Other Stuff

Hairy Flower Wasp

Gosh, I keep seeing new creatures in my garden! This one was quite scary and I thought it was a hornet – not that I would know, never having seen a hornet. Nevertheless, I took photos of this huge black and gold wasp. The first few images were a bit shaky!

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the Campsomeris species is identified by its kidney-shaped eyes

Reading up on it later, I discovered it is a hairy flower wasp, a solitary fellow and a nectar drinker. They are not aggressive as they have no nest to defend. The female is designed to dig and the larvae feeds inside a paralysed host – usually a beetle grub.  Yuk.

hairy flower wasp on clover blossom

hairy flower wasp on clover blossom

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Nikon D3000, on auto

The fringes on its body remind me of those flapper dresses of the 1920s. I’ve seen pictures, I’m not that old!

Thanks for looking!  ❤

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Photographed just now with the Nikon D3000, on auto.

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red-spotted jezebel on the bottlebrush in my yard

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mostly black-and-white on the upper wings, spanning up to 7cm

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the colours look like they are drawn on

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I’ve seen just the one pair visiting the blossoms

I was taking photos from a distance when I begged it to come down and pose for me awhile – and it did!   I read (later) that males have grey forewings, the females cream.

I saw a snake this morning, beyond the house next door. Sunning itself, it looked to be uncoiling but stopped when it saw me see it. I did not linger for a photograph. Fortunately, Vika did not see it – she might have rushed it. Probably an adult brown snake, the common species around here. No more walking about in the dark, for me, until winter!

Do have a good day. I better get back to my revision.   🙂

Butterflies & Moths

Red-spotted Jezebel

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