Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I grew up in Iowa, and as long as I can remember I spent much of my free time collecting insects. The first two had made a powerful impression on me, as they look like they would be at home in a tropical forest. These are the ebony jewel wing damselflies (Calopteryx maculata). Aren't they amazing? The first is a male, and the second a female. These insects are common in wooded areas near streams. Just before the latter picture was taken the female dashed out, grabbed a moth, and came back to her perch.

Next is an odd but pretty common Geometrid moth, the lesser grapevine looper (Eulithis diversilineata). This is a common posture they take on, which is to hang upside down with their abdomen curled over their back. I expect that this alteration of their form is to make them harder to 'read' by predators.

The small mating beetles in the next picture are basswood leafminers (Baliosus nervosus). Wherever there are basswood trees (and there are a lot of these trees around here), one can find these beetles. As the name says, the larvae are miners inside of the leaves of the host tree.

Finally, I have another challenge to find the hidden insect. Somewhere in this picture is an adult preying mantis. Can you find it? I will post the answer in this thread later this Thursday.

Male ebony jewel wing

(Download)

Female ebony jewel wing

(Download)

Lesser grapevine looper

(Download)

Basswood leaf miners

(Download)

Can you find the preying mantis?

(Download)

tinusbum Loc: east texas

nice shots! i see a brown mantis but i wont ruin it for everyone else

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

I found it. As stated, it is brown.

naturepics43 Loc: Hocking Co. Ohio - USA

Very nice series. Out of curiosity, was the mantis photo planned? Really is hard to find but I finally found it. Neat challenge. Thanks for the diversion.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Stripes on the wings. Never saw that before.

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

I found it, brown and striped. Is it a Chinese import, Tenodera sinensis?

PaulBa Loc: Cardiff, Wales

Found it, but not until after I had read the clues.

Genessi Loc: SoCal

I give up

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I had found it a couple days earlier in the same field. I kept it for a time for pictures, and here I was releasing it into the same area. It is a female European mantis (Mantis religiosa), which was long ago introduced into the U.S. and is pretty common here, far as mantises go. They are often green, but more than half that I find around here are brown.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

All righty! The hiding place of the critter is shown below. Congratulations to those who spotted her! More of this sort of thing on the way, so stay tuned.

(Download)

davids999 Loc: Edinburgh, UK

Very interesting set. Loved the Mantis hunt!