A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Phymata americana
The flower is Helianthus petiolaris or more commonly called the Prairie Sunflower. What I am trying to ID is the insect at the center of the blossom.
Phymatinae are commonly called ambush bugs after their habit of lying in wait for prey relying on their superb camouflage. Armed with raptorial forelegs, ambush bugs routinely capture prey ten or more times their own size. They form a subgroup within the assassin bugs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phymatinae
Yep the second pic changes things (or maybe I should put my glasses on ;) . What a strange but interesting bug. Glad you have the ID. Good one KeithRoragen.
Excellent! Thank you KeithRoragen for the ID!!! I will add some of the information about the species as well. :0)
Argy, I will drop some of the color tone and blow up a second image for posting.
Front bits look like some chafer beetle... but the back doesn't look very scarab..?
Spotted on Jul 23, 2010
Submitted on May 17, 2012
