Freaky Friends Bugs

Many insects undergo what is known as complete metamorphosis, the technical term being  holometabolism . The larvae, or young, of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis are quite different than the adults. A familiar example are caterpillars and butterflies. A butterfly egg hatches into a caterpillar (the larval stage) which spends some time eating and growing. The caterpillar then creates a cocoon and becomes a pupae. It is during this pupal stage that the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly (the adult stage). Ants, bees, wasps, dragonflies, butterflies, flies, and beetles are some examples of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis.  Why complete metamorphosis arose is still a mystery, but entomologists have been able to identify a few of the advantages to undergoing complete metamorphosis. A decrease in competition . In biology, competition refers to an interaction between organisms that results in harm to each organism. For example, lets say the...

A darkling beetle! The darkling beetles (genus Eleodes) are fun beetles. The are big and black and can often be found wandering around in desert environments. You probably won't see them much during the day, but starting around dusk they will be more active. I found this particular beetle while camping in Fillmore, UT. It wandered into our camp and I immediately grabbed my camera. I'm still working on learning how to use my flash, so for this picture I actually set up my phone and some flashlights around the beetle for my light source. My wife captured the following picture of my setup. Maybe I should learn how to use my flash better so that I don't have to position so many lights around bugs! After I took these pictures, I learned that the posture the beetle assumed was a defensive tactic and that if further provoked, it might have sprayed me with a smelly liquid! I'm glad this one was at least a little friendly and let me snap a few pictures. Look...