One Sunday morning early I went again to the local dam. It was lush and green after the rains and a dream place for finding insects. Behind where this picture was taken, there is just wild bush which no one ever goes into except you know who. LOL!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQiFm7ZBYz67kBBjK2aIlAxcr9lbW6gQshxcvAFJ2EXUnclmwS8Q7d4P-QagiwsywLAsf4cKijqEiOtFZJhlFRnjkyvqx7R1JmzSaEGaCafz0E8Ot1ZxyJ8z1E5RQ8H41WA_lLxuJ_RW5/s320/1_102_1521a.jpg)
The first thing I would was this Robber Fly with very unusual color eyes but he was so tiny I could hardly see him properly and it was only after I got the pictures onto the computer that I noticed the midge he was eating.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8-VkDPNjfWu5ZYb1jtNQL-aK1cDKAseVGFMU2JVFGAs471TNdm35ELzoxbkVMdPTJbIDD49LFw1FSL4OZHPIHgfpS1tSb7GnEK8gsh0bAlDRnxDhyphenhyphenwNIVqb5yWH40Q8dSqLlwDAkOnue/s320/102_1512.jpg)
Some the cacti were in full bloom and this one had a very pretty flower.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DiNzGSEB-267KrP6WkANUDAFIoFkilI5hNy5xqRiunxrK1mbqI7chK7MC-n60sZQSVAO2rLkyJddQO0W-Er3USy7kbQ6TOf1sukr05KaiUOkcj88EAREuktgFc7raffC_HQk5v4nuUeX/s320/102_1515.jpg)
Once again I never noticed the two, what look like fruit flies with green eyes, mating on this small flower. It is only about ½ an inch in diameter so you can imagine what size the flies are.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SauBw54wGsmSCZp8OtUwOcmxLnxhEWJG4xNDnf6GlnVNmdjP2OY9rzKUHSvU-BxLT3omHcW8a6mqDeDBZxPZ-e7LmSjmzIgbNquRJYe9MU-s4CGbqamx3XKm3zqLvlll7Rb35QhDg0ex/s320/102_1537.jpg)
Summer is mating season even for the Assassin bugs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBwrVauRbAQ-BoCPWNu_BuZo1NYBu0zeH9Xbbnb8oIiwGJFNmBaOKXvaJ-ic29ZY9oyMv_W8qWee4CGtB_eH0FerOI_O8qVaMc7Z9UF8P-6hPsLvVFY_dRTDET9KycaT2oduhy6JxXn4T/s320/IMG_17320.JPG)
What I found notable about them was the thorn-like protrusion on their shoulders and wondered what they are for, if anything.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPu5fsej7PuW_ypM2qyt3RjisyF2pp7_0rhu_AHJdYC3Tgl-njfV_AJuvaNK6inAggjo3RwJdEU9b8j0Uvm9IDQskj9s5r5gwtFr9kLS1M6RbBv2kpY_zBXPZtzEDU0F-LYpp38QyZ22_/s320/IMG_17322.JPG)
The Lantana makes a beautiful splash of color in the bush but the rain seems to have chased all the insects it usually attracts away.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogQG5-NbK0p2Cr3CAXyncwOOog1TmnYMopRw5b4IUHwnoNqeDKc9L-VyLW3BdqBctge2gy7ip1uQosvqRhdle7w9uRXBzyEREpQcZ9VRCgMTTtnkPwmrXw5_moByy1bkZBDv0gFal_8bN/s320/IMG_17327.JPG)
This look like the egg sack of a mantis (ootheca).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeb2njkuXlNLhSd8izq15T3C5HBO-pGIyL9pyEX2lbXmz1d0vYiSIcHGOTqtxZTi3Gyg702jBHvSIEuCKuEgXZ6vGfIpx0-uoD2aOkA1inRHr-IzTP_CXiZcNGkSRAUtEZk4AbX4NsAFF_/s320/IMG_17418.JPG)
It is hard to believe that something that looks like this is actually an insect but Scale lives on the surface of many plants and can be very destructive.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1dcIXmUD7mXDPu2Ohuf2Re2DfAgUIL-B0EtCR_c2Fiq8vSB8FNJAWQ8g-jL2HRybVfhEx6J3HbAP8vA16h-TqpE8HRpFToCHfuW7WZGUFxU1kHG5mbdymxUdZcmHEuAUFnN1P-XBtPws/s320/IMG_17427.JPG)
Amongst a bed of wild flowers I noticed this one. There were hundreds of ants on it and yet none on the surrounding flowers which was unusual.
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