Notoxus desertus – Antlike Flower Beetle
Pyramid Lake, Nevada
This furry little beetle comes with its own sun visor, a horn-like structure that projects over the head from the pronotum. I photographed this Notoxus along the shores of Pyramid Lake where it was feeding on pollen.
Photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, diffused twin flash
A personal blog by Illinois-based biologist and photographer Alex Wild.
Yay, Notoxis!
Very nice, Alex, hadn’t seen a Notoxus before.
They’re easy to overlook. As their name implies, antlike flower beetles are ant-sized and generally inconspicuous. They aren’t uncommon, though, and often appear at blacklights.
Are the horns for male battles?
That’s a good question. I have no idea- it seems very little is known about anthicids in general.
Beautiful shot! What a handsome (if not delicately hirsute) insect.
Way cuter than an ant!
I’m an entomologist (ret.) and artist. I love this little guy. I did a pen & ink of one, years ago, spending many, many hours with one eye in a microscope!