Trilobite beetle

[Nancy Bell]

Found this on a night walk in the tropical lowland jungle during my recent trip to Borneo. It was fascinating to learn it is the adult female of the Trilobite beetle. The male develops into an ordinary-looking beetle while the female becomes this unusual looking critter, with a huge body and tiny head! She is about the size of my thumb. These beetles are only found in southeast Asia and India. They prefer rotting logs and vegetation. I am not sure what the little crawlies are on her back. According to what I read the male dies during mating and the females dies about a week or so after depositing her eggs, thus no parental care and these are not her babies.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon f2.8 macro lens, ETTL flash -1, 1/100, f16, ISO 400.

[Diane Miller]

Nature is amazing -- this is a sci-fi thing! Well shot and great story. Remind me to avoid the jungles of Borneo. It was scary enough to fly over them many years ago -- no desire to get closer.

[Warren Spreng]

That is one freaky looking bug! Nice details along the body.

[Nancy Bell]

Thank you Diane & Warren. It was certainly stepping outside my comfort zone to walk around the jungle at night poking into holes and looking under leaves.

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Nancy,
Pretty crazy looking bug! Very interesting. I like the texture you have captured on the body. Really great find.
Allen

[Jonathan Ashton]

A really interesting image, I suspect the little insects are mites. This really does look prehistoric I keep going back to the image I am fascinated.

[Nancy Bell]

Jonathan, I think mites are a good suggestion for those small insects. There are lots of them on her!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Fabulous capture of such a bizarre looking insect...amazing!

[BenBotha]

I agree with the comments. It looks prehistoric. The mites just to add a little extra flavour. TFS
Ben