MOTHS, BUGS & SOME OTHER STUFF FROM THE COASTAL MEADOWS
I found quite a few interesting species today ...
... while walking across the meadows, through the mix of green and dried out grasses and other herbaceous plants.
I got especially lucky with moths.
First I found this fabulous little moth that I never saw before ... with the wings partially covered with shiny scales that looked like droplets of liquid metal.
This evening, while writing the post, I found out that this is the Eteobalea isabellella ... a moth from the Cosmopterigidae family that lives in Mediterranean part of Europe and North Africa.
Very soon I photographed the camouflaged Coleophora trochilella moth, a species that I regularly encounter on the coastal meadows.
Some hours later I had the opportunity to photograph this species from another angle.
This is the Yponomeuta sedella. Larvae of this species feed on some succulent plants that grow on the stony terrain near the sea.
The lovely moth on this and the following two photographs ...
... is the Eublemma purpurina moth. The larvae of this species feed on Cirsium arvense thistle.
On this shot taken using only the natural light, you can see how this beautiful moth, although it looks very showy, is actually very well camouflaged and hard to notice on some types of grasses.
Here you can see a moth from the Crambidae family ...
... Pyrausta aurata is the name of the species.
This is the minuscule Mirificarma eburnella moth that reproduces on various clovers and vetches that grow abundantly on these meadows. On the following photograph ...
... you can see the Merrifieldia leucodactyla, commonly known as the thyme plume moth.
On my walk across the meadows, I photographed some plants as well. Most of them were covered with flowers ...
... and seeds.
While photographing this circle of fluffy Urospermum dalechampii seeds ...
... I saw an interesting bug on the nearby plant of the same kind.
This is the Odontotarsus purpureolineatus bug from the Scutelleridae family, commonly known as Jewel bugs.
About twenty meters further, I photographed this colorful plant. At first, I was convinced that I saw many small flowers ... but ...
... when I came closer and took a better look ... it was clear that this is some colorful disease.
Although most of the vegetation is still completely or partially green, some plants have produced the seeds and dried out. After this shot ...
When I took a look through the macro lens, I noticed some minuscule fungus gnat, resting on the seed pod.
While photographing the flowers of the Trifolium squarrosum clover ...
... the magnifying power of the Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Snap-On Lens, made me see an even smaller creature ... this is more like micro, not so much macro stuff ... the Entomobrya lanuginosa springtail.
Flowers of the Trifolium campestre clover are getting dry ... and even more beautiful in this desiccated version.
On the top of the tall Hordeum murinum grass, I photographed a minuscule young nymph of the Eurygaster testudinaria bug ... that feeds on sap of various grasses ...
... and then, on the greener vegetation under the tall grass, I found this very different kind of bug ... the Rhynocoris iracundus assassin bug that preys on various insects and their larvae.
Some grasses ...
... like the Lolium Perenne on these photographs, were still in bloom, covered with minuscule flowers.
This soft-winged flower beetle - the Dolichosoma lineare, was also photographed on the Lolium Perenne grass.
When I came close to see what's going on around the plant on this photograph, the Dittrichia viscosa ...
... I noticed many small flowers attached to the large, hairy leaves. These tiny flowers ...
... have fallen from the tops of the Lolium Perenne and Cynosurus echinatus grass.
Among those flowers ...
... well camouflaged on green surface ...
... the Macrotylus paykulli, small bug from the Miridae family ...
... was feeding on the sap of the plant.
On another leaf of the same plant ...
... I found this pupa, probably of some small moth, but I'm not sure.
On the neighboring leaf I found a green larva ... maybe of the same species as the pupa you saw on the previous photograph.
There was something interesting practically on every leaf of this plant. Here you can see the eggs of some shield bugs species ... and on the following photograph ...
... ... you can take a look at the minuscule flea beetle, the Longitarsus membranaceus from the Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) family.
The common red soldier beetles (Rhagonycha fulva) are present these days in big numbers. Many couples are mating on grasses and various flowers.
And now, with three butterfly species ... the Coenonympha pamphilus ...
... the Melanargia galathea ...
... and the Ochlodes sylvanus ... is time to end this post - THE END.
As always in these posts on HIVE, the photographs are my work.
Excellent photographic work, I lost count of the number of images you added in your publication. All the insects are very interesting and they look perfect, amazing post.
haha! its usually impossible to breakthru even the half of the post :))))
:D
We appreciate your work and your post has been manually curated on behalf of Insects Of The World Community. It will be added to the weekly curation report. Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
Beautiful photos of insects! The green background is dreamlike!
Thanks :)
moth #8 is so, so cool! delicate Chinese-Japanese art tones. I wish we have somebody like it here.
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Thanks for the pizza snack. :) I saw that moth for the first time yesterday. It surprised me.
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Thank you :)
Cute buterflay & plants. ;))
You show the beauty of insects. I love all the photos of you! Well done always 👍
Thanks. :) This is my obsession in photography ... insects, small details of plants ... and other small living things.
Liked the spots on the Yponomeuta sedella. The moths were really pretty. Liked the patterns on the Jewel bug.