Little Bear Beetles


Posted by Jakejacoby on Thu May 09, 2019 10:08 am

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Taken in the Colorado National Monument.

Little Bear Beetles are named for the wooly fuzz of the adults, which emerge in mid-spring in places where sagebrush grow, buzzing around and occasionally landing.  They are attracted to sagebrush and reportedly eat the sagebrush roots.

Canon 7D2; EF 100-400mm f/4 5-5.6L IS II USM
ISO 400; f/7.1; 1/640


Last edited by Jakejacoby on Fri May 17, 2019 9:54 am, edited 2 times in total.

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by Tom Whelan on Thu May 09, 2019 8:45 pm
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Nice image of the mating beetles - what a hairy species!
Tom

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by cwdavis on Fri May 10, 2019 9:20 am
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I really like the subtle nature of the sagebrush background in this image, it's almost a pastel, though a soft one. And, considering that, it is remarkable how little attention these beetles attract, despite the strong contrast of their primary surface. Do you suppose their 'upside-down' mating behavior and the hairy nature of their undersides are adaptive, by making them less noticeable while in such a vulnerable position?
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by Jakejacoby on Fri May 10, 2019 11:01 am
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cwdavis wrote:I really like the subtle nature of the sagebrush background in this image, it's almost a pastel, though a soft one.  And, considering that, it is remarkable how little attention these beetles attract, despite the strong contrast of their primary surface.  Do you suppose their 'upside-down' mating behavior and the hairy nature of their undersides are adaptive, by making them less noticeable while in such a vulnerable position?
I wish I knew Dave but I'm not a macro photographer nor an insect guy.  I was photographing Mountain Bluebirds in the monument and just happened to notice the beetles and how cool they looked doing their thing in the sage.  I had my wildlife 100-400 zoom lens on and just got the best shot I could before they took off.  
 

by Carol Clarke on Fri May 10, 2019 3:20 pm
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Love is in the air, Jake! I really like this shot, beautifully captured, and for a non-macro guy you've done a brilliant job!

Carol.
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by Jakejacoby on Fri May 10, 2019 3:35 pm
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Carol Clarke wrote:Love is in the air, Jake!  I really like this shot, beautifully captured, and for a non-macro guy you've done a brilliant job!

Carol.
Thanks Carol - appreciate the comment.
 

by Matthew Pugh on Mon May 13, 2019 11:06 am
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Hi

Neat capture of this amorous couple - I have enjoyed your image a lot


All the best
Matthew
 

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