David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

___ Orthopteroids 15 - Sickle-bearing Bush Crickets 2

SICKLE-BEARING BUSH CRICKET Phaneroptera ?nana OR falcata FINAL INSTAR NYMPH

• There is some chicanery going on here as a final instar Phaneroptera nymph (either P. nana or P. falcata as the insect was photographed in Tuscany - any confirmation will be welcomed) is seen chewing through the petals of a very colourful flower in order to reach the nectar by the shortest possible route. The flower was clearly designed for pollination by a hawk moth equipped with a very long proboscis. This activity took place under the cover of darkness. Paper Wasps Pollistes dominulus and Tree Crickets Oecanthus pellucens were seen capitalising on this behaviour during the day and at night respectively and it is impossible to identify which of these insects started the process. Other insects with rather less aggressive mouthparts including Carder Bees Bombus pascuorum (a lovely orange local variant), Halictus sp. and Leaf-cutter Bees Megachile sp. also took advantage of this bounty once the coast was clear.

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