Photo Friday Theme: Private

This photograph is being republished from its original post for this week's Photo Friday Theme: Private.
(Entry #327, if you'd like to vote...)

Moths mating - Kerala, India

According to Phil Nixon from the Entomology Dept. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who was kind enough to identify these creatures for me, these are day-flying moths, order Ctenuchidae. Here's what he had to say about their behavior:

"Insects commonly remain together for hours when mating. However, the actual sperm transfer occurs quickly. In many insects, the female's eggs are fertilized by the sperm of the last male to mate with her before the eggs are laid. It is thought that the male remaining attached to the female makes it more likely that that male's sperm will be used in egg fertilization. Insects that couple for long periods are also able to fly while coupled."

Thanks Phil! So there you have it. This concludes your Discovery Channel presentation (and private moment) for the day!

Comments

[ali]

hello

[Dale B.]

Oh my, I never realized before that one could cast a vote for Photo Friday photos. And I don't see a "cast your vote" header on my computer!

[Basia]

Dale:
Yep, anyone can vote--so feel free! But the vote for this week's theme won't start for a few days. We have a week to get the entries in, and then the voting starts after that. (Kind of like on American Idol, you can't vote until all the contestants have finished singing!)

Right now, the voting is still going on for last week's theme, which was "Portrait." (I don't have an entry in that one). The voting for that one closes Sunday at midnight (I think?), and then once that is over, voting will begin for "Private." So just wait and check back in a few days.

If you want to check what the "cast vote" link looks like, select an entry from the "Portrait" theme. To do that, go to the upper left corner of the screen, above all the links. There will be a drop-down list there, which should say "Private." Instead of Private, select Portrait. Click on any of the entries, and you should see a "Cast noteworthy vote" link in the upper right corner.

[Basia]

Ali - hello - do I know you?

[Trixi]

Oh my gosh, I'm amazed! This is just beautiful and so intimate. Lovely work!

[kevin g]

Such clarity, and I learned something. Thanks.

[Basia]

Trixi: Welcome to the blog!

Kevin: Always glad to provide a learning experience :o)