I was out in the front yard trying to find some material for my blog. I was focused on the Western Honey Bees foraging on the Sunflower Goldeneye flowers when I ran across this little guy minding his own business. This Spot Sided Coreid was atop a flower pod looking for his food. So, I refocused my gear on him and took a few shots. I found these three and could not figure out which one to post. So, I thought I would post this Triptych to showcase three of the sides that I captured.
This species of Coreid is one of the most common in this area. Its scientific name (Hypselonotus punctiventris) is nearly impossible to pronounce. This species favors plants in the mallow family, but also feeds on a wide variety of fruits, leaves and flowers. When the adults fly, their spread wings reveal a brilliant red color on the top of the abdomen, which is quite a surprise. Unfortunately, I did not witness this.
Here is a closeup of the Spot-sided Coreid so you can see some of the details. I’m really impressed with the LED eyes…
This image was taken with my Canon EOS 5D Mark III using my Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro Lens. The camera was set on Manual mode with the aperture set at f/16, shutter speed at 1/160 with the ISO set at 100. I used my Canon MT-24 twin flash to light the subject. I mounted my camera on a tripod for stability.
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© 2015 T. Kahler Photography
Very cool. I never knew his name.
Thanks Duncan!