The giraffe weevil is New Zealand’s longest weevil. The hardened forewings (elytra) and the hind wings are clearly visible on this female. The elytra fold down onto the back, covering the larger hind wings, which are used for flying. When beetles want to fly, they raise the elytra and stretch out the membranous hind wings.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand
Reference: In0645Mrt.tif
by John Marris
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