nature4507 posted: " A Horse Fly was sitting on the prairie path. It waited around until I got some reasonably close photographs ... then flew. Its eyes are riveting. Below there is an explanation for the color bands but somehow, I doubt that this is the complete story. T" WondersOfNature
A Horse Fly was sitting on the prairie path. It waited around until I got some reasonably close photographs ... then flew. Its eyes are riveting. Below there is an explanation for the color bands but somehow, I doubt that this is the complete story.
This is probably a female Horse Fly as the male's eyes are close together.
Like most insect eyes, those of horseflies are packed with hundreds (or thousands) of individual light-sensitive columns known as ommatidia (only the near-circular lens facets on the outside are visible). These combine to create the broad 'compound eye' that covers most of the sides of the creature's head.
Though some males have zones of enlarged facets along the top of the eyes, thought to help with hovering behavior, the color patterns are independent of these and occur in both sexes. These hues are created not by pigments but by the light-refracting qualities of neighboring groups of facets, determined by the densities of the lens cuticles.
So, an individual may be able to detect more subtle contrasts in its field of vision by effectively giving different optical properties to different parts of its eye.
Adding a 'do you really want to know this' about female Horse Fly's from Wikipedia: When the insect lands on an animal, it grips the surface with its clawed feet, the labium is retracted, the head is thrust downwards, and the stylets slice into the flesh. Some of these have sawing edges and muscles can move them from side-to-side to enlarge the wound. Saliva containing anticoagulant is injected into the wound to prevent clotting. The blood that flows from the wound is lapped up by another mouthpart which functions as a sponge. Only the females bite, the males are happy just eating nector.
The Rattlesnake Master prairie plants are in bloom. The flower is a sphere made up of many small flowers. The insects love them, particularly wasps. There are at least five larger ones and some smaller ones. In addition, they are the only flowers I've seen a Bristle Fly on. The following photographs are of the visitors to the Rattlesnake Master flowers.
A Bristle Fly on the Rattlesnake Master. This is only place and time I've seen these. Further, I've only seen one last summer and this summer and only on one day. I expect that they are around more but certainly aren't very plentiful. It's 3 - 4 times the size of a house fly.The Great Golden Digger Wasp. The Rattlesnake Master flower it is siting is a member of the carrot family. Break or crush a leaf, and the aroma will give it away. Rattlesnake master contains many of the same oils and other secondary compounds as parsley, carrot, and parsnip. The name "rattlesnake master" prompts all kinds of suggestions as to potential medical uses. The best documented use, made by John Adair during the 1700s, describes the use of the plant's sap as a preventative to snakebite, used during ceremonial handling of rattlesnakes.Not surprisingly ... the Great Black Digger WaspFour-banded Stink Bug Wasp.The big and little Bumblebees also visit the Rattlesnake Master.This is a Zethus spinipes ... Apparently it didn't qualify for a fancy name. In the 'Catalog of Life', it got its name in 1837. Zethus was one of the twin sons of the god Zeus and the mortal Antiope in Greek mythology, who along with his brother Amphion was a protagonist in one of the founding myths of the city of Thebes. In Latin, spineus ("spiny") + pēs ("foot"). Given this we should call it the Thebes Spiny Foot.A tree hopper. Note the large back legs.Many little beetles ... Seek calls them Shining Flower Beetles ... feeding on nectar most likely.
The next set of photographs is a Tiger Beetle story resulting from five minutes watching one.
It was standing around in the middle of the path when a millipede walked by. The beetle ran over to the millipede and appeared to nip at it and then let it go.Next an ant showed up. The beetle again went over to the ant and seemed to try to grab it, but the ant zipped away. The beetle didn't pursue it.Finally, two or more of these little red critters showed up. It was interesting as I didn't see where they came from. They appear to be aphids. This was much better to the beetle's liking.It made short work of one and then moved on to the second.Beauty of the savanna.
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