Albert CardonaWent for a stroll late this afternoon – and what a trove of wonders I came across. Do walk along with me as I revisit some of them.
First, a nomad dragonfly,
Sympetrum fonscolombii – bright orange on its perch, taking the light breeze in stride. Not a lake or pond on sight; one wonders where it grew.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309773677
Then, many locusts, of multiple species. One of them sporting outstanding camouflage. Can you find it?
It's a Blue-winged Grasshopper, Oedipoda caerulescens, whose coloration matches perfectly the patchy grey stone with darkened lichens. If you need a hint, the first image of the observation zooms in onto it: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309774759
Lining the path there were many fennel plants in flower. Their little cute bright yellow cups are a favorite of many bees, wasps and flies. Here, a weevil wasp, Cerceris, sipping nectar:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309785511
... and a spectacular wasp, genus Meria, stretching about its very slender forms on the very same fennel flowers:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786250
Not far off, another formidable predator: a beewolf, Philanthus triangulum, grooming its wings:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786456
And a rare one: a velvet ant, male, genus Dasylabris, also grooming – thankfully, otherwise, I'd never be able to snap photos of these most gorgeous wasps.
Males are harmless; their mission in life is to find a female, which are wingless, pick it up and mate in a nuptial flight, and gently carry it to an auspicious location where it will find many a prey to catch and stash away, paralized, to feed their young in an underground burrow.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309786828
Predators abound. Here, the cutest one: a mantis nymph (juvenile), Ameles spallanzania, as beautiful and gracious as it hops about the drying twigs of grass as it is deadly to any little creature within its sights.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309793118
But a mere footstep away, a colorful butterfly: the Spotted Fritillary, Melitaea didyma, foraging about, floating on the flower tops, unaware of the hunting drama going on at the ground level.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309793222
On the same flowers, a competitor: a Large Wall Brown butterfly, Lasiommata maera. Also spectacular in its wing colors.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309793478
Finally, on the trail, a fearsome, very large wasp, a Delta unguiculatum, busy stabbing and carrying a pillbug – presumably to stash away as food for its young.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309811924
To close, the whole list – so many wonders await any who'll take the trail. All so close, a mere moment of attention away, plus a quick snap with the camera.
12/12
Bonus: a large desert ant, Cataglyphis nodus, slicing up a fallen locust, presumably to haul it back to their nest. These ants are cousins of the famous heat-tolerant Sahara desert ant, C. bicolor.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309812161
#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #ants #entomology
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309812161
#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #ants #entomology
