p.1 #1 · A mosquito that you pray to get bitten by...
Sabethes cyaneus:
Finally getting better pics bit by bit but these are notoriously difficult to get photographs of. They waft in like smoke and then fly off if you move at all. They also seem to like going for the face. So I had to lure it away by putting my finger on my nose. I heard that they are attracted to CO2 so I breathed heavily on my hand. When it landed it stayed no longer than a few seconds, so I would have to quickly but stably move it into position to shoot. They are uncommon too! They are like the Jaguars of the mosquito world. I only saw 2 while I was in Guyana. Hopefully I'll get better shots next time. Didn't have my diffuser ready here.
Bit of a story behind this mosquito. I saw it in smccann's photostream a while back and nearly traveled to French Guiana, just for this guy. A better photo can be seen in his stream here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadmike/4525866850/">www.flickr.com/photos/deadmike/4525866850/</a>. I was photographing some ants when I saw this guy flying around my head, well, this was the first time I'd ever seen this guy and I was so excited. I left my arms ready to be bitten. Well, go figure that the DEET only stops the mosquitos I want biting me! After trying unfruitfully to catch it I finally went back to camp. The next day I looked around but didn't see a single one of these mosquitoes, so I went back to the same spot, high up in the canopy and there it was, a single one, probably the same! I didn't wear DEET this time, but still the bloody thing wouldn't land! I waited until I couldn't stand the other mosquitos anymore! The next day I decided that I would counter the irony of DEET keeping away the mosquitos I want biting me by bringing my mosquito net to catch this mosquito. So I found the one mosquito circling me. Then I hurled my mosquito net at it, like a fisherman and finally caught it! Believe it or not, even when I put my hand in the net, it still refused to bite me! So, I transferred it into a small bag and refrigerated it to slow it down enough to photograph. Out of 100's of photos I couldn't get a single one I was happy with! Then when I tried to show the guide the mosquito since I had played it up so much, I showed him an empty bag. He looked at it confusedly. I looked at it."I could have sworn there was a mosquito in there..."- just as I hear a buzz by my left ear and he looks around also having heard the buzz. By this time of course it is nighttime. So I wait out on a couch as a vigil to catch this mosquito. Only I fall asleep after waiting for several hours. I wake up and what should I find but several bites, one of which I'm sure belonged to that damnable mosquito!
Rik-rjlittlefield over at photomacrography.net found an article describing the role of the paddles on the legs of Sabethine mosquitos here: <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/p2434240mg774r21/" rel="nofollow">www.springerlink.com/content/p2434240mg774r21/</a>. It basically states that they are used in courtship behaviour, amongst the only courtship displays observed in mosquitos. "A male approaches a female suspended from a horizontal stick, suspends himself in front of her as he grasps her folded wings, and proceeds with a series of discrete stereotyped behaviors that involve proboscis vibration and movement of iridescent blue paddles on his midlegs."
p.1 #9 · A mosquito that you pray to get bitten by...
WOW!!! As you said it, that is one mosquito I'll pray to get bitten by haha! Amazing looking bugger. Btw I found one big mosquito lookalike (1 inch) last sunday but not as amazing as yours... Thought i share it here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/melvynyeo/5235472440/
