BirdBoy
Hummingbird Beetle?
Hi,
Although, I have been observing nature for over 50 years here in Oklahoma, I only saw this beetle once, about 25 years ago, when I moved into the ancient Crosstimber Forest.
It is a hummingbird mimic.
Almost the size of a hummingbird, this insect has an emerald green, elongated body.
It extended it's wing cover membranes out the rear and crossed them so they looked like the slightly forked tail of a hummingbird.
It's wings extended perpendicular from it's body just as a hummingbird's wings.
It kept it's proboscus extended straight to look like a hummingbird beak.
It hovered at a flower and then would fly backwards, leaving the flower and going to the next in perfect hummingbird fashion.
I watched this insect for over 30 minutes. I looked in reference books for years and never saw anything like it.
I did, finally, meet a man who lives about 4 miles from me that had seen one, once, also.
Anyone have an ideas?
Hi,
Although, I have been observing nature for over 50 years here in Oklahoma, I only saw this beetle once, about 25 years ago, when I moved into the ancient Crosstimber Forest.
It is a hummingbird mimic.
Almost the size of a hummingbird, this insect has an emerald green, elongated body.
It extended it's wing cover membranes out the rear and crossed them so they looked like the slightly forked tail of a hummingbird.
It's wings extended perpendicular from it's body just as a hummingbird's wings.
It kept it's proboscus extended straight to look like a hummingbird beak.
It hovered at a flower and then would fly backwards, leaving the flower and going to the next in perfect hummingbird fashion.
I watched this insect for over 30 minutes. I looked in reference books for years and never saw anything like it.
I did, finally, meet a man who lives about 4 miles from me that had seen one, once, also.
Anyone have an ideas?
