Wednesday, 15 September 2021
15-9-2021 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - THREAD WAISTED WASP (Prionyx kirbii)
Monday, 13 September 2021
13-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RAMBUR'S WAVE MOTH (Idaea elongaria)
Rambur's Wave Moth (Idaea elongaria) is a small, specialized insect belonging to the Geometridae family, which is widely recognized as the geometer or "inchworm" moth family. First formally classified by French entomologist Pierre Rambur in 1833, this species is categorized within the subfamily Sterrhinae and the tribe Sterrhini.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: LepidopteraFamily: GeometridaeGenus: IdaeaSpecies: Idaea elongaria
Habitat & DistributionDry Slopes: It thrives on xerophilous, dry, and sunny hillsides.S
Shrublands: The moth is frequently found in scrub environments and garrigue.
Agricultural Areas: It heavily populates Mediterranean olive groves.
Geography: It is primarily recorded across southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin, with documented populations on islands like Crete and parts of mainland Spain.
Diet & BehaviorLarval Stage: The caterpillars are polyphagous, meaning they consume a variety of plants.
Dietary Preference: Instead of fresh vegetation, the larvae specifically feed on withered or decaying leaves of herbaceous plants.
Camouflage: Like other geometer moths, its wings feature delicate, wavy patterns that mimic tree bark, rocks, or dry vegetation to evade predators.
Identification & VariationsAppearance: It features a predominantly tan, light gray, or off-white color profile decorated with soft, transverse dark bands characteristic of "wave" moths.
Subspecies: It includes distinct subspecies variants, such as Idaea elongaria pecharia, documented on crowdsourced tracking databases like iNaturalist.
Sunday, 12 September 2021
12-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - ORANGE WINGED DROPWING DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Trithemis kirbyi)
Trithemis kirbyi, also known as the Kirby's dropwing, orange-winged dropwing, or scarlet rock glider is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
It is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi. It is also present in southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean Islands and South Asia to India.
Since 2003 this African tropical dragonfly has been colonizing Europe helped by a widespread increase in temperatures. It is now breeding successfully in Spain, Portugal and France.
The adult male abdomen measures 21–24 mm and hind wing 24–27 mm. Female abdomen measures 23 mm and hind wing 26–30 mm. The male is a medium-sized scarlet dragonfly with a broad reddish amber patch on the base of transparent wings. The female is similar to the male, but duller in color. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical streams and rivers. It breeds in marshes, ponds, and lakes, and prefers to perch on exposed rocks, dry areas, and boulders in riverbeds.
Key Identification Facts & Dimensions
Body Length: Typically ranging from 21 to 23 mm, with the overall length including the abdomen measuring around 3.0 to 3.4 cm.
Wingspan: Up to 5.8 to 6.3 cm.
Abdomen: Dark yellow base color featuring a series of thin, black dashes along either side of segments 6 to 9.
12-9-2021 SOLLANA, VALENCIA - EPAULET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
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Orthetrum chrysostigma, the epaulet skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi as well as Canary Islands, and Portugal. It was recorded in the Maltese Islands in 2010.
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Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and freshwater springs. The adults prey on various flying insects. The bodies of adult males are blue, and those of young and females are yellow and brown.
12-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOORISH GECKO (JUVENILE) (Tarentola mauritanica)
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).
12-9-2021 SOLLANA, VALENCIA - LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta)
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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.
12-9-2021 ALBUFERA, VALENCIA - BLACK WINGED STILT (JUVENILE) (Himantopus himantopus)
Distinctive Juvenile Traits
Plumage: Juveniles look similar to adult females but have noticeably duller, browner, and more mottled feathers on their backs and wings, usually fringed with buff.
Head: They possess a brownish-grey crown and hindneck, as opposed to the clean, stark black-and-white patterns seen on breeding adults.
Legs: While adults boast bright coral-pink or reddish-pink legs, juveniles often start with slightly paler or duller pinkish legs.
Saturday, 11 September 2021
8-7-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea eugeniata)
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The wingspan is 21–22 mm for males and 24–25 mm for females.
The larvae are polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on various herbaceous plants.[2]
Subspecies
Idaea eugeniata eugeniata
Idaea eugeniata algeriaca (Culot, 1917)
Friday, 10 September 2021
Thursday, 9 September 2021
4-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CARPET MOTH (Almeria kalischata)
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Almeria kalischata is a species of lepidopteran insects, more specifically moths, belonging to the family Geometridae.
The scientific authority on the species is Staudinger, having been described in 1870.
This is a species present in Portuguese and Spanish territory.
6-9-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - INDIAN MEAL MOTH (Plodia interpunctella)
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The Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella), also spelled Indian meal moth and Indian-meal moth, is a pyraloid moth of the family Pyralidae. Alternative common names are hanger-downers, weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth (Cadra cautella) and the raisin moth (Cadra figulilella) are commonly confused with the Indian-meal moth due to similar food sources and appearance. The species was named for feeding on Indian meal or cornmeal, and does not occur natively in India. It is also not to be confused with the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), another common pest of stored grains.
P. interpunctella larvae (caterpillars) are commonly known as waxworms. It is important to note that they are not the same species as the waxworms often bred as animal feed. Rather, they are a common grain-feeding pest found around the world, consuming cereals, fruits, and similar products. Substantial efforts have been taken in the United States to control the moth's damage to grain crops.
The larvae of this species have the ability to bite through plastic and cardboard so even sealed containers may be infested. Once found, the moths are difficult to eradicate. The last larval instar is also able to travel long distances before pupating; so a new infestation site may develop far from the last pupation site. In addition to food sources, this species can reproduce and pupate on clothing and any source of clothing must be inspected to prevent reinfestation.
Wednesday, 8 September 2021
8-9-2021 EL FONDO, ALICANTE - BROAD SCARLET DRAGONFLY (FEMALE) (Crocothemis erythraea)
The scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter.
The scarlet dragonfly is a common species in southern Europe and throughout Africa. It also occurs across western Asia as far as southern China. It is a very rare vagrant in Britain. Its first record in the country was at Hayle Kimbro Pool, The Lizard, Cornwall, on 7 August 1995. Since then there have been a few further records at scattered coastal or near-coastal locations in southeastern England from Dorset to Norfolk.
A wide range of both running and standing waters, except those that are shaded. Adults may be found some distance from water in habitats ranging from desert to open woodland; absent from dense forest.
Crocothemis erythraea can reach a length of 33–44 millimetres (1.3–1.7 in). These dragonflies haves a flattened and rather broad abdomen. The adult male scarlet dragonfly has a bright scarlet red, widened abdomen, with small amber patches at the bases of the hindwings. Also the veins on the leading edges of the wings are red. Females and immatures are yellow-brown and have a conspicuous pale stripe along the top of the thorax.
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