BIRDWALKERMONDAY WILDLIFE BLOG

This Blog contains Wildlife, Plants and Bird Photos from Walks, Safaris, Birding Trips and Vacations. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon P900 and P950X cameras. Just click on any image for a larger picture. On the right column under the Blog Archive are the entries by date. Below that under Animal categories all the diffent species of Animals, Birds, Insects and Plants contained in the website are listed. Clicking on any entry will show all the entries for that species.

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

30-9-2020 EL HONDO, MURCIA - YELLOW DOT ISOPOD (Porcellio ornatus)

Porcellio ornatus are, fast-breeding, large (up to 2.5 cm) Spanish isopods known for vibrant yellow-spotted, "High Yellow," and "Witch's Brew" color morphs. Popular for hobbyists due to their active, visible nature, they require dry, well-ventilated setups with 1/3-1/4 damp areas. They are excellent, non-picky cleaners but need high protein and calcium.

Key Facts & Care Information

Origin & Habitat: Native to Spain and North Africa (Tunisia), they prefer semi-arid environments, acting as a "dry-loving" species.Appearance: These are large, somewhat thin, and elongate isopods, often featuring high-yellow spots on a grayish, or in some localities (like "Nord"), white-skirted, base color.

Behavior: Unlike some shy species, P. ornatus are active during the day, frequently exploring their enclosure, making them excellent display animals. They tend to gather in groups.

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

29-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PUG MOTH (Genus Eupithecia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/123096-Eupithecia

29-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EGYPTIAN LOCUST (Anacridium aegyptium)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132892-Anacridium-aegyptium

29-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - NAPOLEON SPIDER (Synema globosum)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/245656-Synema-globosum

29-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - STINK BUG (Acrosternum heegeri)

The species Acrosternum heegeri Fieber, 1861 is a well-known member of the Mediterranean fauna in Europe and until recently was not recorded outside its natural range. In recent years, the presence of stable populations of the species in Budapest has been confirmed, and the first findings on the territory of Serbia are from 2013, when several overwintering adults were found under the bark of deciduous trees in Novi Sad.

Since 2017, active individuals have been recorded throughout the season, for now mainly from the area of Vojvodina. This bug is probably conquering new territories by transporting people and goods, but we assume that climate change is also responsible for establishing stable populations in new environments. The paper presents the findings of the species A. heegeri in Serbia, which were taken from the Alciphron database on insects in Serbia. A. heegeri is a polyphagous herbivore and has the status of an economically significant species in the Middle East because it causes damage in pistachio plantations.

As natural expansion of southern species towards the north is getting more and more common in recent years in Europe (e.g., Ott 2001, Károlyi & Rédei 2017, Paulovics & Vas 2021, most probably driven by warming and drying climate, preferred by antlions, it is reasonable to include species in the identification key with considerable probability to appear in Hungary. Species of this category were included by the following biogeographical criteria: the species is either known from at least one country directly neighbouring Hungary or known from the Balkan Peninsula north of Greece (Greece not included).

28-9-2020 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World.

The common moorhen lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals and other wetlands. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests. Elsewhere it is likely the most common rail species, except for the Eurasian coot in some regions.

The closely related common gallinule of the New World has been recognized as a separate species by most authorities, starting with the American Ornithologists' Union and the International Ornithological Committee in 2011.

The moorhen is a distinctive species, with predominantly black and brown plumage, with the exception of a white under-tail, white streaks on the flanks, yellow legs and a red frontal shield. The bill is red with a yellow tip. The young are browner and lack the red shield. The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line. In the related common gallinule (Gallinula galeata) of the Americas, the frontal shield has a fairly straight top and is less wide towards the bill, giving a marked indentation to the back margin of the red area.

The common moorhen gives a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened. A midsized to large rail, it can range from 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) in length and span 50 to 62 cm (20 to 24 in) across the wings. The body mass of this species can range from 192 to 500 g (6.8 to 17.6 oz).

This is a common breeding and resident bird in marsh environments, rivers, well-vegetated lakes and even in city parks. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, such as eastern Europe, will migrate to more temperate climates. In China, common moorhen populations are largely resident south of the Yangtze River, whilst northern populations migrate in the winter, therefore these populations show high genetic diversity.

This species will consume a wide variety of vegetable material and small aquatic creatures. They forage beside or in the water, sometimes walking on lilypads or upending in the water to feed. They are often secretive, but can become tame in some areas. Despite loss of habitat in parts of its range, the common moorhen remains plentiful and widespread.

28-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN PAPER WASP (Polistes dominula)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84640-Polistes-dominula

28-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HOARY FOOTMAN MOTH (Eilema caniola)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/424241-Eilema-caniola

28-9-2020 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - SHORT HORNED GRASSHOPPER (Eyprepocnemis plorans)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/424336-Eyprepocnemis-plorans

28-9-2020 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - VIOLET DROPWING DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Trithemis annulata)

Trithemis annulata, commonly known as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter, or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. These dragonflies are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings, while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes.

Trithemis annulata is a robust medium-sized species with a wingspan of 60 mm (2.4 in). The mature male has a dark red head and a yellow labium with a brown central spot. The eyes are red with white spots on the rear edge, and the frons is dark metallic purplish-red. The prothorax is violet with slightly darker longitudinal stripes.

The membranous wings have distinctive red veins, the pterostigma is orange-brown, and there is a large orange-brown splash at the base of the hind wings. The abdomen is fairly broad and is pinkish-violet, with purple markings on the top of each segment and blackish markings on the terminal three segments. Females are a similar size to males, but the thorax is brownish, and the abdomen is yellow with dark brown markings. The wings of females lack the red veins of males but have similar orange-brown patches. It is very similar in appearance to the red-veined dropwing (Trithemis arteriosa), but that species has a more slender abdomen and a wedge-shaped black area on either side of the tip of the abdomen.

Monday, 28 September 2020

28-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL PURPLE BARRED MOTH (Phytometra viridaria)

Phytometra viridaria, the small purple-barred, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Alexander Clerck in 1759. It is found in central and southern Europe, Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and further east across the Palearctic to southern Siberia.

The wingspan is 19–20 mm. The length of the forewings is 9–11 mm.

The moth flies from April to August depending on the location.

Forewing olive brownish; the costa at base, and an outer and terminal fascia deep rosy purple; the outer band varying in width; a pale line of ground colour between them; hindwing olive with a median and terminal darker band more or less tinged with purple; in ab. fusca Tutt the purple tints are replaced by dark brown; —ab. aenea Hbn. the ground colour is olive grey or fuscous instead of green; ab. suffusa Tutt is a rare form, blackish fuscous with a still darker terminal border.

Larva green with darker pale-edged dorsal line; the other lines pale, the subspiracular becoming white on anal segments.

The larvae feed on Polygala vulgaris, Polygala serpyllifolia and Pedicularis sylvatica.

28-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EREBIDAE MOTH (Zebeeba falsalis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/541930-Zebeeba-falsalis

28-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PUG MOTH (Genus Eupithecia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/123096-Eupithecia

28-9-2020 GANDIA MARJAL, VALENCIA - LONG TAILED TIT (Aegithalos caudatus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7278-Aegithalos-caudatus

Sunday, 27 September 2020

27-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PEARL MOTH (Genus Dolicharthria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/466352-Dolicharthria

27-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Family Geometridae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49530-Geometridae

27-9-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EGYPTIAN LOCUST

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132892

27-9-2020 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - LARGE PSAMMODROMUS LIZARD (Psammodromus algirus)

Psammodromus algirus, known commonly as the Algerian psammodromus or the large psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa.

Psammodromus algirus is found in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and in Southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula: Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar; southernmost France, and Italy near Lampedusa).

The IUCN assessment from 2009 treats Psammodromus algirus nollii and Psammodromus algirus ketamensis as full species and restricts Psammodromus algirus to North Africa.

P. algirus typically occurs in dense bushy vegetation, but it can also venture to more open areas. It can be found at elevations up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level, but it is more common at lower elevations.

Psammodromus algirus mainly feeds on terrestrial arthropods, specifically Orthoptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae.

P. algirus is threatened by habitat loss.

P. algirus commonly reaches a snout–vent length of about 7.5 cm (3.0 in), occasionally 9 cm (3.5 in). The tail is 2–3 times the body length. Dorsal colouration is usually metallic brownish with a pair of conspicuous white or yellowish stripes on both sides.