wedge-shaped beetle (Macrosiagon limbata) male on mountain mint at Decorah Prairie IA 653A4516

            This wedge-shaped beetle sure has a different body style for a beetle that can make them difficult to identify for the first time. This colorful male has antennae that look like large deer antlers on his head here as he feeds on some mountain mint flower nectar. His female mate lays her eggs on these mountain mint flowers and when the tiny beetle larvae hatch, they hitch a free ride on the body of a visiting bee. Back at the bee nest, an individual wedge-shaped beetle larva falls off the mother bee and bores into a baby bee larva where it sits dormant until the bee larva is fully developed. Then it crawls back out of the bee larva's body and starts eating the much-larger host as it grows big enough to become another wedge-shaped beetle. I'd say that bees sometimes see their worst nightmares turn into reality. 
   

Taken in: United States / Iowa / Decorah Township / Decorah (show map)

Taken on: July 10, 2020

Tags:

wedge-shaped

beetle

limbata

male

mountain

mint

flowers

Decorah

Prairie

Winneshiek

County

Iowa

Larry

Reis « less

Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II, f/14.0, 1/200 sec, 100mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Aperture:	f/14.0
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	100mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	+1 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Shutter speed priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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