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.

Snipe Fly

I took some pictures of rabbits in our yard this evening after work. They are plentiful, fat, and happy. I’m tempted to do something about them. Our neighbors on both sides have dogs so our yard is something of a safe haven for them.

I also took some pictures of the onions growing in my vegetable garden. I didn’t actually plant any vegetables this spring but there are onions that came up from seed last year, which are getting quite large now.

Finally, I took some pictures of this little fellow (or lady). There was a little swarm of them but I only had a chance to get a photograph of this one, when it landed for a moment. I’m pretty sure it is one of the many snipe flies (there are about 700 species worldwide). My first guess is that it is either Rhagio hirtus or Chrysopilus tomentosus. This photo was hand held, so not as sharp as I’d like. I’ll try to hunt this little creature again, and with a tripod.

As flies go, these are our friends. Few of them bite and they are all predaceous on a variety of other small insects.