My Woman - _TNY_8268
Here is a male timberman beetle (Acanthocinus aedilis) on top of a female on a just felled pine right next to Stensjön (Rock Lake) in Tyresta National Park in late April.
The obvious assumption would be that they are about to mate, but if you look a little closer, you'll see that the female is actually ovipositing the eggs into the pine already.
The male is protecting his woman against other males who I presume somehow can mate with her and replace his genes.
For a shot taken a little earlier when there was a challenger which he had to defeat, have a look here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/48906462242/
(this shot is also good to see how absolutely ridiculously long antennae these guys have.
A shot of the two males fighting here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51199363230/
My Woman - _TNY_8268
Here is a male timberman beetle (Acanthocinus aedilis) on top of a female on a just felled pine right next to Stensjön (Rock Lake) in Tyresta National Park in late April.
The obvious assumption would be that they are about to mate, but if you look a little closer, you'll see that the female is actually ovipositing the eggs into the pine already.
The male is protecting his woman against other males who I presume somehow can mate with her and replace his genes.
For a shot taken a little earlier when there was a challenger which he had to defeat, have a look here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/48906462242/
(this shot is also good to see how absolutely ridiculously long antennae these guys have.
A shot of the two males fighting here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51199363230/