Giraffe Weevil full shot in Ranomafana
In preparing for our trip to Madagascar, we learned about this iconic insect and had high hopes of ever seeing it. During the trip, we realized we'd likely never see it in the wild, due to the winter season. Just when we were at our lowest, during a harsh, steep, wet walk, finally we got a lucky break and found 4(!) Giraffe Beetles.
This shot and a few other ones are done using the kit lens (18-105mm), to give you an idea of their size. They are much smaller than I expected, about the size of any other beetle, except for their neck of course.
Not to worry, of course I switched to macro after that. I'll post those later, hopefully tomorrow.
The giraffe weevil is a weevil endemic to Madagascar. It derives its name from an extended neck much like that of the common giraffe. The giraffe weevil is sexually dimorphic, with the neck of the male typically being 2 to 3 times the length of that of the female. Most of the body is black with distinctive red elytra covering the flying wings. The total body length of the males is just under an inch , among the longest for any attelabid species. The extended neck is an adaptation that assists in.. more
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To be continued... Posted 12 years ago, modified 12 years ago