Monday, July 19, 2010

Tiger (beetle) In The Kitchen


This tiger beetle (Bug Doug ... what kind?) was running around my kitchen counter top Sunday, so I scooped him up in a Chinese restaurant take out soup container ... huh? Oh, what kind of soup? It was Hot and Sour actually. Next time you are passing through Chiefland, Florida, stop in at Mya's Noodle house and try it.

Mya is a sweetie and she KNOWS how to do Hot and Sour.

What were we talking about?
Oh , ... Tiger Beetles.
These insects are aptly named as they are voracious predators ... probably much more so than your typical Tiger who tends to eat a lot and then sleep a lot. Tiger beetles always seem to be late for something ... in a hurry, can't stop, must dash, must flit, must fly, must scurry away ... just as you kneel down and get ready to photograph.


Nice bulgy eyes (this might be the elusive Marty Feldman Tiger Beetle).

Bulgy eyes help you to see a wider view ... another reason why sneaking up on a Tiger Beetle for a close up is sometimes maddening.

Check out those mandibles too.
That's some serious equipment.



I painted away the weekend, but I did stop long enough to catch a wasp using the bamboo wasp house. As a scale of reference, the bamboo ends are about the size of a big drinking straw.

In other words, that is a pretty tiny wasp.

Gotta go!
Almost late for my training ... as you can tell by the staccato nature of this post!

9 comments:

The Florida Blogger said...

I wondered how Mya's was. There was a great burger and shake place there before Mya's. But every time I'm up that way, I pass by Mya's for bbq.

Doug Taron said...

That looks to be the sidewalk or punctured tiger beetle (Cicindela punctulata). They are a very widespread species. I saw one just yesterday up here in Illinois.

Caroline said...

Daughter with new camera spent quite a bit of time doing macrophotos of one of the dragonfly/damselfly tribe in overturned glass dish on my dining room table yesterday. No Chinese takeout container available.
Must have been Bug Sunday everywhere.

kathy a. said...

better your house than mine, is all i can say.

Anonymous said...

Cute beetle. Very nice bamboo wasp house.

Miz S said...

Despite your busy schedule, you still managed to get a post up. Go you.

R.Powers said...

FL Blogger,
That was Ralph's.
Alas a casualty of the fast food chains.


Doug,
You were the first thing I thought of when it appeared on my counter.

Caroline,
Ahhhh, a new camera.
Such possibilities!


Kathy A,
We get the damnest things in here!
It's that gap under the front door I guess.

Robin,
Every tube in that house gets used!


Miz S,
Go me!
I was 15 minutes late for class.

Ericka said...

are those the beetles with the really cool antenni? anteni? antennai? crap. feeler things on their heads? i was watching a similar looking beetle the other day and his headgear was very active, curling and uncurling. i was fascinated.

R.Powers said...

Ericka,
Those might be longhorn beetles you were seeing.

... or sawyer beetles.