8-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MARBLED CELLAR SPIDER (Holocnemus pluchei)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/211210-Holocnemus-pluchei

Holocnemus pluchei, commonly known as the marbled cellar spider, is a species of Pholcidae, a family commonly referred to as "cellar spiders" or "daddy long-legs". This species is distributed across the North Pacific region of the United States, as well as in parts of North Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean.  It is considered a common household spider and builds its nest in attics, basements, and eaves of houses.  Although some members of the species live in solitary webs, the majority join already existing webs and migrate to new webs multiple times throughout the course of their lives. 
 

8-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - JUMPING SPIDER (Subfamily Salticinae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/606933-Salticinae

8-5-2023 RIO SERPIS GANDIA, VALENCIA - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48548-Vanessa-cardui

Vanessa cardui is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady.

V. cardui displays a unique system of continuous mating, throughout all seasons, including the winter. This may be attributed to its migratory patterns, thus significantly affecting its mating behaviour. During European migrations, the butterflies immediately begin to mate and lay eggs upon arrival in the Mediterranean in the spring, starting in late May.

During its migratory process, these painted lady butterflies start breeding, and reproduce entirely throughout their migration. Scientists have not been able to find evidence of their overwintering; this may be because they migrate to warmer locations to survive and reproduce. Female painted lady butterflies may suspend their flight temporarily when they are "ready to oviposit"; this allows them the opportunity to continually reproduce throughout their migrations. Because these butterflies are constantly migrating, male butterflies are thought to lack consistent territory. Instead of requiring territory to mate with females and developing evolutionary behaviour to defend this territory, the mating butterflies appear to establish a particular "time and place" in certain locations that they find to be suitable for reproduction. More specifically, they locate certain perches, hilltops, forest-meadow edges, or other landmarks where they will stay until, presumably, a female arrives to mate.

14-6-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SICKLE BEARING BUSHCRICKET (Genus Phaneroptera)

                                           https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48130-Phaneroptera

Phaneroptera falcata, the sickle-bearing bush-cricket, is a species of Orthopterans belonging to the subfamily Phaneropterinae. It is herbivorous and commonly measures 24 to 36 mm long. It lives mainly in very warm scrub and grasslands areas, also on dry shrubbery and in sand pits and gardens.

7-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (MALE) (Monticola solitarius)

The blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius) is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The blue rock thrush is the official national bird of Malta (the word for it in Maltese being Merill) and was shown on the Lm 1 coins that were part of the country's former currency.

7-5-2023 POTRIES, VALENCIA - COPPER DEMOISELLE DAMSELFLY (MALE) (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/96487-Calopteryx-haemorrhoidalis

Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis is a species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae known by the common names copper demoiselle and Mediterranean demoiselle.

It lives along rivers and streams, but also in sunny larger waters. Though it may be affected by habitat changes such as water pollution

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - COMMON MOORHEN (ADULT & JUVENILE)

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 name mor-hen has been recorded in English since the 13th century. The word moor here is an old sense meaning marsh; the species is not usually found in moorland. An older name, common waterhen, is more descriptive of the bird's habitat.

A "watercock" is not a male "waterhen" but the rail species Gallicrex cinerea, not closely related to the common moorhen. "Water rail" usually refers to Rallus aquaticus, again not closely related.

The scientific name Gallinula chloropus comes from the Latin Gallinula (a small hen or chicken) and the Greek chloropus (khloros χλωρός green or yellow, pous πούς foot).

This is a common breeding bird in marsh environments, 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.

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - POND SLIDER TERRAPIN (Trachemys scripta)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39782-Trachemys-scripta

The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is a species of common, medium-sized, semiaquatic turtle. Three subspecies are described, the most recognizable of which is the red-eared slider (T. s. elegans), which is popular in the pet trade and has been introduced to other parts of the world by people releasing it to the wild. Hatchling and juvenile pond sliders have a green upper shell (carapace), yellow bottom shell (plastron), and green and yellow stripes and markings on their skin.

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (JUVENILE) (Gallinula chloropus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/201282-Gallinula-chloropus

Both parents incubate and feed the young. These fledge after 40–50 days, become independent usually a few weeks thereafter, and may raise their first brood the next spring. When threatened, the young may cling to the parents' body, after which the adult birds fly away to safety, carrying their offspring with them.

6-5-2023 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - CATALONIA WALL LIZARD (Podarcis liolepis)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/35666-Podarcis-liolepis

 

Podarcis liolepis, the Columbretes wall lizard or Catalan wall lizard, is very similar to the other lizards in the genus Podarcis. This species was formerly described as a subspecies of the Iberian wall lizard, but has now been elevated to species status. These are slender lizards with long tails, narrow tapered heads and long thin toes, and stout legs. Colours are variable, although generally grey-brown. Often very subtle spots and stripes along the back and flanks can be seen and these can be more distinguished in the female. The underside is a much lighter cream or beige with sometimes a reddish tint. Adults grow 15–20 cm in length from the nose to tip of the tail. Body length can be a little as one third of the total body length, the tail making up the other two thirds.

6-5-2023 MARXUQUERA, VALENCIA - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48548-Vanessa-cardui

The Painted Lady is a long-distance migrant, which causes the most spectacular butterfly migrations observed in Britain and Ireland.

Each year, it spreads northwards from the desert fringes of North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, recolonising mainland Europe and reaching Britain and Ireland. In some years it is an abundant butterfly, frequenting gardens and other flowery places in late summer.

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/201282-Gallinula-chloropus

Moorhens are blackish with a red and yellow beak and long, green legs. Seen closer-up, they have a dark brown back and wings and a more bluish-black belly, with white stripes on the flanks.

They eat Water plants, seeds, fruit, grasses, insects, snails, worms and small fish.

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - HOUSE SPARROW (FEMALE) (Passer domesticus)

House sparrow: key facts

Size About 14-15cm

Weight About 30g

Breeding season March-August

Lifespan Approximately 14 years

Habitat Anywhere where there are people

Food preferences Seeds, insects and buds

Threats Decline in natural habitat and food supply

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/6930-Anas-platyrhynchos

The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.  Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes.

5-5-2023 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4943-Egretta-garzetta

The little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. It breeds colonially, often with other species of water birds, making a platform nest of sticks in a tree, bush or reed bed. A clutch of three to five bluish-green eggs is laid and incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The young fledge at about six weeks of age.

Its breeding distribution is in wetlands in warm temperate to tropical parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A successful colonist, its range has gradually expanded north, with stable and self-sustaining populations now present in the United Kingdom.

5-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52592-Pararge-aegeria

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

5-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (Lasiommata megera)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/147298-Lasiommata-megera

Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to 0–3,000 metres (0–9,843 ft) above sea level.

The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria.

14-11-2016 YANDOBA, MYANMAR - PARADOXICAL KEELED MILLIPEDE (Anoplodesmus saussurii)

Anoplodesmus saussurii is a species of millipedes in the family Paradoxosomatidae. It was once thought endemic to Sri Lanka, but it was later found in Fiji and Mauritius.

It is about 21–33 mm in length. Adults are shiny dark brown to black in color. They are much largely aggregated species that can be found undercover of decaying litter layers in the agricultural and horticultural land areas and forests on humid soils.

Mainly herbivores, they are known to eat any decaying and rotting leaves and vegetable parts, and even wood, decaying fish, and cow dung. After 20 to 25 days of copulation, female laid 200 to 400 eggs in earthen nests. One female may lay 2 to 4 times of egg masses in her lifetime. After seven moultings, stadia come out to surface after the onset of the rainy season.

5-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL BLOOD VEIN MOTH (Scopula imitaria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/205090-Scopula-imitaria

Scopula imitaria, the small blood-vein, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1799 and it is found throughout Europe and in North Africa.

19-11-2016 THA YET MIO - GLASSY TIGER BUTTERFLY (Parantica aglea)

Parantica aglea, the glassy tiger, is a butterfly found in Indomalayan realm that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.

The Glassy Tiger prefers both scrublands and lush gardens full of flowers. It is common throughout the country but is quite low in number in the extreme north and the highest hills. 

This is a moderately fast, casual flier which feeds on flowers of herbs and scrubs. Males have a special attraction to dead Heliotropium indicum plants, since these plants provide the toxic requirement necessary for their survival and breeding process. Males extrude yellow coloured hair pencils from the back of their abdomen to attract females. It is a migratory species.

The sexes are alike, other than for the two scent pouches found on the hindwing of the male. These are faintly visible on its underside. The background of both sides of both wings is dark brownish-black in colour, with glassy white markings. The forewing cell only has a streak which divides distally. Two other broad lines arise from the base of the forewing below the cell. There are some dustings above the cell, but they never form a distinct line. 

Larvae feed on some Apocynaceae plants including Ceropegia candelabrum, Tylophora pauciflora, Heterostemma tanjorense.

4-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DOUBLE STRIPED PUG MOTH (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/311619-Gymnoscelis-rufifasciata

The double-striped pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a widespread and common species, being found throughout the Palearctic region, including the Near East and North Africa.

Two, sometimes three, broods are produced each year and the adults are on the wing in April and May (sometimes earlier), July and August, and sometimes later in the autumn. Later broods are more heavily marked. It flies at night and is attracted to light and flowers, both of its food plants and others.

The larva feeds on the flowers of a huge range of plants (see list below) and has also been known to feed on the larvae of other lepidoptera. The species overwinters as a pupa.

4-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - ICHNEUMONID WASP (Genus Netelia)

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159670442

Netelia is a genus of ichneumonid wasps in the subfamily Tryphoninae. There are over 330 described species in Netelia grouped into 12 subgenera.

4-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL BLOOD VEIN MOTH (Scopula imitaria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/205090-Scopula-imitaria

3-5-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA, VALENCIA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3756-Plegadis-falcinellus

The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.

3-5-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris)

The European greenfinch or simply the greenfinch (Chloris chloris) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.

This bird is widespread throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia. It is mainly resident, but some northernmost populations migrate further south. The greenfinch has also been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, and Argentina.

The European greenfinch is 15 cm (5.9 in) long with a wingspan of 24.5 to 27.5 cm (9.6 to 10.8 in). It is similar in size and shape to a house sparrow, but is mainly green, with yellow in the wings and tail. The female and young birds are duller and have brown tones on the back. The bill is thick and conical. The song contains a lot of trilling twitters interspersed with wheezes, and the male has a "butterfly" display flight. Male greenfinch birds exhibit higher degrees of fluctuating asymmetry. The development of bones of males may be more easily disrupted than that of females.

3-5-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4835-Himantopus-himantopus

The breeding habitat of all these stilts is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants. In Europe, the black-winged stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries. 

These birds pick up their food from sand or water. They eat mainly insects and crustaceans.

The nest site is a bare spot on the ground near water. These birds often nest in small groups, sometimes with avocets.

3-5-2023 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA, VALENCIA - SMALL WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris rapae)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55626-Pieris-rapae

The Small White Butterfly and the Large White Butterfly are often referred to as Cabbage White butterflies because their caterpillars feed on brassica vegetables.

The Small White is common throughout much of the British Isles, Europe and large parts of the sub tropical world.

In the British Isles they are double brooded flying between March and October.

Numbers can be swollen by migrants from the continent particularly in July and August.

2-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN WHITE BANDED SPIDER (Evarcha jucunda)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/194133-Evarcha-jucunda

 

Evarcha jucunda is a species of jumping spider.

It occurs naturally in the Mediterranean region, but was introduced to Belgium. It is also sometimes found in German greenhouses. Typically, it shows a large white or yellowish band surrounding the head region and a smaller one at the anterior end of abdomen. Males are black with a white line around their head and the top of their abdomen, which is brown.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - SCARLET IBIS (Eudocimus ruber) (COURTESY MRS VALERIE FISHER)

The scarlet ibis is a sociable and gregarious bird, and very communally-minded regarding the search for food and the protection of the young. They live in flocks of thirty or more. Members stay close, and mating pairs arrange their nests in close proximity to other pairs in the same tree.

For protection, flocks often congregate in large colonies of several thousand individuals. They also regularly participate in mixed flocks, gaining additional safety through numbers: storks, spoonbills, egrets, herons and ducks are all common companions during feedings and flights.

1-5-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (MALE) (Monticola solitarius)

The European, north African and southeast Asian birds are mainly resident, apart from altitudinal movements. Other Asian populations are more migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, India and southeast Asia. This bird is a very uncommon visitor to northern and western Europe.

Medium-sized thrush-like bird, often seen on mountainsides, sea cliffs, quarries, ruins, and even towns. Males usually unmistakable: western birds are dark blue all over, but may appear all dark at a distance; eastern birds are blue with orange underparts. Females dark brown above, finely barred below. Long bill, wings, and tail make for a distinctive and very different shape than Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush. Song is melodic and blackbird-like.