15-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SOUTHERN BROAD BELLIED BUG BUG (Eurygaster austriaca)

The Southern Broad-bellied Bug, Eurygaster austriaca, is a shield bug (family Scutelleridae) found in the Palaearctic Region. This insect is a broad, oval-shaped bug, about 12 mm long, with a chitinous scutellum that covers its entire abdomen and wings. It is known for feeding on cereal crops and other grasses. 

 

Family: Scutelleridae (shield bugs or jewel bugs)

Genus: Eurygaster

 

Broad and oval body shape.

About 12 mm (0.5 inches) in length.

Chitinous, broad scutellum that covers the wings and abdomen.

Color can vary, but is often light brown.

Widely distributed throughout the Palaearctic Region, including parts of Europe and Asia.

Life Cycle:

Adults overwinter in forests.

Females lay eggs in batches of seven eggs.

Nymphs molt five times while feeding on host plants. 

 

Feeding: Feeds on cereal crops such as wheat, barley, and oats, as well as other perennial grasses.

Mating: Mating and egg-laying occur in the spring and early summer.

Migration: Adults are capable of significant migrations.

Impact: It is a pest that can have high damaging activity, especially in forest-steppe zones. 

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - PINK NECKED GREEN PIGEON (Treron vernans)

The pink-necked green pigeon (Treron vernans ) is a species of bird of the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae. It is a common species of Southeast Asia, found from Myanmar and Vietnam south through to the major islands of Indonesia and the Philippines (where it is called "punay"). It is a medium-sized pigeon with predominantly green plumage; only the male has the pink neck that gives the species its name. The species lives in a wide range of forested and human-modified habitats and is particularly found in open habitats. Its diet is dominated by fruit, in particular figs. Pairs lay two eggs in a flimsy twig nest in a tree, shrub, or hedge, and work together to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. The species is thought to be an important disperser of fruit seeds. The species has adapted well to human changes to the environment, and can be found in crowded cities as long as fruiting trees are present. It is not considered to be at risk of extinction.

13-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SOUTHERN BROAD BELLIED JEWEL BUG (Eurygaster austriaca)

TheEurygaster austriaca, Commonly known as the cereal bug or wheat bug , it is a hemipteran insect of the family ScutelleridaeIt is recognized as a major agricultural pest for cereal crops such as wheat and barley, as its feeding damages the grains and reduces their baking quality. 

Physical Description

Size: Adults measure between 11 and 14 mm in length.

Coloration: They exhibit highly variable coloration, generally yellowish-brown with darker spots. The body is broadly oval and finely dotted.

Distinguishing features: They have a pointed head, and the genae (cheeks) fuse together, closing the anterior portion of the head, which is key to their identification. The scutellum is very large and covers most of the abdomen and wings. They often display three light-colored spots on the scutellum: two small, comma-shaped spots and a slightly keeled central longitudinal line.

13-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (idaea cervantaria)

1.4 to 2.2 cm wingspan. Straw-coloured, with yellowish wings with scattered dark, brown or greyish scales. On each wing it has a wavy line with small pointed spots, pointing backwards. Sometimes these details are barely noticeable. Between these lines and the rear edge, it has dark spots that may have a  light wavy stripe. It has a spot on each wing but those on the front wings may go unnoticed.

There are other similar species that are impossible to distinguish externally, so for a correct and safe identification, genital analysis must be used. Several of them have been found in the province of Malaga, although I. cervantaria is currently the most common and the only one that has been observed in urban environments.

The caterpillars feed on dry leaves of herbaceous plants and in captivity on petals of different Asteraceae and sea alder (Lobularia maritima), the latter common in our province, especially in sunny areas of the limestone mountains, and occasionally used in gardening for the showiness of its inflorescences.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - SAINFOINS (Genus Onobrychis)

Onobrychis, the sainfoins, are a genus of Eurasian perennial herbaceous plants of the legume family (Fabaceae). About 206 species are presently accepted. The Flora Europaea lists 23 species of Onobrychis; the main centre of diversity extends from Central Asia to Iran, with 56 species – 27 of which are endemic – in the latter country alone. O. viciifolia is naturalized throughout many countries in Europe and North America grasslands on calcareous soils.

The leaves are pinnate, alternate, with 6 to 14 pairs of oblong to linear leaflets. Sainfoins have pale pink flowers, typically blooming between June and September and pollinated by honey bees and solitary bees. The rounded single-seeded pods bear prominent spikes or similar protrusions in many species, enabling them to cling to the fur of large mammals and be thus distributed.

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - JAVA SPARROW (Padda oryzivora)

The Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora) is a small passerine bird. It is a popular cage bird and has been introduced into many other countries.

The adult Java sparrow is unmistakable, with its grey upperparts and breast, pink belly, white-cheeked black head, red eye-ring, pink feet, and thick red bill. The male and the female are similar. Immature birds have brown upperparts and pale brown underparts, and a plain head. Very young birds have a black beak with a pink base.

These birds do not migrate and are found throughout the year in Java, Bali, and Bawean in Indonesia. They inhabit open woodlands, open grasslands, savannas, cultivated areas, villages, and towns.

Java sparrows are diurnal and very gregarious birds that live and forage in flocks. Outside of the breeding season flocks may travel short distances in search of better feeding areas. The call of Java sparrows is a ‘chip’, and their song is a rapid series of call notes ‘chipchipchipchipchipchip’.

Java sparrows are herbivores (granivores). They feed mainly on grain and various seeds.

Java sparrows are monogamous birds that form pairs. During the breeding season, males sing songs in order to attract females. Java sparrows construct their nests in a tree or building. Females lay up to 8 eggs and incubation takes approximately 14 days. The chicks are protected by both parents and start to breed when they are 1 year old.

14-3-2019 OLIVA MARJAL, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)

14-3-2019 CAMI LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland ardeid (Ardeidae), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated, head-pumping strut. It differs from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) in having less buff-orange breeding plumage in the head and neck regions.

Small, compact white heron with relatively short yellow bill. More frequently seen in dry habitats than other egrets. In breeding season, look for pale salmon color on head and breast and brighter bill. Leg color varies from reddish or yellow during the breeding season to black during the nonbreeding season. Juveniles have dark bill. Always note relatively short, thick neck and short legs compared with other egrets. Often gathers in flocks, frequently following cattle or tractors in fields.

The Western Cattle-Egret is a gregarious, white, upland heron ( Ardeidae ), easily recognized by its foraging association with grazing animals and its exaggerated head-waving. It is distinguished from the Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda) due to having less buffy-orange breeding plumage on the head and neck regions. Its preference for grasslands, lawns, pastures, and grazing animals is quite distinct from that of other herons and egrets, which usually feed in or beside water and not in close association with livestock. In Britain and Europe, it is also known as the buffalo heron, referring to the color of its breeding plumes; but in many languages, it is simply called the cow crane, cow heron, or cowbird, or named after the wild grazing animal with which it is usually associated, e.g., elephant bird, rhinoceros egret, or hippopotamus egret. 

14-3-2019 CAMI LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - MALLARD (MALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The Mallard, or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos), is a familiar and widespread dabbling duck with a presence across temperate and subtropical regions of the Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has also been introduced to parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The male is renowned for its iridescent green head and white collar, while the female sports a brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes boast a speculum—a patch of feathers with iridescent purple or blue hues bordered by white. The Mallard's length ranges from 50 to 65 cm, with a wingspan of 81 to 98 cm, and it typically weighs between 0.7 and 1.6 kg.

Males during the breeding season are unmistakable with their glossy green heads, white collars, and purple-tinged brown breasts. Females are mottled brown with buff cheeks and an eye-stripe. Both sexes have the distinctive speculum on their wings. The male's bill is yellowish-orange tipped with black, while the female's is darker, ranging from black to mottled orange and brown.

Mallards are found in a variety of wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. They prefer water depths less than 0.9 meters and are drawn to areas with aquatic vegetation.

This species is distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, from Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands, across the Palearctic, and down to southeastern and southwestern Australia and New Zealand.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - GREY LEAVED CISTUS (Cistus albidus)

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - MOUNTAIN SANDWORT (Arenaria montana)

Arenaria montana, the mountain sandwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to mountainous regions of southwestern Europe, from the Pyrenees to Portugal. The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.

Arenaria montana is an evergreen perennial growing 14–22 cm (6–9 in) tall, with lanceolate or ovate green to grayish-green opposite leaves 10–30 mm (0.4–1.2 in) in length.

From mid to late Spring it produces dense clumps of white to near-white flowers approximately 25 mm (1 in) in diameter borne on cymes of 2 to 10 flowers each.

Arenaria montana prefers well drained, sandy to sandy loam soils, of moderate (pH 5.5 to 7.5) acidity. It also prefers moist soils, as its shallow root system leaves it vulnerable to drought.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - ONION LEAFED ASPHODEL (Asphodelus fistulosus)

Asphodelus fistulosus is a species of plant known as hollow-stemmed asphodel, onionweed, onion-leafed asphodel, and pink asphodel. It is native to the Mediterranean region as well as the Arabian Peninsula, Transcaucasus, and Madeira.

It is an invasive exotic weed in the United States, with significant infestations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It is listed as a Federal Noxious Weed by the United States Department of Agriculture. It is also a common weed in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, and it thrives in any area with a Mediterranean climate.

It is an annual or short-lived perennial herb growing a hollow stem up to 70 cm (28 in) tall. The root system has a series of tuber-like parts at the base of the stem. The plant takes the form of a large tuft of onion-like rounded hollow leaves up to 30 cm (12 in) long. The inflorescence is a panicle with widely spaced flowers. Each flower is 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide with six tepals which are generally white or very pale pink with a neat central longitudinal stripe of brown to reddish-purple. The flowers are diurnal, closing at night and in overcast or low-light weather conditions. The fruit is a rounded capsule containing six seeds.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - HENBIT DEADNETTLE (Lamium amplexicaule)

Lamium amplexicaule, commonly known as henbit dead-nettle, is a species of Lamium native to most of Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The specific name refers to the leaves, which are amplexicaul (clasping the stem).

It is a low-growing annual plant growing to 10–25 cm (4–10 in) (rarely to 40 cm) tall, thinly pubescent with soft, finely hairy stems. The leaves are opposite, rounded to kidney-shaped, 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) diameter, with a lobed margin, and often with long internodes. The lower leaves are stalked and the upper ones stalkless, often fused, and clasping the stems. The flowers are pink to purple, relatively large, 1.5–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) long, and form a few-flowered terminal spike with axillary whorls. The calyx is regular with five lobes and closes up after flowering. The corolla is purplish-red, fused into a usually erect tube 15 to 20 mm (1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in) long. The upper lip is convex, 3 to 5 mm (1⁄8 to 3⁄16 in) long and the lower lip has three lobes, two small side ones and a larger central one 1.5 to 2.5 mm (1⁄16 to 1⁄8 in) long. There are four stamens, two long and two short. The gynoecium has two fused carpels and the fruit is a four-chambered schizocarp.

This plant flowers very early in the spring even in northern areas, and for most of the winter and early spring in warmer locations such as the Mediterranean region. At times of year when there are not many pollinating insects, the flowers self-pollinate.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - WILD CLARY (Salvia verbenaca)

Salvia verbenaca, also known as wild clary or wild sage, is native to the British Isles, the Mediterranean region in Southern Europe, North Africa, and Near East, and in the Caucasus. It can be found as an introduced species that has naturalized in many parts of the world, including the Eastern United States, California, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Africa, Tasmania, New Zealand and China.

S. verbenaca is a tall perennial herb with hairy stems and branches that erectly sprawl out. Its leaves are basal and toothed that vary from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) long. It has soft purple to violet flowers in mid summer. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are bisexual and are pollinated by bees. Some are also cleistogamous and pollinate themselves.

The plant is noted for attracting pollinators and wildlife. It prefers neutral and alkaline soils and needs full sun. This aromatic sage is used as a flavoring in foods and to make tea; the flowers can be added to salads.

In China, where it has been known by the synonym Salvia weihaiensis, it grows along the seashore in Shandong province.

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - RED STRIPED OIL BEETLE (Berberomeloe majalis)

13-3-2019 CASTELL DE CASTELLS, ALICANTE - SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY (Lycaena phlaeas)

The Small Copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) is a fast, bright orange butterfly with dark spots, found in sunny spots like heathlands; males are territorial, feeding adults on nectar (ragwort/thistle) while caterpillars eat sorrel, often having 3 broods a year, and surprisingly, its larger cousin, the Large Copper, went extinct in the UK, making the Small Copper significant. 

Appearance & Behavior

Color: Bright copper-orange forewings with black spots and margins, dark hindwings with orange bands.

Size: Small, fast-flying.

Male Behavior: Territorial, basking on bare ground to attract females, chasing off other insects. 

Habitat & Food

Habitat: Dry, sunny places like heathland, woodland edges, waste ground, downland.

Adult Food: Nectar from ragwort, thistles.

Caterpillar Food: Common sorrel, sheep's sorrel. 

11-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GEOMETER MOTH (Family Geometridae)

Geometer moths (Family Geometridae) are a huge moth family known for their "inchworm" caterpillars (loopers) that "measure" by looping their bodies due to few mid-body legs, earning them their name meaning "earth-measurers". Adults are small-to-medium, often camouflaged with slender bodies and broad wings, some with wingless females, and they include important pests and species used in genetic study (like the Peppered Moth). They are found globally in diverse habitats, with larvae primarily eating leaves of woody plants. 

12-3-2019 OLIVA, VALENCIA - SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Lysimachia arvensis)

Lysimachia arvensis, syn. Anagallis arvensis, commonly known as scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poor man's barometer, poor man's weather-glass, shepherd's weather glass or shepherd's clock, is a species of low-growing annual plant with brightly coloured flowers, most often scarlet but also bright blue and sometimes pink. The native range of the species is Europe and Western Asia and North Africa. The species has been distributed widely by humans, either deliberately as an ornamental flower or accidentally. L. arvensis is now naturalised almost worldwide, with a range that encompasses the Americas, Central and East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Malesia, the Pacific Islands, Australasia and Southern Africa.

This common European plant is generally considered a weed and is an indicator of light soils, though it grows opportunistically in clay soils as well. The origin of the name pimpernel comes from late Middle English pympernele [1400–50], derived from Middle French pimprenelle, from Old French piprenelle, and ultimately from Vulgar Latin *piperīnella (piper 'pepper' + -īn- '-ine' + -ella diminutive suffix).

The flower serves as the emblem of the fictional hero the Scarlet Pimpernel.

12-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WHITE RAMPING FURNITORY (Fumaria capreolata)

Fumaria capreolata, the white ramping fumitory or climbing fumitory, is an herbaceous annual plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa and naturalised in southern Australia, New Zealand, and southern South America. Common names include also ramping fumitory, white fumitory, and white-flower fumitory.

Plants have stems to 1 metre long and sometimes climb. The leaves are pinnatisect. Inflorescences comprise up to 20 purple-tipped white to cream flowers that appear in spring and summer. These gradually become pink after pollination.

Unlike other Fumaria species which are known as weeds of crops and agricultural areas, Fumaria capreolata can become naturalised in areas of natural vegetation and smother low-growing plants, becoming an environmental weed.

12-3-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - FRUIT CHAFER (Subfamily Cetoniinae)

29-11-2016 GARDENS OF THE BAY, SINGAPORE - THATCH SCREWPINE (Pandanus tectorius)

Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English include thatch screwpine, Tahitian screwpine, hala tree (pū hala in Hawaiian) and pandanus. The fruit is edible and sometimes known as hala fruit.

P. tectorius is a small tree that grows upright to reach 4–14 m (13–46 ft) in height. The single trunk is slender with brown ringed bark. It is spiny, grows to 4.5–11 m (15–35 ft) in width, and forks at a height of 4–8 metres (13–26 ft). It is supported by aerial roots (prop roots) that firmly anchors the tree to the ground. Roots sometimes grow along the branch, and they grow at wide angles in proportion to the trunk.

The female P. tectorius trees produce a segmented, large fruit. Although not closely related, the fruit resembles a pineapple. The fruit of P. tectorius is either ovoid, ellipsoid, subglobose or globose with a diameter of 4–20 cm (1.6–7.9 in) and a length of 8–30 cm (3.1–11.8 in). The fruit is made up of 38–200 wedge-like phalanges, often referred to as keys or carpels, which have an outer fibrous husk and are 8 inches in length. There are roughly 40 to 80 keys in each fruit and the color of the fruit can be yellow, orange, or red with a green top. Phalanges contain two seeds on average, with a maximum of eight reported. The phalanges are buoyant, and the seeds within them can remain viable for many months while being transported by ocean currents.

3-11-2016 BAIDICHENG, CHINA - GREEN BACKED TIT (Parus monticolus)

The green-backed tit (Parus monticolus) is a species of bird in the family Paridae.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Its natural habitats are boreal forest, temperate forest, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Colorful small songbird of foothill and montane forests (up to 2800 m). Similar to Japanese Tit in appearance but with a bright yellow belly, greenish back, and two narrow white wingbars rather than one broad one. Forages at middle and upper levels in forests, often in pairs or as part of mixed-species flocks. Song a series of 3-4 whistles. Calls infrequently, a gruff “deedeedee.”

3-11-2016 BAIDICHENG, CHINA - BROWN BREASTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous)

The brown-breasted bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous ) is a songbird in the family Pycnonotidae. The species was first described by John Anderson in 1869.

A large dull bulbul of scrubby forest edges, farmland, and parks. Brown overall, with a black cap and white throat; a light brown wash on the chest contrasts with the otherwise pale breast and belly, giving it a “vested” appearance. Dull orange undertail feathers are essentially the only bright spot on this species. Can resemble juvenile Sooty-headed Bulbul, but lacks the white cheek and rump of that species. Song consists of short but rich warbled phrases, and is a common background sound in cities and towns. Calls include liquid chirrups and harsher churring calls.

It is found in south-eastern Asia from central and southern China to Myanmar and northern Thailand.

The brown-breasted bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) is a songbird in the family Pycnonotidae. The species was first described by John Anderson in 1869.

Alternate names for the brown-breasted bulbul include Anderson's bulbul and yellow-vented bulbul (not to be confused with the species of the same name, Pycnonotus goiavier).

Two subspecies are recognized:

P. x. xanthorrhous - Anderson, 1869: Found from south-western China and northern Myanmar to northern Indochina

P. x. andersoni - (R. Swinhoe, 1870): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Ixos. Found in central and southern China

It eats fruit, including Camellia japonica.

13-11-2016 BAIDICHENG, CHINA - BLACK THROATED TIT (Aegithalos concinnus)

In older sources, "black-throated tit" can also mean the rufous-naped tit or the rufous-vented tit, which are true tits.

The black-throated bushtit (Aegithalos concinnus), also known as the black-throated tit, is a very small passerine bird in the family Aegithalidae.

It ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas, stretching across northern India through north-eastern Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, northern Myanmar, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Disjunct populations also occur in southern Vietnam, the island of Hainan and further north in China up to the Yellow River. It lives in open broadleaf forest as well as pine forest, generally occurring in middle altitudes.

11-3-2019 VAL D'EBO, VALENCIA - CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY (Colias croceus)

Colias croceus, clouded yellow, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, the yellows and whites.

Colias croceus is one of the most widespread species in Europe. The common clouded yellow's breeding range is North Africa and southern Europe and eastwards through Turkey into the Middle East, but it occurs throughout much of Europe as a summer migrant, in good years individuals reaching Scandinavia. In Asia, its range extends into central Siberia in the north and barely into India in the south; it is not found in Central Asia.

This species is primarily an immigrant to the UK, originating from southern Europe and northern Africa. In the UK they can be seen on the south coast almost every year in varying numbers, and regularly breed there. Occurrence in the rest of the UK varies considerably from year to year, but they are increasingly observed as far north as Dumfries and Galloway. It has also been recorded in Ireland from the Raven, Co. Wexford, to Belfast, Co. Down.

A truly migratory European butterfly, this species is famous for occasional mass migrations and subsequent breeding, which are often referred to in the United Kingdom as "clouded yellow years". Notable clouded yellow years include 1877, 1947, 1983, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2000.