Red Flags: I’m Not the Bug for You!

April 3, 2024 • by Staff Writer

The matador bug’s vibrant red hind-leg flags are neither a mating display nor a distraction tactic, they’re part of an elaborate defense strategy.

A black and yellow bug with red flaps on its legs sits on a green leaf

Matador bug. Photo credit: Ana Endara.


A green bird with a reddish orange head and long tail sits on a branch

Motmot bird. Photo credit: Steven Paton/STRI.

Three scientist in an aviary, one is holding a colorful bird

Jorge Medina, Juliette Rubin and Ummat Somjee at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Photo credit: Juliette Rubin.

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Three birds are shown. On the left is a blue jay, which is primarily blue with some patches of white on wing tips, around the face and on the chest. On the right is a green jay, which is primarily green with a lighter colored chest and a mix of blue and black patches on the face. In the center is a hybrid bird, which is primarily blue and resembles a blue jay, but with a larger area of black on the face, more akin to a green jay.

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