Saturday, 9 October 2021
Friday, 8 October 2021
7-10-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WIDE WINGED DOTTED GRASSHOPPER (Brachycrotaphus tryxalicerus)
The Wide-winged Dotted Grasshopper (Brachycrotaphus tryxalicerus) is a slant-faced grasshopper primarily found across Africa, SE Spain, and Sicily. It inhabits hot, dry, and semi-arid lowlands and relies exclusively on specific savanna-type grasses like Hyparrhenia hirta for both food and shelter.
Key Behavioral and Ecological Facts
Vertical Camouflage: Because its host plants typically grow in dense stands, the grasshopper has adapted to rest vertically along the stems and leaves to evade predators.
Slant-faced Appearance: Classified under the subfamily Gomphocerinae, it features an elongated, slanted head shape.
Habitat Specificity: It is highly dependent on specific grass ecosystems, earning it the alternative name "Savanna Grasshopper".
Mediterranean Presence: While widely distributed in Africa, it is one of the few afrotropical species to also inhabit the southern Mediterranean, with confirmed populations in Sicily and Sardinia.
Thursday, 7 October 2021
1-4-2021 EL PALMAR, VALENCIA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)
Large wader (approx 102 cm or 3.5 ft) with an also large wingspan (approx 175 cm or 5.5 ft). Stylized silhouette and long neck. Greyish plumage in general. White head in adults with black forelock and long, black feathers like a plume. Light neck with dark lines. Ashen back and dark spot on the shoulders. Lighter belly. Long, sharp, yellow bill. Yellow legs. Silhouette in flight with neck folded in the shape of an "s" and stretched legs.
Its habitats are principally Wetlands, River and Riverside
It lives in all types of wetlands with salty or fresh water in winter. In the breeding season it needs wetlands with nearby tree vegetation. Also in Reservoirs, lagoons, ditches and irrigation ponds, stream banks, coast line.
6-10-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BURNT PINE LONGHORN BEETLE (Arhopalus ferus)
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Adult beetles are 8–30 mm long reddish-brown to black, while males are generally smaller and lighter in colour.
The body is elongated and oval, typical for longhorn beetles. The head angles forward, showing most of the mouth parts. The thread-like antennae are half to three-quarters of the body length, longer in males. The prothorax is smoothly curved with no spines, narrower than the elytra. The elytra have four ridges and slightly tapering sides.
Eggs are white, opaque, and cigar-shaped, measuring about 0.5 by 1.8 mm. Creamy white larvae are cylindrical, with noticeable legs and pointed jaws. Larvae are active when removed from their tunnels.
Arhopalus ferus prefers dead or dying Pinus and Picea injured by fire or other damage but rarely it will develop in healthy trees. Females are attracted to volatiles from burnt trees or sawmills.
22-3-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - FUNGI (Genus Stereum)
Stereum is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the split-up of the Corticiales. Common names for species of this genus include leaf fungus, wax fungus, and shelf fungus. Fungi having a shape similar to a Stereum are said to have a stereoid shape. Stereum contains 27 species that have a widespread distribution.
Stereum species are found to live on all kinds of deadwood or hardwood or dead leaves (they are therefore said to be saprobic). Sometimes they are also found on living leaves.
Stereum species are wood decay fungi. Their simple, shelving fruiting bodies have a smooth hymenium, lacking gills or tubes. Like most members or the family Stereaceae, Stereum fruiting bodies lack clamp connections and produce amyloid basidiospores.
The species can be divided into two groups: the bleeders (those that exude a red liquid from cut surfaces, similarly to Lactarius species) and the non-bleeders (those that do not). In 1959, Zdenek Pouzar created a distinct genus, Haematostereum, for the bleeding species of Stereum, including H. gausapatum, H. rugosum, and H. sanguinolentum. Modern authors do not consider Haematostereum to be a distinct genus, so it is currently treated as a synonym of Stereum.
Wednesday, 6 October 2021
6-10-2021 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA , VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)
The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a dainty heron adorned in pure white plumage. It is characterized by a slender black beak, long black legs, and, notably in the western race, yellow feet. This elegant bird is a sight to behold with its graceful neck and poised stance.
Adult Little Egrets measure between 55–65 cm in length with a wingspan of 88–106 cm, and weigh 350–550 g. Their plumage is predominantly white, though some may exhibit bluish-grey coloration. Breeding adults boast ornate nape plumes reaching about 150 mm, along with distinctive feathers on the breast and elongated scapulars. The bill and lores are black, with greenish-grey skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye, which houses a yellow iris. Legs are black with contrasting yellow feet, though juveniles may have greenish-black legs and duller feet. The subspecies E. g. nigripes is distinguished by yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet.
The Little Egret frequents a variety of wetland habitats, from the shores of lakes and rivers to marshes and coastal regions. It is often found in open environments, such as mangroves, swamps, mudflats, and sandy beaches, as well as human-altered landscapes like rice fields.
The species has a broad breeding distribution across warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. Northern populations are migratory, wintering in Africa and southern Asia, while others remain as permanent residents in warmer areas.
Little Egrets are social yet territorial when feeding. They exhibit a range of foraging behaviors, from active chasing to patient ambush. Their movements are often in response to the presence of other animals, which may stir up prey.
The Little Egret's vocalizations include croaking and bubbling sounds at breeding colonies and a harsh alarm call when disturbed. These calls are similar to those of the Black-crowned Night Heron and the Cattle Egret.
Breeding colonies are often mixed with other water birds. Nests are platforms of sticks located in trees, shrubs, or reed beds. Clutches typically consist of three to five bluish-green eggs, incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The young fledge at approximately six weeks old.
The diet is diverse, including fish, amphibians, small reptiles, mammals, birds, crustaceans, molluscs, insects, spiders, and worms. The Little Egret employs various hunting techniques, both in water and on land, to capture its prey.
6-10-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - COMMON HAIRY FIELD SPIDER (Neoscona subfusca)
The Common Hairy Field Spider (Neoscona subfusca) is a nocturnal orb-weaver primarily found in the Mediterranean, citrus groves, and warm, dry regions. Harmless to humans, this spider is renowned for spinning intricate symmetrical webs at night to catch flying insects and dismantling them by dawn.
Key Characteristics
Size: Females measure 5 mm to 11.5 mm, while smaller males measure 4 mm to 6.5 mm.
Appearance: They feature yellow-brown, brown, or gray bodies. Females have a dark, leaf-like or spotted pattern on their abdomen, while legs and palps are banded.
Behavior: They are strictly nocturnal; they construct their webs shortly after dark and hide in leaves, branches, or under bark during the day.
Habitat and Range
You can spot them globally using identification databases like iNaturalist. They thrive in warm, dry climates, including dense brush, citrus orchards, and near outdoor lights (where bugs are plentiful) across the Mediterranean, parts of Africa, and similar global ecozones.
ToxicityThe venom of Neoscona subfusca is not medically significant to humans. They are docile and will generally retreat or drop from their webs rather than bite when disturbed.
Tuesday, 5 October 2021
Sunday, 3 October 2021
22-8-2021 SPACE MUSEUM, CUENCA - LYSIMNIA TIGERWING BUTTERFLY (Mechanitis lysimnia)
The Lysimnia Tigerwing (Mechanitis lysimnia), also known as the confused tigerwing or sweet-oil tiger, is a brush-footed butterfly native to Central and South America, ranging from southern Mexico to Uruguay. This striking orange, black, and yellow species is easily recognized by its reflective, metallic chrysalis.
Key Characteristics and Facts:
Appearance: The Lysimnia Tigerwing has a wingspan averaging about 6.5 centimeters (2.6 inches). Its wings feature vibrant patterns of orange, black, and yellow/off-white. It has a slow, hovering flight style, usually keeping close to the ground or moving through lower canopy layers.
Habitat: This species is highly adaptable and commonly found in disturbed forests, forest edges, and second-growth environments at altitudes up to 1,500 meters (4,900 feet).Host Plants & Larvae: Females lay eggs in clusters on the upper surface of leaves. The gregarious larvae feed on plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Because they consume plants like eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, they are sometimes considered agricultural pests.
Life Cycle: The larval stage consists of five instars and takes about 15–20 days. Just before pupating, the caterpillars turn a bright yellow. The pupa transforms into a unique, highly reflective, metallic chrysalis that mimics the surrounding environment for camouflage.
3-10-2021 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - LAMENTING GRASSHOPPER (Eyprepocnemis plorans)
This is a medium-sized grasshopper, with females growing to a length of about 4.5 cm (1.8 in), while males are slightly smaller. The general colour is greyish-brown. The head and prothorax have a central dark band edged with paler stripes. The eye has a longitudinal dark streak, a characteristic shared by Anacridium aegyptium, Heteracris annulosa and Heteracris adspersa. The femurs of the hind legs have greenish, blue and yellow striations, and the hind tibia have reddish or bluish iridescence, and black and white spines.
Eyprepocnemis plorans is native to much of Africa, parts of the Middle East such as Iran, and southern Europe, where it is present in southern Greece, southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and southern Spain. It seems to be expanding its range northwards in Italy, possibly as a result of putative climate change. It usually occurs in wetlands, reed beds, freshwater and salt marshes, riverside vegetation, coastal vegetation and man-made habitats. It appreciates vertical-growing stems such as reeds, and habitats with tall forbs mixed with lower-growing plants.
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