Nisquallia olympica Mating
Mate Guarding

Once adults begin to appear, it’s common to see mating pairs. I also often see males riding on females, but not mating. (See Mate Guarding, in the menu.)

A female will often jump when disturbed, sometimes without dislodging the male.

While mating, the male usually holds his antennae up (3), but will sometimes lean down and appear to sample the air near the female’s face by wiggling his antennae (4). Image 4 zoomed This behavior seems more common during mate guarding. (More photos on the Mate Guarding page.)