Last week, I found another big green female S. limbata. I was able to release the one I was keeping previously, and decided to keep this new one to bring for display at my final bug safari at the arboretum.

Yesterday I noticed that she had attracted the attention of a male who was perched on the outside of her cage. I put him in there with her. I also put in some flies to keep her occupied, and as an afterthought, I also put my one-eyed male in there, with the reasoning that one of them might get lucky, and he deserved a chance after being injured and then living in captivity for a number of weeks. His natural lifespan was almost over anyway, and wouldn't it be better to die while mating than to wither away with the coming winter?

(OK, Julie. Brace yourself.)

Here's what I woke up to this morning:



Look carefully, and you'll see that it is a headless male that is doing the actual mating. And, it is the one-eyed male. Only now he's no-eyed. No-headed. No arms, either.

The other one is apparently waiting his turn. Whether that will include losing his head as well remains to be seen.