Jagged Ambush Bugs

[QuietOne]

Aptly named; these bugs are dangerous. Not so fast, except when striking, but it's pretty hard to get away from them. I've seen them feeding on insects as much as 4 times their size. It appears to be mating season - I'm seeing pairs all over the place.

[Iguanasan]

Talk about doing the ugly! Cool shots, though.

[QuietOne]

Thanks, Iggy. From the reading I've done, they actually mate side by side. The male rides around on the female before and after to prevent other males from getting a chance. Seems to be a common strategy for very small critters. Of course, these kinds of insectivores are perfectly happy to munch on each other. Especially the females, if they're annoyed. Mating is optional, literally. The females can reproduce by parthenogenesis.

[Bambi]

that's cool. Gammarus lawrencianus also do this. they are wee small amphipods who live in the tidal pools along the atlantic coast (and perhaps other areas). I know based on work as a research assistant going through university. Yes- I studied the mating habits of small marine creatures. Here's an article I co-authored long long ago: ScienceDirect - Animal Behaviour : Precopulatory mate guarding in an amphipod, Gammarus lawrencianus bousfield

[QuietOne]

I followed the link - cool, but too bad the paper isn't free. I was going to scan it. I did find a couple of others via google. I'd have to pull out my book on stats, but I got the gist of them. Did you enjoy the work?

[Bambi]

I followed the link - cool, but too bad the paper isn't free. I was going to scan it. I did find a couple of others via google. I'd have to pull out my book on stats, but I got the gist of them. Did you enjoy the work?

thanks Q1. it was interesting, paid well and kept me in the university for the summer. much easier then working as a waitress! it was also easier then working on getting the rats tame for first year psych students.