Chien C. Lee

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  • With their spring-loaded jaws capable of snapping shut at over 200km/h, trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus sp.) have some of the fastest predatory strikes in the animal kingdom. However, this isn’t their only weapon: they also possess a powerful wasp-like sting that can either subdue prey or serve as an effective deterrent against any animal foolish enough to disturb their nest. There are over 70 species distributed throughout the tropics, shown here is one of the largest: O. tyrannicus from the steamy lowland jungles of New Guinea, its mandibles retracted and ready to strike. Papua, Indonesia.
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  • The hypodermic needle-like bristles on this slug moth caterpillar (Thosea sp., family Limacodidae) are capable of inflicting painful stings, making them an effective defense against would-be predators. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although each armed with stinging bristles, a brood of juvenile nettle caterpillars (Limacodidae) enhances their defense by forming a tight grouping. Each caterpillar faces outward, presenting a wall of venomous spines to their enemies. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bright colors warn potential predators of the painful stinging bristles worn by this slug moth caterpillar (family Limacodidae). Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Slug moth caterpiller (Parasa sp.). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata). Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • A giant Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus longimanus) from the lowland forest of Mulu National Park in northwestern Borneo.
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  • Asian Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus longimanus). Palawan, Philippines.
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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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  • A colony on the move: a swarm of giant stinging ants (Leptogenys chalybaea) moves across the Borneo rainforest floor carrying their brood (grubs, pupa, and winged reproductives). These are Asia’s equivalent of ‘army ants’: nomadic hunters that deplete their prey in one area before moving their entire nest to a new site every few days. Leptogenys ants, and this species in particular, are aggressive and possess a painful sting, reasons that they are well respected by other animals in the Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A colony on the move: a swarm of giant stinging ants (Leptogenys chalybaea) moves across the Borneo rainforest floor carrying their brood (grubs, pupa, and winged reproductives). These are Asia’s equivalent of ‘army ants’: nomadic hunters that deplete their prey in one area before moving their entire nest to a new site every few days. Leptogenys ants, and this species in particular, are aggressive and possess a painful sting, reasons that they are well respected by other animals in the forest. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • A procession of Asian army ants (Leptogenys processionalis) transports their entire colony, including the large tubular pupae of new workers, to a new site.  These ants posses a fierce sting. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Patents don’t exist in nature, and no species has a monopoly on clever designs. Here, a mantidfly (Mantispidae) makes use of spiny raptorial front legs to catch prey, much like a praying mantis. Mantidflies are actually more closely related to lacewings and ant-lions, and like their relatives they have no chemical or otherwise painful defenses against predators. Because of this, many mantidflies mimic wasps and in this particular species it appears to specifically mimic an orange Night Wasp (Provespa anomala). Anyone who has ventured into the Bornean rainforest after dark knows that night wasps are to be avoided: they possess an extremely painful sting that can cause skin necrosis. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Covered in gaudy colors to warn of her painful sting, a female velvet ant (Odontomutilla grossa) scurries about the rainforest floor in search of a nest to parasitize. These are not ants at all but actually a type of wasp (family Mutillidae) in which the females are completely wingless. Eggs are laid in the nests of other wasps or bees where they feed on the larvae of their host. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Raising its wings in an aggressive and intimidating display, this large raspy cricket (Capnogryllacris borneoensis) is merely bluffing - it has no venomous sting or chemical defense. Distinguished in their own family (Gryllacrididae), raspy crickets are strictly nocturnal; by day they hide in leaf shelters which are constructed with the aid of silk threads secreted from their mouthparts. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Not all gaudy appearances are a disguise – some are simply a warning. Quite a number of moth species deceptively mimic the shape and color of stinging insects (such as wasps and bees), but others such as this Window-winged Moth (Glanycus coendersi) don’t appear to resemble any particular model. Instead, the bright aposematic coloration of this insect is believed to be a bold advertisement of its distastefulness. This defense works as an effective signal to predators, thereby allowing the moth to exploit other lifestyle advantages such as foraging during daylight hours (e.g. this is a diurnal species) while other moths must retreat into hiding until nightfall. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With over 700 described species, the ant diversity of Borneo is extraordinarily rich. Although many ants defend themselves with toxic compounds or painful stings, some such as this species (Meranoplus mucronatus) are protected by sharp spines to deter predators. This group of workers is attending to a herd of extremely small planthopper nymphs, from which they take secreted honeydew. Deramakot Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The size of your gun doesn’t matter when you’re outnumbered. Although in possession of one of the most powerful stings of all insects, this giant Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata) is easily overcome by far smaller leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes) after it inadvertently wandered too close to their nest. Leafcutters are not predatory, but their sharp mandibles, which are designed for slicing leaves, are so powerful that they make quick work of the intruder, dismembering it in a matter of minutes. Limón, Costa Rica.
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  • With over 700 described species, the ant diversity of Borneo is extraordinarily rich. Although many ants defend themselves with toxic compounds or painful stings, some such as this species (Meranoplus mucronatus) are protected by sharp spines to deter predators. This group of workers is attending to a herd of extremely small planthopper nymphs, from which they take secreted honeydew. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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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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  • Miniature hitchhiker: a tiny pseudoscorpion catches a ride on the leg of a mite (itself only a few millimeters in size). Distant relatives of scorpions, pseudoscorpions lack a stinging tail, instead some are capable of delivering poison through their oversized pincers. They prey on even tinier invertebrates and are often found among decaying leaf litter or rotten wood. Many species utilize other creatures for rapid transport (phoresis): some ride beetles or flies and even one species has been found hitchhiking on bats. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Almost looking like it belongs more on a coral reef than in a rainforest, this moth caterpillar (Idonauton cf. apicalis) uses bright aposematic patterns to warn potential predators of its stinging bristles. Caterpillars of this family (Limacodidae) are often called ‘slug moths’ because they lack prolegs and instead move over the surface of a leaf in an oozing-fashion using suckers. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This seed bug (Metochus schultheissi) is the same size and color as the stinging Diacamma ant it shares its habitat with. Kubah National Park, 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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  • A slug-moth caterpillar (Phocoderma sp.) with stinging bristles. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Almost looking like it belongs more on a coral reef than in a rainforest, this moth caterpillar (Idonauton cf. apicalis) uses bright aposematic patterns to warn potential predators of its stinging bristles. Caterpillars of this family (Limacodidae) are often called ‘slug moths’ because they lack prolegs and instead move over the surface of a leaf in an oozing-fashion using suckers. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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