Guarding Behavior
Red net-winged beetles, Dictyoptera aurora, are so well defended by lycidic acid that they feed and mate in the open, and do not avoid humans approaching closely or predaceous insects.
This pair is not mating--that ended yesterday. This is guarding behavior, in which the male clasps the female so that other males cannot displace his sperm so they can insert their own. The male will release the female when she begins to lay eggs, which he knows will carry his genes.
Guarding Behavior
Red net-winged beetles, Dictyoptera aurora, are so well defended by lycidic acid that they feed and mate in the open, and do not avoid humans approaching closely or predaceous insects.
This pair is not mating--that ended yesterday. This is guarding behavior, in which the male clasps the female so that other males cannot displace his sperm so they can insert their own. The male will release the female when she begins to lay eggs, which he knows will carry his genes.