Created 2-Nov-10
Modified 6-May-24
Ambush bugs are true bugs, ie, members of hemiptera. Their modus operandi is to camouflage themselves in an appropriate flower, and wait, sometimes for a day or more, until suitable prey comes along. The events then unfold with startling rapidity, resulting in paralysis of the food, which is often significantly bigger than the ambush bug itself.
Male ambush bugs will often perch on the backs of females, both for reproduction and as a hunting platform. Occasionally, much small creatures will land on the ambush bug near its head, awaiting remnants for a meal.
On at least one occasion I have found ambush bugs sharing a meal with a crab spider, which has a similar hunting strategy. I am not sure who does the initial capture, nor am I sure why one does not eat the other....
© Michael Ross Nature Photography
