A mating pair of Thanasimus formicarius (Coleoptera: Cleridae) perching on a knot of Scots pine. The males search for bark beetles to eat and females to mate with. Females search for bark beetles to eat and bark beetle entrance holes in which to lay eggs. A female is nearly always receptive to a male and males usually grab females and mate for a minute or so and then guard them for several minutes or more while she walks slowly looking for places to lay eggs. They often separate and males search for other females and females receive other males (very promiscuous).

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Images © 1996 by John A. Byers, Chemical Ecology.