How much do you think I chould charge him? Same as a motel? Well considering he is only 1" in length, maybe half price? LOL!!Do click on the last picture...the one section is so transparent you can actually see his insides.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I found someone....
...sleeping on my porch this morning when I went out.....
How much do you think I chould charge him? Same as a motel? Well considering he is only 1" in length, maybe half price? LOL!!
Do click on the last picture...the one section is so transparent you can actually see his insides.
How much do you think I chould charge him? Same as a motel? Well considering he is only 1" in length, maybe half price? LOL!!Do click on the last picture...the one section is so transparent you can actually see his insides.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Tangle-veined Fly Family Nemestrinidae
Yeah, those names got your attention didn't they? LOL!! Mine too!! :) Sometimes I think it a good thing I did not study entomology as I would have turned grey trying to remember these names one can hardly even pronounce. LOL!!
In trying to identify insects, I have been told that the only way to do so is under a microscope in some instances. Take a look at these pictures and you will see what I mean.
In trying to identify insects, I have been told that the only way to do so is under a microscope in some instances. Take a look at these pictures and you will see what I mean.
Needless to say they are ALL very difficult to get pictures of as they never seem to settle down for long and just as you creep up to them, off they go again. I think my mother should have named me Patience instead of Joan. LOL!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Bush - Part 12
My walk took me into the more civilized world of the garden and this tiny crab spider caught my eye.
It was right in the centre of the pink rose but its colors and size made it very difficult to spot as he blended in so well.
I liked the color of this rose.....
But my most unusual find of the day was this....... It was extremely small, maybe about 4mm in length and because of the most unusual large, stiped eyes and mouth parts and waht looked at first to me like two upper bodies, I could not identify it at all so I sent it away to someone who could help me with it.
It turns out that this is a species of Blowfly belonging to the Calliphoridae family. Females are attracted to decaying flesh but the males are mostly found on flowers. Its maggot-like larvae developes in carrion and faeces.
How pretty the Day Lilies looked. They do come in such nice colors nowdays.
And lastly, this stunning rose which smells as good as it looks. You all know by now my love for these beautiful flowers which have a special place in my heart.......
It was right in the centre of the pink rose but its colors and size made it very difficult to spot as he blended in so well.
I liked the color of this rose.....
But my most unusual find of the day was this....... It was extremely small, maybe about 4mm in length and because of the most unusual large, stiped eyes and mouth parts and waht looked at first to me like two upper bodies, I could not identify it at all so I sent it away to someone who could help me with it.
It turns out that this is a species of Blowfly belonging to the Calliphoridae family. Females are attracted to decaying flesh but the males are mostly found on flowers. Its maggot-like larvae developes in carrion and faeces.
How pretty the Day Lilies looked. They do come in such nice colors nowdays.
And lastly, this stunning rose which smells as good as it looks. You all know by now my love for these beautiful flowers which have a special place in my heart.......
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wasps and Mantis
Females of Spider-hunting Wasps run about the ground flicking and jerking their wings. 
They provision their nests with one paralyzed spider usually many times larger than themselves and which they drag along the ground to get it there..
This has to be the tiniest mantis I have ever seen, only about 3mm in length.
When they are small like this they will moult many times before their proper colors show so it is veery difficult to tell what it will be. Judging from this, I am going to hazzard a guess and say that it belongs to the Hymenopodidae family of Flower mantids.
They provision their nests with one paralyzed spider usually many times larger than themselves and which they drag along the ground to get it there..
This has to be the tiniest mantis I have ever seen, only about 3mm in length.
When they are small like this they will moult many times before their proper colors show so it is veery difficult to tell what it will be. Judging from this, I am going to hazzard a guess and say that it belongs to the Hymenopodidae family of Flower mantids.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Bush - Part 11
Sand Wasps can be very easily confused with Yellow Jackets but they do not have yellow legs or the yellow markings on the head and thorax.
Females dig multi-celled nests in the sand and provision it progressively with flies The nest is seal when the larvae are almost mature.
I got there just too late!! This katydid was busy emerging when I saw it but I managed to at least capture the final part.
The white shell is much smaller than the katydid and I always wonder how they fitted into it. we have about 160 species here of which about 2/3 are endemic.
Females dig multi-celled nests in the sand and provision it progressively with flies The nest is seal when the larvae are almost mature.
I got there just too late!! This katydid was busy emerging when I saw it but I managed to at least capture the final part.
The white shell is much smaller than the katydid and I always wonder how they fitted into it. we have about 160 species here of which about 2/3 are endemic.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Museum Gardens - Part 4
This fly has the most unusual eyes.......
It is almost like the rings of a rainbow.
A Heart beetle was not concerned with anything except getting a meal.
At times it would feed hanging upside-down. LOL!!
The bees were having a feast. How busy they are in summer with so much to choose from.
It is almost like the rings of a rainbow.
A Heart beetle was not concerned with anything except getting a meal.
At times it would feed hanging upside-down. LOL!!
The bees were having a feast. How busy they are in summer with so much to choose from.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Bush - Part 10
In one section of long grass, there were hundreds of these Devil's Maiden Moths flying around.
They belong to the Ctenuchinae family.
The Scarab beetle had different colurs to what I normally see and is possibly one of the Fruit Chafers.
This plant was flattened in the middle and I wondered what had spent the night cuddled up in it. Maybe some small buck?
With all the rain, there are many species of mushroom popping out right now.
They belong to the Ctenuchinae family.
The Scarab beetle had different colurs to what I normally see and is possibly one of the Fruit Chafers.
This plant was flattened in the middle and I wondered what had spent the night cuddled up in it. Maybe some small buck?
With all the rain, there are many species of mushroom popping out right now.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday walk
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!!
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.
Some the cacti were in full bloom and this one had a very pretty flower.
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.
Summer is mating season even for the Assassin bugs.
What I found notable about them was the thorn-like protrusion on their shoulders and wondered what they are for, if anything.
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.
This look like the egg sack of a mantis (ootheca).
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.
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.
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.
Some the cacti were in full bloom and this one had a very pretty flower.
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.
Summer is mating season even for the Assassin bugs.
What I found notable about them was the thorn-like protrusion on their shoulders and wondered what they are for, if anything.
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.
This look like the egg sack of a mantis (ootheca).
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.
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.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Bush - Part 9
It is getting towards the end of our summer season and most of the grass is turning to seed and looks very pretty.
A small Elegant Grasshopper having lunch.
I left home so early that I still managed to catch this dew drop on a weed.
A wild flower......
This was unusual for me as the caterpillar normally builds a cacoon around itself but this one was protecting one spun in the grass. Anyone know what it going one here?
A small Elegant Grasshopper having lunch.
I left home so early that I still managed to catch this dew drop on a weed.
A wild flower......
This was unusual for me as the caterpillar normally builds a cacoon around itself but this one was protecting one spun in the grass. Anyone know what it going one here?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Miscellaneous Beetle - Part 2
We have a few species of green dung beetle here of which this is the smallest, Gymnopleurus humanus.
The female lays her eggs in the dung and then she holds onto the ball as the male pushes it with his rear legs.
They would not stop moving and I had to put my finger onto it in order to get some pictures. The male would get so mad, he would crawl onto my finger. :)
Common Metallic Longhorns (Promeces longipes)
Small dotted fruit Chafer.
He was trying to bury himself in this flower.
The female lays her eggs in the dung and then she holds onto the ball as the male pushes it with his rear legs.
They would not stop moving and I had to put my finger onto it in order to get some pictures. The male would get so mad, he would crawl onto my finger. :)
Common Metallic Longhorns (Promeces longipes)
Small dotted fruit Chafer.
He was trying to bury himself in this flower.
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