Monday, 16 September 2019
Sunday, 15 September 2019
15-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOX TREE MOTH (Cydalima perspectalis)
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Cydalima perspectalis or the box tree moth is a species of moth of the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker, the English entomologist, in 1859. Native to Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, far-east Russia and India, it has invaded Europe; first recorded in Germany in 2006, then Switzerland and the Netherlands in 2007, Great Britain in 2008, France and Austria in 2009, Hungary in 2011, then Romania, and Spain. It has been seen in Slovakia, Belgium and Croatia.
It was during preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in 2012, that it was introduced from Italy to Sochi, European Russia, with the planting stock of Buxus sempervirens. The following year it defoliated Buxus colchica in large quantities.
It was recorded in Ontario, Canada in August 2018 and in the eastern United States in May 2021.
Eggs are 1 mm in diameter, pale yellow, and placed under green leaves without herbivory present. First larvae just coming out from the egg are about 1–2 mm long. Larvae development brings them in four weeks to about 35–40 mm at maximum. There is some shrinkage at the beginning of the nymphosis, pupae are 25–30 mm long, first green with browning longitudinal lines, then more and more brownish. The wingspan of the adult form is 40–45 mm. Two variants are observed, the most common one is mostly white while the other is most entirely light brown. With one of the variants, the light brown with the white streaked wings has not been reported in North America as of yet.
Saturday, 14 September 2019
14-9-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - SPINY TOAD (Bufo spinosus)
The spiny toad, spiny common toad, or giant toad (Bufo spinosus) is a species of toad native to the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, extreme northwestern Italy, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). There is an isolated population in Jersey in the Channel Islands which may be a distinct species, the Jersey Toad. For much of the 20th century, it was considered either a synonym or a subspecies of common toad Bufo bufo, but it is now classified as a separate species.
These toads feed on a number of invertebrates from earthworms to insects and woodlice.
Adult males measure 58.6–112 mm (2.3–4.4 in) and adult females 65–180 mm (2.6–7.1 in) in snout–vent length.
Bufo spinosus is a large and robust toad with a snout-vent length of 58.6 - 112 mm in males and 65 - 180 mm in females. Its head is relatively broad, and the region between the eyes is either flat or slightly concave. The snout is short and rounded. The tympanum is subtly visible and rounded, and its diameter does not exceed half the eye. The parotoid glands are large, elongated, and divergent at the posterior end. The eyes are prominent with a horizontally oval pupil. The skin is warty on the back and granular on the underside. Its warts usually end in a keratinized tip, resulting in a spiny appearance, though not all individuals express this. These keratinized warts are especially prominent between the corner of the mouth and the parotoid. The fingers, of which the third is the longest, are short.
Bufo spinosus is a primarily nocturnal species, though it may also be active in the daytime during the reproductive season. It generally prefers standing bodies of water, though it is also found near areas of flowing water. It is very drought-tolerant, due in part to its ability to absorb 21% of its body weight in water per minute. It is assumed to be able to tolerate huge losses of water as B. bufo, a congeneric species, can lose up to 20% of its weight in water without any deleterious effects (Ortiz-Santaliestra 2014).
Males have a weak and short mating call, and call throughout the day and night. Breeding usually takes place in spring, though this varies geographically, with populations in warmer areas generally breeding earlier in the year and populations in colder areas generally breeding later in the year. Amplexus is axillary. Females lay anywhere from 2000 – 11000 eggs at a time, which are around 3 mm in diameter and connected in strings and attached onto aquatic vegetation. It has a geographically variable larval period, with the period lasting 65 - 108 days in the southern Iberian Peninsula, and 55.5 days in Doñana National Park in Andalusia, Spain (Ortiz-Santaliestra 2014).
14-9-2019 GANDIA, VALENCIA - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa striata)
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The spotted flycatcher is a grey-brown songbird known for its distinctive hunting style of perching and making short flights to catch flying insects, returning to the same spot after each catch. They are summer visitors in places like the UK, spending winters in tropical Africa, and are often found in parks, gardens, and woodland edges. The bird's diet consists primarily of flying insects like moths and bees, but they also eat berries in the autumn, and will rub stinging insects against their perch to remove the stinger.
Commonly found in woodland edges, parks, gardens, and other human-influenced environments.
A strict insectivore that primarily eats flying insects, such as moths, butterflies, and wasps.
If a spotted flycatcher catches a stinging insect, it will rub the insect against its perch to remove the stinger before eating it.
In the autumn, their diet expands to include berries.
Thursday, 12 September 2019
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
11-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)
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The great tit (Parus major) is a small passerine bird, easily recognized by its black head and neck, striking white cheeks, olive upperparts, and vibrant yellow underparts. This bird is the most widespread species in the genus Parus, found across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of North Africa.
Males are characterized by their bright plumage, with a black bib that extends down the belly, bordered by a lemon-yellow breast. Females and juveniles are similar but have duller coloration. The black line down the belly is also narrower and sometimes broken in these birds.
Great tits favor a variety of woodland habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, forest edges, and even urban parks and gardens. They are also found in riverine woodlands and, in some regions, boreal taiga.
This species is resident throughout its range, which extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the Amur Valley, and from Scandinavia to the Middle East. It is generally non-migratory, except in harsh winters when it may move to more temperate areas.
Great tits are known for their intelligence and adaptability. They exhibit a range of foraging behaviors and can solve problems with insight learning. They are also cavity nesters and are monogamous, with both parents involved in raising the chicks.
10-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN PAPER WASP (Polistes dominula)
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The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) is one of the most common and well-known species of social wasps in the genus Polistes. Its diet is more diverse than those of most Polistes species—many genera of insects versus mainly caterpillars in other Polistes—giving it superior survivability compared to other wasp species during a shortage of resources.
The dominant females are the principal egg layers, while the subordinate females ("auxiliaries") or workers primarily forage and do not lay eggs. This hierarchy is not permanent, though; when the queen is removed from the nest, the second-most dominant female takes over the role of the previous queen Dominance in females is determined by the severity of the scatteredness in the coloration of the clypeus (face), whereas dominance in males is shown by the variation of spots of their abdomens. P. dominula is common and cosmopolitan due to their exceptional survival features such as productive colony cycle, short development time, and higher ability to endure predator attacks.
These wasps have a lek-based mating system. Unlike most social insects, 35% of P. dominula wasps in a colony are unrelated. It is considered an invasive species in Canada and the United States.
7-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOORISH GECKO (Tarentola mauritanica)
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Tarentola mauritanica, known as the common wall gecko, is a species of gecko (Gekkota) native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It has been introduced to Madeira and Balearic Islands, and the Americas (in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and California). A nocturnal animal with a predominantly insectivorous diet, it is commonly observed on walls in urban environments in warm coastal areas; it can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as an insect hunter. A robust species, up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long, its tubercules are enlarged and give the species a spiny armoured appearance.
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is also known as moorish gecko, crocodile gecko, European common gecko, and, regionally, as osga (in Portuguese), salamanquesa (in Spanish) and dragó (in Catalan).
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The Common wall gecko is a small lizard native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It is commonly observed on walls in urban environments, mainly in warm coastal areas. However, the Common wall gecko can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as insect hunter. This little creature is brownish-grey or brown in color with darker or lighter spots. These colors change in intensity according to the light. When geckos are active by day their color is darker than during the night.
Common wall geckos are mainly nocturnal or crepuscular. They may also be active during the day, on sunny days especially at the end of the winter. They like to receive sunlight near their refuge. They prefer to forage and spend their time singly; in the warmer months of the year, geckos can often be seen hunting nocturnal insects near light sources and street lamps.
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
10-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - TRUE WEEVIL (Coniocleonus nigrosuturatus)
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Coniocleonus nigrosuturatus is a species of weevil found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa that feeds on the roots of Erodium cicutarium (Common Stork's-bill). This plant parasite overwinters as adults, emerges in spring to mate, and its larvae pupate in earthen cocoons in the soil. The species prefers dry, sunny grasslands with sparse vegetation and can be an endangered species in some central European countries.
Taxonomy and Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera (beetles)
Family: Curculionidae (true weevils)
Genus: Coniocleonus
Species: Coniocleonus nigrosuturatus (Goeze, 1777)
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The species has a wide range across North Africa, a large part of Asia (including western Siberia), and most of Europe, excluding the British Isles and the northernmost regions.
Coniocleonus nigrosuturatus thrives in dry, sunny grasslands with sparse vegetation and open, disturbed ground.
They are often found in pastures, along road margins, and in areas with a proper disturbance regime, such as from vehicle traffic or grazing.
Overwintering: Overwintering adults emerge in early spring and begin feeding and mating on their host plants.
Larval stage: Larvae develop in the soil, feeding externally on the base of the stem of the host plant, Erodium cicutarium.
Pupation: In early July, the larvae pupate in a closed earthen cell in the soil.
Adult activity: High adult activity is observed from mid-April to mid-May.
In some central European countries, Coniocleonus nigrosuturatus is considered an endangered species.
Sunday, 8 September 2019
5-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - LONG JOINTED BEETLE (Lagria grenieri)
Lagriinae is a subfamily of long-jointed beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. There are more than 270 genera in Lagriinae, grouped into 11 tribes.
Adults of Lagriinae are mostly medium-sized (5-12 mm) and exhibit typical Tenebrionidae characteristics, including a 5-5-4 tarsal formula and the antennal bases concealed by canthi. The eyes are usually deeply emarginate and in many species partially surround the antennal bases. The last antennal segment is either the longest or the widest segment, and is often sexually dimorphic. The head tends to be at least as broad as the pronotum and is often constricted behind the level of the eyes. The pronotum tends to be much narrower than the base of the elytra. Additionally, the pronotum is generally broadest at its base, and its sides are sinuate or otherwise constricted.
Some species resemble members of other families, like Arthromacra resembling Oedemeridae, Rhypasma resembling Silvanidae, Casnonidea apicicornis resembling Chrysomelidae, Statira resembling Carabidae and Paratenetus punctatus resembling Coccinellidae.
Lagriinae larvae feed in decaying vegetation. They can be found in stumps and under bark.
7-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GERMAN YELLOWJACKET (Vespula germanica)
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Vespula germanica, known colloquially as the European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket, is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has spread and become well-established in many other places, including North America, South America (Argentina and Chile), Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. German wasps are part of the family Vespidae and are sometimes mistakenly referred to as paper wasps because they build grey paper nests, although strictly speaking, paper wasps are part of the subfamily Polistinae. In North America, they are also known as yellowjackets.
Vespula germanica belongs to the genus Vespula, which includes various species of social wasps that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, these wasps are most commonly known as yellowjackets, but this name also applies to species within the sister genus Dolichovespula. Members of Vespula are often confused with other genera, especially the paper wasp Polistes dominula. Colonies of V. germanica share many characteristics with those of V. vulgaris (common wasp) and V. pensylvanica (western yellowjacket), so they are very often studied together.
Saturday, 7 September 2019
6-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN RECLUSE SPIDER (Loxosceles rufescens)
The Mediterranean recluse spider (Loxosceles rufescens) is a species of spider that originated in the Mediterranean region as its name implies, but can now be found in many parts of the world and is listed as one of the most invasive spiders world-wide. Usually dwelling in caves, the spiders will also inhabit basements and tunnels. Their webs shelter their egg sacs, which hatch into young that molt as they grow. The spider hunts at night and eats species including silverfish and cockroaches, and they usually target smaller insects.
Similar to other species in their genus, bites from L. rufescens can cause necrosis and, for some individuals, systemic damage due to the enzyme sphingomyelinase D. Pest control may be undertaken with similar strategies as used for the brown recluse spider.
Thursday, 5 September 2019
4-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SILVER Y MOTH (Autographa gamma)
The silver Y (Autographa gamma) is a migratory moth of the family Noctuidae which is named for the silvery Y-shaped mark on each of its forewings.
The silver Y is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of 30 to 45 mm. The wings are intricately patterned with various shades of brown and grey providing excellent camouflage. In the centre of each forewing there is a silver-coloured mark shaped like a lower case Y (y) or a lower case Greek letter gamma (γ). There are several different forms with varying colours depending on the climate in which the larvae grow.
The species is widespread across Europe and over almost all the Palearctic including North Africa. It is resident in the south of its range and adults fly almost throughout the year[citation needed]. In spring variable numbers migrate north reaching as far as Iceland, Greenland, and Finland with huge invasions taking place in some years[citation needed]. A second wave of migrants arrives in the summer[citation needed]. In central Europe and the British Isles adults are present in significant numbers from May onwards with numbers dwindling in late autumn as they are killed off by frosts. Some individuals fly south again to winter around the Mediterranean and Black seas.
It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, particularly open areas. It regularly visits gardens to take nectar from the flowers.
Silver Y moths can produce two or three generations in a year with a fourth generation when conditions are particularly good. The eggs are laid on the upper or lower surface of leaves. They are whitish in colour and hemispherical in shape with deep ribbing. They hatch after three to four days (longer in cool conditions).
The larvae are about 30 mm long, have three pairs of prolegs and are usually green with whitish markings. They feed on a wide variety of low-growing plants and have been recorded on over 200 different species including crops such as the garden pea (Pisum sativum), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea). They can reduce crop yields by damaging leaves and are often considered to be a pest.
The pupa is green at first, gradually darkening to black. The adults mate one or two days after emerging from the pupa and start laying eggs one to five days later. They die three to nineteen days after emergence.
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