# Ever look at a stinkbug really close?



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

After a thread in the "not quite kindle" forum brought up stinkbugs, I thought I'd post a couple of stinkbug photos I took way back in 2004!

This is a nice overall view of a stinkbug hiding among the cockleburrs:










He seemed to know he was safe among the cockleburrs, both from physical protection and from camouflage, and was a pretty bold little guy!

Stinkbugs have auxiliary eyes called ocelli (ocelli are a fairly common feature of "true bugs", which includes stinkbugs. The ocelli are spaced in between the main eyes. If you look carefully at the pic above, you can see the ocelli--I only see two looking at it now, but my memory is that stinkbugs usually have three.

Depending on who you believe, these ocelli are used to help maintain an upright position in flight, or perhaps to enable a quick response to moves by predators. Scientists generally agree that they are more sensitive to light than the big compound eyes for which insects are famous, and they probably are "faster" in the sense of being able to process an image faster and let the insect respond quicker than the compound eyes. Everyone agrees ocelli don't have the physical capability of generating a recognizable image, they seem only to respond to light and dark, and gradations of light and dark, not detailed shapes.

Below is another shot when I was closer and the little guy retreated deeper among the cockleburrs.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow, I never knew they had extra eyes! How cool! Such a cute little guy.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Wow, I never knew they had extra eyes! How cool! Such a cute little guy.


Next time you have a cicada (sometimes called locust) infestation, take a look at some of those, they usually have very large and visible ocelli like this one does:

warning, large in-your-face shot of bug!

http://biochemicalsoul.com/images/science/cicada/cicada1.jpg

Alas, this is not my photo, but it is a nicely done one!


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Ew, get it away!


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Ohhh you're right! I went back and looked at one of my cicada pictures and I can see the eyes!










Awesome!


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## SHauzelSailo (Mar 9, 2011)

Wow! they are beautiful.
Love beautiful and honest things.

Wish you blessing.
S. Hauzel Sailo


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