Genus Condylostylus

While I was out picking raspberries I saw a spider web with an orchard orbweaver spider (Leucauge venusta). I took a few pictures but it was too dim and I didn’t have my tripod so I wasn’t able to get enough depth of field to make the image worth sharing. I also saw this little fellow (or lady, I really don’t know). The leaf it was on was moving in the slight breeze and of course there’s that “hand-held” thing, so most of the pictures were out of focus or blurred. This one, I think, is pretty good. Fortunately it was in a small ray of sunshine giving me enough light for a reasonably short exposure. It is one of the flies in the genus Condylostylus but many of them look quite similar, so I don’t know which one.

Golden Three-spot Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)

In addition to the pictures I took of Cathy and Dorothy (see prior post), I took a few pictures of our fish. We recently acquired a few new fish from one of Dorothy’s friends, whose family is moving to Colorado. This is a golden gourami, which is one of the common color morphs of the three-spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, native to southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. This is a pretty good size specimen and has adapted well to our tank, along with a large angel fish, some neon tetras, and a pretty good sized plecostomus.

Anomala orientalis (Oriental Beetle)

I was trying to photograph a particularly small bee this afternoon and not having a lot of success. First, it was only about 5mm long. Second, it kept hiding behind bits of the flower it was on. Third, it kept turning so all I could get was pictures head-on.

Anyway, I happened to notice this little beetle (about 10mm long) on a leaf and decided it would be an easier subject. It is an oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis, and is considered to be a pest. The larvae feed on grass roots, so they aren’t something you want to encourage. I do think the –winged— antennae are cool. The scientific term for that form is flabellate, meaning fan-shaped.

Chrysidinae (Cuckoo Wasp)

This is, I’m pretty sure, a cuckoo wasp (family Chrysididae) in the subfamily Chrysidinae. All of the species in that sub-family have metalic green, blue, or in once case red exoskeleton. They are easy to spot but not always easy to photograph, this is pretty good but I’m still hoping for something sharper. They are not very big, only about a centimeter long, and my lens doesn’t focus any closer than a foot. Maybe it’s time I invested in a set of extension tubes. Of course, they little things don’t stop moving, either, which is a significant issue. The yellow in this picture is pollen from the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) on which the wasp is perched.

Bird In The Grass

When I picked Dorothy up from her friend’s house this evening, I got out of the car to chat for a bit before we left. As we were talking I noticed this bird in the grass of the front yard. I’m not sure what sort of bird it is and to be honest, I didn’t pay that close attention. I did get my camera and took a few pictures of it, though. Poor thing probably came out of a next in the tree overhead. It must have been there for some little while, as it was nestled down into the grass quite comfortably. Still, I don’t give too much for its chances. A bird that cannot fly is easy prey for a neighborhood cat.

Genus Lucilia

The mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is just starting to bloom and there was a wasp or a fly or two flitting about. This is some species of blow fly (Family Calliphoridae) and I think it’s in the genus Lucilia. Most people don’t like flies much and I suppose they have good reason.

Still, many of them are beneficial in one way or another, even if that way happens to be helping recently dead things get broken down into a less offensive form. Blow flies are scavengers and lay their eggs in carrion, which sounds nasty but it’s better than having smelly carcases lying around for days.

On the other hand, blow flies are also one of the main families of flies causing myiasis in livestock and occasionally in humans. If you think laying eggs in carrion is gross, you don’t want to know what myiasis is.

Trichopoda pennipes (Feather-legged Fly)

I went out again today, hoping to get a better picture of a snipe file like the one I bagged yesterday. I did see both snipe and syrphid flies and got some pictures but nothing significantly better than yesterday’s. This is a feather-legged fly, Trichopoda pennipes and I’m pretty happy with the picture.

This is another friendly insect and they are actually used in the control of stink and squash bugs. Considering how many stink bugs we have had the last few years, this is someone I’m very happy to have around.