There she is at last

Q: What do you call a Feather-horned Beetle without the feathery antennae?

A: Female

It has been a good season for Feather-horned Beetles (Rhipicera sp.). The males (pictured left) with their impressive antennae have been flying for nearly two months (not continuously!) using these antennae to detect females. Last month a blog about these amazing looking creatures finished with the line ‘My challenge this year is to take a picture of the female beetle’ as I had never seen one. The female beetles have more rod-like antennae.

As the mating season draws to a close and the male beetles have all but gone I guess it is now safe for the female beetles to show themselves (pictured right) in public without being harassed because there are a few making an appearance.

Challenge complete.