Insects and Spiders Gallery

Teddybear bee (Amegilla bombiformis)

Teddybear bee (Amegilla bombiformis) flying towards Salvia flower (cv. Black and Blue) to collect nectar and pollen. The long siphoning proboscis is clearly visible. Wauchope, New South Wales, Australia

© Densey Clyne/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Australian, Blue, Drinking, Feeding, Flight, Flower, Flying, Furry, Fuzzy, Hairy, Hover, Hovering, Insect, Movement, Pollinating, Pollination, Proboscis, Purple, Sage

Thorn bugs (possibly Umbonia crassicornis)

Thorn bugs (possibly Umbonia crassicornis) on a branch. Each bug is about 10 mm long. The sharp spines or horns of bugs dropped to the ground can cause slow-healing wounds to bare feet. Costa Rica

© John Cancalosi/AUSCAPE All rights reserved

Bugs, Camouflage, Colourful, Day, Disguise, Hemiptera, Insect, Large Group Of Animals, Mass, Membracidae, Outdoors, Point, Spiky, Thorn, Vibrant Colour

Chequered swallowtails (Papilio demoleus)

Chequered swallowtails (Papilio demoleus), group of three mud puddling, showing the red tornol spots. Butterflies get salts and minerals from mud puddles, usually males because the sperm benefits. When the butterflies mate, the nutrients pass to the female, improving the viability of the eggs thus increasing the chances of passing the strong genes to the next generation. Boulia, central west Queensland, Australia

© Nick Rains/AUSCAPE All rights reserved