, fungi, beetle shells, and blue berries, neatly organized in piles laid out on a mat of meticulously cleaned moss. The twig hut in the back is not a nest - rather its construction is made entirely for the purpose of impressing a visiting female who will choose to mate with him only after a thorough inspection of his display. Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • A carefully arranged pile of Aeschynanthus flowers forms the centerpiece of a Vogelkop Bowerbird's (Amblyornis inornata) display. The elaborately constructed twig hut with various colorful ornaments (here including flowers, beetle elytra, and fruit husks) is constructed by the male solely for the purpose of impressing female birds to select him as a mate. Each male will use their own artistic preferences in selecting various colors for their display, and theft of highly desirable items by competitors is a frequent occurrence. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • A male harvestman (Quindina limbata) within a nest he has constructed on the side of a fallen log. He will remain in this nest for several months to mate with visiting females and guard the eggs which have been buried within the mud floor. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • With a fleshy protuberance on its snout that can hang flaccid or stand stiffly straight, New Guinea’s long-nosed frogs are as bizarre in appearance as they are rare. The exact function of its elaborate rostral spike isn’t yet known, but being only found in the males it likely has something to do with mate selection. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • The Smooth Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is the largest otter species in Southeast Asia, reaching up to 1.3 meters in length. Smooth Otters mate for life and hunt cooperatively for fish. Sungai Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A male Bornean Tree-hole Frog (Metaphrynella sundana) calls for a mate from its lair.  These frogs are able to modify the pitch of their call to match the resonating frequency of the tree-hole chamber, thereby amplifying their volume. Sarawak, 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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  • With his crop full of food and water, a male Plain-pouched Hornbill (Rhyticeros subruficollis) returns to his nest in the cavity of a tree wherein the female waits sealed inside. During the nesting period, which can last several months, his mate will be completely dependent on his regular visits to provide her with everything she needs while she incubates the young and raises the chicks. Unfortunately, his duties on this day have been complicated by the annoying attentions of a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) which has perhaps also been nesting nearby. Although much smaller than the hornbill, drongos are known for their bold and aggressive behavior, especially towards other birds that could be potential predators of their nests. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand.
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  • Endemic to the mountains of northern Borneo, the Kinabalu Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus baluensis) breeds only in clear rocky streams with cold water. By day they lie camouflaged among the leaf litter on the forest floor, but they emerge at night to call for mates. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Like some kind of karmic balance, it has often been remarked that the more plain-looking a bird is, the more beautiful its song, whereas those bestowed with gorgeous plumage tend to have simple calls. Research across hundreds of bird species has revealed a negative correlation between these traits, suggesting that there may be a trade-off in visual vs. acoustic signals when it comes to attracting mates. Likely falling at one end of this spectrum, Birds-of-paradise certainly are among the most extravagantly ornamented species in the world, but their highly varied calls often consist of harsh squawks and penetrating whistles, which although extremely loud are anything but melodious. Here, a male Wilson’s BoP (Cicinnurus respublica) raucously advertises his presence above his display ground, though if a female approaches he will fall silent and rely on his feathers for the real game of courtship. Waigeo Island, West Papua, Indonesia.
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  • With colors that seem to glow with an unearthly radiance, a male Osa Anole (Anolis osa) betrays his normally cryptic appearance to briefly flash his extended dewlap. Anole lizards are famous for these flamboyant visual signals – they are used to attract mates, ward off rivals, and even sometimes dissuade potential predators. A 2015 study found that the translucent quality of anole dewlaps was a crucial component in their ability to transmit these color signals effectively, particularly in shady environments; under the right conditions they possess an almost unnatural luminance. This species, which is endemic to Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, spends most of its time on perches near ground level in the dappled light of the rainforest understory. Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
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  • Although masterful visual predators by day, chameleons lack light-sensitive rods in their eyes and thus have poor night vision. Because of this they typically retire at dusk to a sleeping perch, often returning to a favorite exposed branch which ideally puts them out of the reach of nocturnal snakes. This dozing Two-banded Chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) can be identified as a mature male by the two large rostral horns on his head, ornaments which are used to compete for mates. Endemic to only a small region of Madagascar’s southeastern rainforests, this species has become increasingly endangered and rare due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Bulbophyllum patens with a visiting fruit fly (Bactrocera sp.) with a pollinarium attached to its back. Attracted by the floral scent, the flies act as pollinators but also benefit by acquiring specific chemicals which aid in the attraction of mates. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With jaws looking like they could separate your finger from your hand, this is the imposing face of a Madagascan king cricket (Spizaphilus sp.). Only the males possess these enormous mandibles, which are presumably used primarily for jousting when competing for mates, rather than self-defense. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Endemic to the mountains of northern Borneo, the Kinabalu Horned Frog (Pelobatrachus baluensis) breeds only in clear rocky streams with cold water. By day they lie camouflaged among the leaf litter on the forest floor, but they emerge at night to call for mates. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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