Forked Fungus Beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus) encapsulating egg
Female Bolitotherus cornutus (Panzer, 1794). Found at Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods SNA in east-central Wisconsin. Dodge County, Wisconsin, USA.
Found in mixed hardwood forest. It was on a bracket fungus (Ganoderma?) growing out of the trunk of a standing dead hardwood tree. When I was photographing it, it seemed to be defecating on the fungus. When I processed the photos, I was surprised to see that it was actually encapsulating an egg it had laid on the surface of the fungus.
Single exposure, heavily cropped, handheld, in situ. Canon MT-26EX flash unit, Ian McConnachie and plastic cup diffuser.
Forked Fungus Beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus) encapsulating egg
Female Bolitotherus cornutus (Panzer, 1794). Found at Mayville Ledge Beech-Maple Woods SNA in east-central Wisconsin. Dodge County, Wisconsin, USA.
Found in mixed hardwood forest. It was on a bracket fungus (Ganoderma?) growing out of the trunk of a standing dead hardwood tree. When I was photographing it, it seemed to be defecating on the fungus. When I processed the photos, I was surprised to see that it was actually encapsulating an egg it had laid on the surface of the fungus.
Single exposure, heavily cropped, handheld, in situ. Canon MT-26EX flash unit, Ian McConnachie and plastic cup diffuser.