Taeniopoda reticulata - Alex Vaulin

Name and surname:
Alex Vaulin

Country:
Russia

Web:
http://russiancase.tumblr.com/

Social Media:
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Title:
Taeniopoda reticulata

Species:
Taeniopoda reticulata

Description:
A population of Taeniopoda reticulata in the region of Boca del Drago on the island of Isla Colon in the Bocas Del Torro Archipelago of Panama: June 15 – July 31, 2004.

The earlier instars of this species looked very different from the adults. Nymphs were black in body color with reddish orange accent markings and black antennae and wing pads. Once a lubber molted into the adult stage it did not mate until the body colors darkened. Distinguishing characteristics of this intermediary stage between nymph and sexually mature adult included a pinkish purple body color, light brown tegmina, and bright pink accent markings. Sexually mature adults were dark purple and had tegmina of similar color with cherry red wings and body markings that were black and outlined in dark pink. Both sexually mature (imago) and intermediary phase individuals had orange antennae with black tips.

These T. reticulata were sexually dimorphic, and adult females were visually distinguishable due to their ovipositor and larger size. Average female femur length was 32.1 +/- 1.8 mm and average male femur length was 28.2 +/- 1.9 mm.

Category:
Digital

Technique:
Photorealistic

Year:
2016

As the author of illustration I have given permission and consent to be loaded in Wikimedia Commons with Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0.
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