Friday, 20 October 2017
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
17-10-2017 ALPERA, ALICANTE - MISTLE THRUSH (Turdus viscivorus)
%2021.jpg)
The The Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia, and North Africa. Males of this species have a loud, far-carrying song that is delivered even in wet and windy weather, earning the bird the old name of stormcock.
The Mistle thrush has pale grey-brown upper parts, the chin and throat are greyish-white, and the yellowish-buff breast and off-white belly are marked with round black spots. The long tail has white tips on the outer feathers, and the underwing coverts are white. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is blackish with a yellowish base to the lower mandible. The legs and feet are yellowish-brown. There are no plumage differences between the male and the female. Juveniles are similar to adults, but they have paler upper parts with creamy centers to many of the feathers and smaller spots on the yellowish underparts. By their first winter, they are very similar to adults, but the underparts are usually more buff-toned.Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia, and North Africa. Males of this species have a loud, far-carrying song that is delivered even in wet and windy weather, earning the bird the old name of stormcock.
The Mistle thrush has pale grey-brown upper parts, the chin and throat are greyish-white, and the yellowish-buff breast and off-white belly are marked with round black spots. The long tail has white tips on the outer feathers, and the underwing coverts are white. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is blackish with a yellowish base to the lower mandible. The legs and feet are yellowish-brown. There are no plumage differences between the male and the female. Juveniles are similar to adults, but they have paler upper parts with creamy centers to many of the feathers and smaller spots on the yellowish underparts. By their first winter, they are very similar to adults, but the underparts are usually more buff-toned.
Monday, 16 October 2017
16-10-2017 TORMOS, ALICANTE - COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY (Polyommatus icarus)
Polyommatus icarus has a wingspan of 28–36 millimetres (1.1–1.4 in). The dorsal side of the wings is an iridescent lilac blue, bright violet-blue, or almost hyacinth-blue with a thin black border. Females' wings are brown or black-brown with a row of red reddish yellow spots along the edges of the wings (marginal spots) and usually some blue at the base. The extent of blue and brown is extremely variable depending on location. The top of the wings in the female may be mostly blue, especially in Ireland and Scotland, but it always has red spots. The ventral side has a greyish or dust-grey base colour in the males and a more brownish hue in the females. Both sexes have a row of red or orange spots along the edge of the hindwing and extending onto the forewing, though they are generally fainter there, particularly in the males, where they are sometimes missing altogether. There are about a dozen black-centered white spots (ocelli) on the hindwing and nine on the forewing. These usually include one in the middle of the forewing cell, absent in Chapman's and Escher's blues. The fringes on the outer edge of the wings are uniform white, not crossed with black lines as in the chalkhill and Adonis blues (that is, the common blue lacks checkering).
These butterflies inhabit flowery or grassy places, warm and cool, open or wooded areas and at all altitudes up to high alpine meadows at an elevation of 0–2,700 m (0–9,000 ft) above sea level. It mostly resides on chalk or limestone grassland, but also in smaller numbers in woodland clearings, meadows, heathlands, sand dunes, along railway embankments, and under cliffs.
Previously, P. icarus was a very common species that occupied Europe and Asia, and was one of the most widely distributed butterflies in Britain. It is known to be tolerant of many habitats, including a wide range of grasslands. There has been an estimated 74% loss of the butterfly population since 1901. This could be due to the fact that 46% of the total land area covered by the butterfly's preferred host plant, Lotus corniculatus, has also been lost since 1901. This host plant is a favored plant for two reasons: it provides adult nutrition, as well as food for the larva after it hatches.
As a caterpillar, the common blue eats leaves. As an adult butterfly, it feeds on wildflower nectar and excrement. The adult lives 3 weeks.
Males are often very obvious as they defend territories against rivals and seek out the more reclusive females. In the south of Britain there are two broods a year, flying in May and June and again in August and September. Northern England has one brood, flying between June and September. In a year with a long warm season, there is sometimes a partial third brood in the south flying into October.
The egg stage lasts for around eight days. The eggs are white and shaped like flattened spheres. The eggs are very small, about 0.60 millimetres (1⁄32 in). The ground color of the egg sac is pale-greenish grey, with the actual arrangement being white. Eggs are laid singly on young shoots of the food plant.
The larvae emerge around a week or two after eggs are laid. The larvae of P. icarus feed on the underside of leaves, causing blotching. Hibernation occurs as a half-grown larvae. They are attractive to ants of genera Myrmica, Lasius, Formica, Plagiolepiss, but not as much as some other species of blues. The chrysalis is olive green/brown and formed on the ground, where it is attended by ants of genera Myrmica, Lasius, Formica, Plagiolepiss, which will often take it into their nests. The larva creates a substance called honeydew, which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. The relationship between these ants and blue common larvae is described to be facultatively mutualistic.
Sunday, 15 October 2017
15-10-2017 DEVESA, VALENCIA - TREE PIPIT (Anthus trivialis)
%2020.jpg)
The tree pipit (Anthus trivialis ) is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic as far East as the East Siberian Mountains. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia. The scientific name is from Latin. Anthus is the name for a small bird of grasslands, and the specific trivialis means "common", from trivium, "public street".
This is a small pipit, which resembles meadow pipit. It is an undistinguished-looking species, streaked brown above and with black markings on a white belly and buff breast below. It can be distinguished from the slightly smaller meadow pipit by its heavier bill and greater contrast between its buff breast and white belly. Tree pipits more readily perch in trees.
The call is a strong spek, unlike the weak call of its relative. The song flight is unmistakable. The bird rises a short distance up from a tree, and then parachutes down on stiff wings, the song becoming more drawn out towards the end.
The breeding habitat is open woodland and scrub. The nest is on the ground, with 4–8 eggs being laid. This species is insectivorous, like its relatives, but will also take seeds.
15-10-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN KATYDID (Phaneroptera nana)
%2020.jpg)
Phaneroptera nana, common name southern sickle bush-cricket, is a species in the family Tettigoniidae and subfamily Phaneropterinae. It has become an invasive species in California where it may be called the Mediterranean katydid.
This bush cricket is native to mainland Europe, the Near East and North Africa. The Indo-Malayan species Phaneropera subcarinata, described by Bolívar, is morphologically similar to P. nana, and was classified under the P. nana name by Carl Brunner von Wattenwyl. As an invasive species, it has spread to the San Francisco Bay Area and may be widespread in the Los Angeles Basin, with records of its presence in California dating from at least 1952. In addition, it has been recorded in Portland, Oregon since 2015 and South America and hypothesized in the Annals of Carnegie Museum to have spread via shipping.
It mainly inhabits sunny and dry habitats, especially shrubs and low branches of trees.
The adult males grow up to 13–15 millimetres (0.51–0.59 in) long, while females can reach 15–18 millimetres (0.59–0.71 in) of length. In both sexes, the basic coloration of the body is light green, with many small black spots. The eyes are bright orange. In some individuals, there may be a brown dorsal stripe where the forewings (tegmina) meet, though the stripe does not extend onto the pronotum.[11] The hindwings are longer than the tegmina, with the tegmina approximately three-fourths of the length of the hindwings. In some specimens, the tegmina reach the apex of the posterior femurs.[13] In adult males, the cerci are prominent and curved, while in adult females, the ovipositor is about 5 millimetres (0.20 in) long and has the shape of a sickle.
%2021.jpg)
P. nana and P. falcata are similar in appearance and may be confused for each other in parts of Europe, and elsewhere where the ranges of the two species overlap. These two species may be distinguished by the appearance of the male subgenital plate and the protonum. In P. nana, the male subgenital plate tapers near the end of the body, while in P. falcata, it diverges into two lobes. The protonum of P. nana is narrower than it is tall, while in P. falcata, the protonum is roughly the same width and length, if not longer than tall.
The Mediterranean katydid (Phaneroptera nana) female sings in response to the male, prompting the male to move towards the female. This is unique to the species, because in other species of katydids, it is usually the female moving towards the male in response to hearing their chirps. However, because the females stay static while the males move to locate them, the females are at less risk of encountering threats and predators. However, the males will not decide to interact with a female unless they elicit a response within 60 milliseconds, ensuring that the female is close enough to them.
The females are selective of the males they respond to, and generally they prefer longer chirps. At least two chirps from the males are needed for the female to entertain the males and reply to them. However, more chirps than that from the males do not make the females more likely to duet with the males.
The female Mediterranean katydids lay their eggs in the lamina of plants. The female does this by bending her abdomen and chewing on the lamina to create an opening. The eggs she lays around 3mm in size on average. Those eggs usually hatch in summertime but that can vary.[17] The timing means that P. nana is usually easily encountered through the summer and fall seasons.
P. nana is known to cause damage in pear orchards, feeding on pears that have not ripened. In addition, it has been recorded to consume the pupae of L. botrana.
Saturday, 14 October 2017
14-10-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MANTIS (FEMALE) (Mantis religiosa)
%20(Mantis%20religiosa)%2022.jpg)
The European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive posture of the first pair of legs that can be observed in animals in repose. It resembles a praying attitude. Both males and females have elongated bodies with two pairs of wings. The most striking features that all Mantodea share are a very mobile, triangular head with large compound eyes and their first pair of legs (the 'raptorial legs'), which is highly modified for the efficient capture and restraint of fast-moving or flying prey.
In Germany, M. religiosa is listed as Gefährdet on the German Red List on the basis of an assessment from 1998. It is not supposed to be caught or held as a pet. At a global level, it is assessed by the IUCN as least concern.
The great variation in the coloration of M. religiosa from different shades of yellow, brown, green, and sometimes black has been the cause of numerous hypotheses and studies for over 100 years. However, no generally accepted answer about reason, benefit, or mechanism of the coloration or the change of coloration has been found.
%20(Mantis%20religiosa)%2021.jpg)
Di Cesnola observed in 1904 that green mantids were found on fresh green grass, whereas brown individuals seemed to prefer brown grass burned by the sun. When forced to change the location as to no longer match their coloration, almost all the ‘not matching’ animals were killed by predators such as birds. This indicates a camouflaging purpose of the coloration.
Przibram also observed in 1907 that a change in temperature can trigger a change in coloration: animals that hatched in a cold environment turned green after moulting when heat and sunlight were provided. Without the change in temperature and only a change in the color of the background, no change in coloration occurred. This finding contradicts with Di Cesnola, who claims to have observed the animals within the same time and location (and therefore the same temperature).
M. religiosa can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as North America, where it is considered introduced. Two confirmed stable populations are in Germany: one in Rhineland-Palatinate and one in Baden-Württemberg. In the last years, more reports have been made of the distribution of the animals in Northern Europe (Latvia, Estonia), as well.
Despite being an introduced species, it is the official state insect of Connecticut.
14-10-2017 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN REED WARBLER (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
The Eurasian reed warbler, or just reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus ), is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.
This is a medium-sized warbler, 13 cm (5.1 in) in length with a wing-span of 17–21 cm (6.7–8.3 in). The adult has an unstreaked brown back and buff underparts. The forehead is flattened, and the bill is strong and pointed. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds are richer buff below. The Eurasian reed warbler looks similar to the great reed warbler, but the great reed warbler is larger in size and has a stronger supercilium.
The song is a slow, chattering jit-jit-jit with typically acrocephaline whistles and mimicry added.
This small passerine bird is a species found almost exclusively in reed beds, usually with some bushes.
Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will occasionally take plant material such as berries.
The Eurasian reed warbler is one of the species that are brood parasitised by the common cuckoo.
The males return to the breeding grounds two or three weeks before the females. The species is usually monogamous. The first eggs are laid at the end of April. The nest is usually placed in vegetation over water, especially in reeds of the genus Phragmites. The deep cylindrical cup nest is sited on average 65 cm (26 in) (range is 20 and 140 cm (7.9 and 55.1 in)) above the surface of the water and is built entirely by the female. She takes four days to build the initial cup of grass, reed stems and leaves, and another three days to complete the lining of finer material including hair. The clutch contains between three and five eggs that are laid daily. The eggs are very pale green with speckles and blotches of olive green or grey. On average they measure 18.4 mm × 13.6 mm (0.72 in × 0.54 in) and weigh 1.75 g (0.062 oz). They are incubation by both parents begins after the penultimate egg is laid. Only the female incubates at night. The eggs hatch after 9–12 days. The nestlings are fed and cared for by both parents. They fledge after 10–12 day but continue to be fed by their parents for another 10–14 days. Up to one third of pairs raise a second brood.
Friday, 13 October 2017
13-10-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SCARCE SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Iphiclides podalirius)
Iphiclides feisthamelii, the southern scarce swallowtail, southern swallowtail or Iberian scarce swallowtail, is a butterfly found in Italy, Slovenia, southern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of I. podalirius.
The larva feeds on Prunus amygdalus (almond), P. persica (peach), P. insititia (a kind of plum), P. longipes, Pyrus communis (common pear), Malus domesticus (apple) and Crataegus oxyacantha.
After many years being considered a subspecies of the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius this taxon can now be accepted as a full species.
Identification & Similar species: Compared to the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius, this species has a white/ grey-white rather than yellowish ground colour, but sometimes with faint yellow in the female. Markings are also darker, at least in the spring brood. The differences are subtle...
Genetalia are reportedly slightly different and there is some differentiation in mitochondrial DNA.
Distribution & Flight: North Africa, Spain and southwest France. There may be overlap with the scarce swallowtail I. podalirius in some areas particularly as these are mobile butterflies. Flies from March or April to the end of summer in multiple broods.
Habitat & Behaviour: Diverse habitats: scrub, meadows, parks, gardens, coasts to mountains.
This is a most majestic butterfly, huge and floating effortlessly. It is not, as its English name implies, scarce, and in my experience it is much more common than the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon). I believe the English name originates from the early English lepidopterists and refers to its scarcity as a rare vagrant to the UK in the 1800s or thereabouts.
The previously-considered subspecies feisthamelii (English name: Iberian Scarce Swallowtail or Spanish Swallowtail) is now classified as a separate species. It is principally an Iberian species with distribution "spilling" into the eastern Pyrénées of France (http://diatheo.weebly.com/iphiclides-feisthamelii.html). It differs from podalirius in that it is noticeably paler, white in the male, and pale yellow in the female.
Thursday, 12 October 2017
23-3-2017 TARCOLES RIVER, COSTA RICA - MEALY PARROT (Amazona farinosa)
%2010.jpg)
The southern mealy amazon or southern mealy parrot (Amazona farinosa farinosa) is among the largest parrots in the genus Amazona, the amazon parrots. It is a mainly green parrot with a total length of 38–41 cm (15–16 in). It is native to tropical Central and South America. This parrot and the northern mealy amazon (Amazona farinosa guatemalae) are considered conspecific.
%2020.jpg)
The southern mealy amazon occurs in tropical Central America and South America. It frequents humid to semi-humid forest (only rarely in deciduous forest) and plantations. In regions dominated by open/dry habitats it is restricted to gallery forest or completely absent.
12-10-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SIERRA NEVADA OCELLATED LIZARD (Timon nevadensis)
Timon nevadensis, the Sierra Nevada lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Spain. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the ocellated lizard.
It is a showy and robust lizard, which can reach 26 cm in head-body length and exceed 70 cm in total length. It has strong and well-developed limbs. They are generally grey or brown in colour, with light green scales on the back, and during mating they can acquire more greenish and bluish tones. Its colour and body design change with age, some males lack ornamentation while others have dorsal ocelli in two or more rows. The scales are granular on the back and slightly keeled, while the ventral ones are wide and overlapping one another. Unlike T. lepidus , T. nevadensis lacks jet-black scales on the back, which in this case are grey or brown. Its head is also narrower and longer, as a result, its occipital plate is narrower than in T. lepidus . In addition, the Betic lizards have a lighter coloration in their blue ocelli. Their hind limbs, the end of the back and tail usually have orange-brown tones that T. lepidus does not have . Juveniles have a much more greyish or darker general coloration than juveniles of T. lepidus .
As for sexual dimorphism, males have a much larger head than females, due in part to the greater development of the masseteric muscles. In contrast, females have a greater relative body length than males, which translates into a greater number of ventral scales and lumbar vertebrae. The development of the femoral pores is also greater in males and the base of the tail is wider to accommodate the hemipenes. In general, females tend to maintain designs similar to those of subadults for longer. Juveniles have ocelli bordered with dark on the back and sides.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)