Small ambush bug captures skipper

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23564
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Small ambush bug captures skipper

Post by rjlittlefield »

I was in my garden, searching on my wife's oregano hoping to capture the tiniest of flower-visiting flying things, when I was distracted by wild fluttering at the end of one branch.

The fluttering turned out to be a brown skipper, flailing around with its proboscis apparently held in the tenacious grip of a small ambush bug.

By the time I returned with camera equipment, the skipper had stopped moving and the ambush bug had reeled it in to feed.

Image

Image

Image

--Rik

Canon T1i with Canon 580 EX II flash and small softbox, ETTL mode at f/11 and 1/200 second, ISO 100.

Sym P. le
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:53 pm
Location: BC

Re: Small ambush bug captures skipper

Post by Sym P. le »

Puts new meaning to cat's got your tongue.

MarkSturtevant
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Small ambush bug captures skipper

Post by MarkSturtevant »

Good capture (for both you and the bug). I've never seen one actually grab anything, and it surprises me that they do since they don't seem at all fast.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Lou Jost
Posts: 5948
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Re: Small ambush bug captures skipper

Post by Lou Jost »

What an amazing disparity between predator and prey in body size, mass, and air resistance. The ambush bug must have very toxic venom?

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic