![\"Jagged](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/jagged-ambush-bug-common-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-9789.jpg\" "\\"Jagged")
Jagged Ambush Bug on a Common Sunflower \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\nI have photographed other Jagged Ambush Bugs so I knew immediately what it was. Ambush Bugs have great camouflage. The Jagged Ambush Bug<\/span><\/a> in this image is at about 7 o’clock on the sunflower.<\/p>\n Ambush bugs lay in wait for their prey thus their common name. Ambush bugs can capture prey ten times their size. They consume butterflies, moths, bees, and flies. In ambush bugs the females are larger and they capture larger prey.<\/p>\n These bugs have evolved to look like parts of the plants they inhabit, which helps them remain hidden from both prey and potential predators. Their jagged appearance resembles the texture of flower stems or twigs, making them almost invisible to the untrained eye.<\/p>\n Personally, I think ambush bugs look like tiny alien creatures. I wanted to add this tighter crop of another Jagged Ambush Bug I photographed in Box Elder County, Utah on a teasel in July of 2018 to show more details.<\/p>\n Jagged Ambush Bugs are a testament to nature’s adaptability and the remarkable diversity of predatory insects. Their camouflage, hunting techniques, and mating behaviors make them a captivating subject for entomologists and nature enthusiasts alike.<\/p>\n I can always<\/em> find something to photograph and focus on in the field, even when there aren’t any birds nearby. Birds are my first passion, but everything else I find in nature runs a very close second.<\/p>\n Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n Mia<\/p>\n Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider photos. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my flower, shrub and tree photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On my last trip to Farmington Bay WMA, I stopped to photograph wild Common Sunflowers near the nature center and spotted a Jagged Ambush Bug on one of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":115747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1022,697,14336,26],"tags":[14341,14342,2649,4428,6028,14338,6853,14343,14337,5064,5070,2315,5052,105,1679,11718,4307,5063],"class_list":["post-115764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-jagged-ambush-bugs","category-utah","tag-ambush-bug","tag-ambush-bugs","tag-common-sunflower","tag-dipsacus-fullonum","tag-helianthus-annuus","tag-jagged-ambush-bug","tag-nonnative","tag-petals","tag-phymata-americana","tag-pink-wildflowers","tag-purple-wildflowers","tag-summer-3","tag-sunflower","tag-sunflowers","tag-teasel-2","tag-teasels","tag-wildflowers","tag-yellow-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/jagged-ambush-bug-common-sunflower-mia-mcpherson-9789.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-u7a","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":116615,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/02\/female-house-finch-in-sunflowers-gone-to-seed\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":0},"title":"Female House Finch In Sunflowers Gone To Seed","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 2, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I was tickled to photograph this female House Finch last week in sunflowers that had gone to seed. I liked the finch, the autumn colors, and the morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult female House Finch in sunflowers gone to seed, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/house-finch-female-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-1442.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/house-finch-female-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-1442.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/house-finch-female-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-1442.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/house-finch-female-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-1442.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115606,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/09\/04\/sunflower-photos-on-a-rainy-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":1},"title":"Sunflower Photos On A Rainy Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When I'm not photographing birds, I photograph whatever catches my eye. Last September, my focus shifted to sunflower photography near Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunflower blooming in Utah, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-3904.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":106572,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/09\/28\/blooming-sunflower-and-bee\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":2},"title":"Blooming Sunflower And Bee","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Nowadays, I don't take as many photos of cultivated flowers, but in the fall, I can't help but take pictures of a sunflower field close to the nature center at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunflower and a bee, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/sunflower-in-bloom-mia-mcpherson-7527.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74982,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/29\/male-lesser-goldfinches-and-common-sunflower-seeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":3},"title":"Male Lesser Goldfinches And Common Sunflower Seeds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday opportunity knocked when several Lesser Goldfinches flew in to knosh on wild sunflowers seeds near a road at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Lesser Goldfinch lifting off, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/lesser-goldfinch-male-sunflowers-mia-mcpherson-9714.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48557,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/22\/autumn-pine-siskins-at-farmington-bay-wma\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":4},"title":"Autumn Pine Siskins at Farmington Bay WMA","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I took this photo of two Pine Siskins in the autumn of 2015 as they perched together on a wild sunflower at Farmington Bay WMA where they appeared to be having a tiff over the seeds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pine Siskins in Autumn, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pine-siskins-sunflowers-utah-mia-mcpherson-2741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pine-siskins-sunflowers-utah-mia-mcpherson-2741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pine-siskins-sunflowers-utah-mia-mcpherson-2741.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pine-siskins-sunflowers-utah-mia-mcpherson-2741.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61687,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/11\/26\/upside-down-winter-american-goldfinch-feeding-on-wild-sunflower-seeds\/","url_meta":{"origin":115764,"position":5},"title":"Upside Down Winter American Goldfinch Feeding On Wild Sunflower Seeds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I feel a little like this American Goldfinch this morning, meaning I feel like I am upside down because of issues on my web site that started just after I woke up at o'dark hundred.","rel":"","context":"In "American Goldfinches"","block_context":{"text":"American Goldfinches","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/finches-and-allies\/american-goldfinches\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Goldfinch hanging upside down to feed on wild sunflower seeds, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/american-goldfinch-sunflowers-feeding-mia-mcpherson-1347.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115764\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Jagged](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/jagged-ambush-bug-teasel-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg\" "\\"Jagged")
Jagged Ambush Bug on a Teasel \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n