Unusual, rare scarab beetle
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Unusual, rare scarab beetle
This is Attavicinus monstrosus, a very uncommon scarab beetle known from a small geographical area near Guadalajara, Mexico. These beetles live only in the nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta mexicana, where they probably feed on detritus, as well as the fungus that the Atta ants cultivate as their own food. This is a male beetle, 23mm long. [Canon EOS 40D, EF-S 60mm, 39 images @ 0.5mm, ZS]
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rjlittlefield
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This is a wonderful beetle!
At this size, I am getting the impression of slight streakiness on the animal's front and rear. It looks almost like motion blur but seems more likely to be something related to either the angle of the hairs or to some sort of stacking artifact, perhaps due to changes in lens position while shooting. Is the full size image clean, or does it show some streakiness also?
--Rik
At this size, I am getting the impression of slight streakiness on the animal's front and rear. It looks almost like motion blur but seems more likely to be something related to either the angle of the hairs or to some sort of stacking artifact, perhaps due to changes in lens position while shooting. Is the full size image clean, or does it show some streakiness also?
--Rik
Thanks sonyalpha & Rik. This is truly a marvelous beetle -- so unique that the genus Attavicinus was described just a few years ago to contain this single species, monstrosus. For many decades, the beetle was included in a fairly large genus called Liatongus; originally, 120 years ago, it was described as an Oniticellus -- by Henry Walter Bates (the famous naturalist who explored the Amazon).
Rik -- the bands I believe you refer to are caused by dense hairs seen on edge, as the front of the prothorax of monstrosus (above the front legs) is massive and mostly vertical (about 1.5 X as broad as the abdomen). The fringe of long hairs at the summit of the vertical lobes on the prothorax are possibly trichomes (hairs associated with glands that secrete chemicals that are attractive to ants -- which many myrmecophilous [ant-loving] beetles have).
Rik -- the bands I believe you refer to are caused by dense hairs seen on edge, as the front of the prothorax of monstrosus (above the front legs) is massive and mostly vertical (about 1.5 X as broad as the abdomen). The fringe of long hairs at the summit of the vertical lobes on the prothorax are possibly trichomes (hairs associated with glands that secrete chemicals that are attractive to ants -- which many myrmecophilous [ant-loving] beetles have).
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rjlittlefield
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Eric, thanks for the additional information. I'm not sure that you and I are talking about the same areas, but it's a subtle thing and I'll happily settle for knowing that the image looks clean at actual pixels. I think the first area that caught my attention was near the elytra ends, say at Photoshop coordinates x=582,y=180. Other areas are on top of the head at 91,320; on the top of the prothorax at 189,257; and on the leading edge of the prothorax lobe at 192,201.
--Rik
--Rik
Rik, thanks for the coordinates. Looking at my large images, I believe those areas are clear of streaks and artifacts. For example, what looks to be a misalignment of the elytral seam (above the mid tarsus that overlaps the elytron) is actually a region where the hairs on the elytron are abruptly longer and denser. I think the apparent streaks are natural variations in hair structure.
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rjlittlefield
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rjlittlefield
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Charles Krebs
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Craig Gerard
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Nice one Eric,
Reminds of Dr Who zooming through time and space with that background. I can almost hear the theme music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mxHe8T_ ... re=related
Craig
Reminds of Dr Who zooming through time and space with that background. I can almost hear the theme music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mxHe8T_ ... re=related
Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"
