View allAll Photos Tagged Insecta
(Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Dytiscidae). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dytiscus
You can see the whole creature here: www.flickr.com/photos/mercar/4725259252/in/photostream/ and here www.flickr.com/photos/mercar/4725251134/in/photostream/
Another dytiscus larvae eating a adult newt can be seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/mercar/5082796531/in/set-7215762420...
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species: P. machaon
Binomial name
Papilio machaon
Linnaeus, 1758
Introduction
Back in the 18th century when Linnaeus created the System Naturae, the word Papilio was used as the genus name for every known species of butterfly in the world. Since then much has been learnt about the relationships between different species. Consequently most have been reassigned to new genera, and only about 215 of the 17600 currently known species are retained in Papilio.
Papilio machaon is widespread and common throughout much of the northern hemisphere. It occurs over the whole of continental Europe, eastward across temperate Asia to Japan; in Africa north of the Sahara; and throughout much of North America. In Britain it is locally common on the Norfolk Broads, an area of fenland and lakes in eastern England.
Individuals originating from France occasionally migrate across the English Channel and have been periodically recorded in Hampshire, Dorset, Sussex and the Isle of Wight, but such sightings are very rare - perhaps one or two sightings per year. Genuine migrants can usually be recognised by their faded and worn appearance. Fresh looking insects seen anywhere apart from Norfolk can be attributed to escaped or deliberately released livestock - both the British subspecies brittanicus and the continental gorganus are commonly reared by hobbyists. ( it is illegal to capture or breed stock of British origin, but nevertheless a widespread practice ).
There are no similar species occurring in Britain. On the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia machaon shares it's habitat with Papilio hospiton, which is similarly marked but has much shorter tails on the hindwings. In Algeria the distribution of machaon overlaps that of the Saharan Swallowtail Papilio saharae, which is identical in appearance except for the antennae, which have 30 segments in saharae, and 33-36 segments in machaon.
Habitats
Throughout most of it's range the Swallowtail shows itself to be highly adaptable, utilising a wide variety of habitats including sub-arctic tundra in Canada, prairies, woodlands and arid canyons in the south of the USA; hay meadows, roadside verges, river banks and sub-alpine pastures in Europe; high montane habitats in the Atlas mountains of north Africa, and semi-cultivated habitats in the Mediterranean area.
It's adaptability extends also to it's choice of foodplants - in North America the caterpillars usually feed on Compositae ( Artimesia, Petasites ), while in Europe Rutaceae ( Ruta, Haplophyllum ) and Umbelliferae ( Foeniculum, Peucidanum etc ) are used instead. In Britain however the butterfly is restricted to a single foodplant - milk parsley, and breeds only at a very small number of wet fenland habitats in north-east Norfolk. Individual specimens have been tagged and found to fly over quite a large area, often reaching adjacent fens, but the butterflies do not stray beyond the general area of the broads.
Several centuries ago the species almost certainly occurred as a resident species over a much wider area of southern and eastern England, but later contracted it's range to the Great Fen - a vast area of wetlands covering Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Following the drainage of this area, and it's conversion to agriculture, the butterfly was forced to contract it's range even further - to the Norfolk Broads. In such isolation the genetic diversity would have diminished, causing the so-called "sub-species" machaon brittanicus to become far less adaptable, and to acquire minor differences in appearance from the ancestral stock.
In the last 100 years the average wingspan of Swallowtails, and the average width of the thorax, have reduced in size, an indicator of further genetic impoverishment, which is likely to result in further contraction and eventual extinction. Expansion of the gene pool can only be accomplished by the introduction of genetically richer livestock from Europe, a policy which hopefully will eventually be adopted by conservation groups.
Although the butterfly only breeds in the wet fenlands and broads of Norfolk, migrants from France are periodically observed at coastal sites in Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex and Kent. On 1st Sept 2003 for example I watched an immigrant Swallowtail flying across a main road at Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire. In most years less than half a dozen are recorded, usually in August or September. Individuals very occasionally penetrate further inland, and are reputed to sometimes breed on chalk grasslands, reportedly feeding as larvae on wild carrot Daucus carota, although I know of no recent records.
It is planned that by the end of the 21st century the Great Fens which formerly occupied much of eastern England will be partially restored, leading to a sizeable increase in suitable habitat. Whether such a project is feasible in the face of population expansion however remains to be seen.
Lifecycle
The butterfly is bivoltine on the continent, emerging in May and August, but in Britain the second brood is either partial or non-existent.
In the Norfolk fens where the butterflies emerge in late May, they lay their large brown globular eggs singly on the fine leaves of milk parsley Peucidanum palustre. The eggs are nearly always laid on the upper foliage of tall plants which project above the surrounding reedbeds. They hatch after about a week.
The young caterpillar is black, marked with a band of white. It looks remarkably like a small bird-dropping as it rests openly on the leaves. According to Thomas the camouflage is not effective against spiders, which may predate up to 65% of 1st instar larvae. When fully grown in July, the caterpillar is a most magnificent creature - bright green, marked with narrow black bands and orange spots. Behind it's head is an eversible fleshy pink forked structure called an osmaterium, which is raised if the larva is irritated. This structure emits pungent chemicals, capable of deterring ants, wasps, and flies, but does not deter birds - reed buntings, sedge warblers and bearded tits between them devouring at least 50% of mature larvae.
The chrysalis occurs in 2 colour forms, being either plain green, or light brown with a dark lateral stripe. It is attached vertically by a thin silken girdle and by the cremaster, usually low down on the stem of a reed, where it hibernates until the following May.
Adult behaviour
The butterfly has a characteristic powerful gliding flight, and is capable of covering large distances. In France and Spain for example I have often observed males indulging in "hill-topping", i.e. flying to congregate at the top of hills, where they compete for the attention of passing females. In Britain the butterfly breeds only on the flat terrain of Norfolk, and probably only covers short distances, although it can be seen crossing open expanses of water on the Broads.
On warm sunny days, male Swallowtails patrol back and forth along a regular route in search of females. Often both sexes home in on a particular clump of bushes where courtship and copulation take place. The pair often remain joined for 2 or 3 hours before the female departs to oviposit.
In the morning, and again in late afternoon both sexes can be seen flying freely about their habitat, pausing regularly to nectar at the pink flowers of angelica, knapweeds, marsh thistles, red campion, ragged robin and valerian. When nectaring they keep their wings constantly fluttering to prevent the weight of their bodies from dragging down on the fragile flowers. This fluttering behaviour is typical of all Papilioninae, wherever they occur in the world. In Norfolk the butterflies also often nectar at the spectacular bright yellow flowers of yellow iris.
In cool but sunny weather, or during periods of hazy sunshine, Swallowtails can sometimes be seen basking amongst dry grasses. During overcast weather they roost hanging from reed stems, and probably also amongst the foliage of sallow and alder bushes, and other fenland vegetation.
In the French Alps and the Pyrenees the butterflies commonly indulge in mud-puddling - siphoning mineral-rich moisture from damp mud and cattle dung, but I have not observed this behaviour in Britain.
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Tortricidae, Olethreutinae, Enarmoniini
genus and species indeterminate (tribe Enarmoniini)
Nam Chung Valley, North District, New Territories, Hong Kong
Either Nousia or Koorrnonga by the venation of the hind wings. Seems closer to the former, especially Nousia delicatula?
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini
Amsactoides guangxicaAmsactoides guangxica
Tai Yeung Che, Lam Tsuen Valley, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Finglas Garden 16-04-2020
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Diptera
Family:Syrphidae
Genus:Eristalis
Species:E. tenax
Binomial name
Eristalis tenax
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Holly Blue ( Celastrina argiolus) Butterfly
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Lycaenidae
Genus:Celastrina
Species:C. argiolus
Binomial name
Celastrina argiolus
Habitat: Locally found where remnants of woodland contain Holly. It is sometimes found in urban gardens and parks with suitable habitats.
It is double brooded from Dublin southwards and single brooded in the north.
Larval Food Plant: Holly Ilex aquifolium
Ivy Hedera helix
Flight Time: April and May
Mid-July to September (second generation)
Hibernation: Overwinters as a pupa.
In both sexes the ground colour of the upper wings of the adult is silvery-blue and tinged with lilac.
In the male upperwings there is a narrow black band on the margins of the forewings, wider at the apex and becoming thinner at the tornus. Chequered margins at termination of veins on forewings. The black marginal band is absent on the hindwings.
The female upperwings are darker than in the males and have a more pronounced and wider marginal band on the forewing. Each hindwing has a series of 6 submarginal black spots. Chequered margins at termination of veins on the forewings.
The underside in both sexes is similar the ground colour being a bluish-white with black spots.
Life Cycle of the Holly Blue
Ovum:
The white disc shaped egg is laid singly at the base of unopened flower buds on Holly in the spring brood and on Ivy in the summer brood.
Eggs hatch after 10-16 days, depending on the season.
Larva:
This fairly stout larva measures up to 16 mm in length, tapering towards the extremities.
The larva has a few recognised colour forms but usually when fully grown it is a translucent pale green sometimes with purplish-pink dorsal and lateral stripes. It has a shiny black retractile head.
On the dorsal surface of the 10th segment there is a honey gland (Newcomer's gland) whose secretions are attractive to ants. The body is covered with short whitish setae.
The larva emerges in May and feeds until early July inside the developing drupes on the female Holly tree and on the young terminal leaves of the male Holly tree.
The second brood larva feeds on the developing buds or flowers of Ivy during late August and September.
Prior to pupation the larva becomes a dull purplish colour and wanders from its food plant to pupate.
This larval stage lasts c.26 days.
See Holly Blue parasite - Listrodromus nycthemerus below.
Pupa:
Pupation probably takes place secreted by twigs and bark among the tangled roots and dead leaves within the growth of Ivy or on the undersurface of a Holly leaf. The pupa is attached by cremasteral hooks to a silk pad and supported by a silken girdle.
Pupa from the spring generation hatch within 10-18 days. Those from the summer generation overwinter , spending about 6 months in the pupal state.
Adult:
The adult emerges and is on the wing from mid-April to June and again in mid-July to September where it may be seen flying around holly bushes above head height.
Holy Blue Parasite:
The host specific parasitic Ichneumon wasp, Listrodromus nycthemerus, targets the Holly Blue butterfly by laying its egg in the larvae.
Here the Listrodromus grub lives and feeds on the body tissue of the developing butterfly larva.
Eventually the life cycle of this parasitoid, which is approx. 11mm in length, is completed inside the host and results in the emergence of a single adult Listrodromus wasp from what appears to be a normally formed Holly Blue pupa. The pupa dies soon after the emergence of the wasp.
The wasp will then seek new generation Holly Blue larvae in which to inject its egg.
There is evidence that the wasp population gradually builds up over a number of years and eventually, when it gets plentiful, kills a large proportion of pupae resulting in a 'crash' in Holly Blue numbers.
This produces a shortage of food for the parasitoid and its numbers also crash allowing the Holly Blue butterfly population return to normal.
The length of the Holly Blue-Ichneumon wasp cycles observed in Britain - from boom to bust - is about seven years.
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Noctuidae, Catocalinae (s.l.) / unassigned L.A.Q. clade
tentatively assigned to the genus Condate
this has been shown to several Noctuidae specialists and remains unidentified. There is a possibility it could be undescribed.
scale bar = 25mm
Phylum: Arthropoda LATREILLE, 1829 (arthropods, Arthropoden)
Subphylum: Hexapoda BLAINVILLE, 1816
Class: Insecta (insects, Insekten)
Subclass: Pterygota (Fluginsekten)
Infraclass: Neoptera MARTYNOV, 1923
Order: Diptera LINNAEUS, 1758 (true flies, mosquitoes and gnats, Zweiflügler)
Suborder: Brachycera SCHINER, 1862
Infraorder: Asilomorpha
Superfamily: Asiloidea
Family: Asilidae KIRBY & SPENCE, 1817 (robber flies, Raubfliegen)
key to the Family of Asilidae: www.robberflies.info/keyger/html/key.html
Subfamily: Asilinae LEACH, 1819
Genus: Tolmerus LOEW, 1849
Tolmerus atricapillus FALLÉN, 1814, ♂
[det. Danny Wolff, 2015, based on this photo]
SE-Germany, Bavaria: vic. Regensburg, 24.07.2011
IMG_3732
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Crambidae, Acentropinae
Nymphicula sp. indeterminate
Tai Yeung Che, Lam Tsuen Valley, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Class: Insecta.
Order: Lepidoptera.
Superfamily: Noctuoidea.
Family: Noctuidae.
Subfamily: Acronictinae.
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae
Cyclosia papilionaris
Tai Po Kau Headland, New Territories, Hong Kong
recorded during a "National Moth Week" event
Insecta: Lepidoptera
Sphingidae, Macroglossinae
Macroglossum fritzei
Kadoorie Institute, Shek Kong Centre, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong
Reino: Animalia
Filo: Arthropoda
Clase: Insecta
Orden: Hymenoptera
Suborden: Apocrita
Familia: Formicidae
Subfamilia: Myrmicinae
Tribu: Cephalotini
Género: Cephalotes
mibiofotos.blogspot.com.ar/2014/03/cephalotes-atratus.html
Cryptocerus atratus rufiventris www.antwiki.org/wiki/Cephalotes
La biologÃa de muchas especies Cephalotes no se conoce. Hormigas en este género son comunes en los trópicos del Nuevo Mundo y subtropicales y son especialmente abundantes y diversas en las copas de los bosques neotropicales.
La mayorÃa de las especies son arbóreas.
Las especies que viven en otros estratos habitan árboles pequeños, arbustos o hierba tallos.
Estas especies arbóreas mediodÃa, debido a su accesibilidad, se encuentran entre los miembros mejor estudiados del género.
También hay especies que se pueden encontrar en madera CaÃdo, pero es probable que la madera ocupa la colonia antes de que cayera al suelo. Nidos del suelo no son conocidas por cualquier especie ni aparecen la mayorÃa de las especies de excavar extensamente tejido vegetal. Anidan en cavidades preformadas en vez.
En general, las hormigas del género de utilizar una amplia gama de plantas.
Algunas especies son predecibles en su uso de la planta, pero ninguno parece haber evolucionado mutualismos especializados con determinadas especies vegetales.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalotes_atratus
FotografÃas Ivan Pawluk
© Iván Pawluk , reservados todos los derechos / all rights reserved
Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
PHOTOGRAPHY by Iván Pawluk is licensed under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Unported License.Creado a partir de la obra en www.flickr.com/photos/pawluk/ .Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.flickr.com/photos/pawluk/ .
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