Pictures: Surveying Rain Forest Arthropods

Open “Eyes”

Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski, National Geographic

An Io moth—known for the false "eyes" located on its hind wings—is one of the many species identified by scientists during a project spanning nearly a decade.

Published December 14, 2012

Ant Mimic

Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

A broad-headed Hyalymenus nymph (right), mimics its ant neighbors (left) while visiting a flower. By looking like an aggressive ant that can sting attackers, the harmless nymph tricks predators into leaving it alone. Mimicry is a type of camouflage and occurs throughout the animal kingdom. ("Art of Deception": Can you find the animals hidden in these photos?)

Published December 14, 2012

Foggy With a Chance of Bugs

Photograph courtesy Roger Le Guen, Panacoco

Researcher Jürgen Schmidl fogs the rain forest understory in an attempt to collect insects in the vegetation. Some techniques use chemicals that stun the insects, causing them to rain down on sheets laid out to catch them.

Published December 14, 2012

Deceptive Defense

Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

Normally, saw-nosed plant hoppers try to keep a low profile. Blending in with tree bark offers some protection from predators. But when their cover is blown, plant hoppers have a second line of defense: Flashing the red spots hidden under their wings gives the impression that the eyes of a much larger animal are staring back.

Published December 14, 2012

Brown on the Ground

Photograph courtesy Thomas Martin, Jean-Philippe Sobczak, and Hendrik Dietz, T.U. Munich

Although some beetles are famous for their metallic jewel tones, this scarab beetle (Megasoma elephas), also known as an elephant beetle, is covered in brownish yellow hairs. This scarab beetle species flaunts itself in other ways—males sport a horn that they use in fights with other males for mating rights.

Published December 14, 2012

Bubbling Up

Photograph courtesy Maurice Leponce, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Researcher Maurice Leponce floats above the San Lorenzo forest canopy on the Canopy Bubble.

Published December 14, 2012

Nighttime Snack

Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

Africanized honeybees visit an Ochroma flower just after sunset, looking for some nectar. (Late-night nectar binge: See pictures of animals caught in the act.)

Published December 14, 2012

Red Flags

Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

A flat-footed bug uses flashy red "flags" on its hind limbs to distract potential predators, such as birds. By placing attractive lures away from vital areas such as the head, the insect ensures a striking predator will miss the important bits.

Published December 14, 2012

See Next: Tropical Rain Forest Wildlife

Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt, National Geographic

Published December 14, 2012