Articles in ‘Insects’
You barely notice the ants unless they’re lugging some eye-catching, outsize object, such as the remains of a woodlouse. It was an awkward task, requiring tenacity and strong pincers.
Team effort successfully manoeuvred the crustacean through the crack. There was barely any flesh on it but woodlice themselves will eat their own or each other’s cast-off cuticles. The hard, over-lapping armour plating is made of calcium carbonate, a form of calcium we get in dietary supplements. In any case, ants bring back all kinds of booty to their galleries, edible or not.
A jumping spider was darting among the busy ants: Menemerus semilimbatus, a Mediterranean species often found on sunny walls and rocks. Upside-down, it surveyed me with a fine set of four bright eyes.
The other four are located on the carapace, slightly disconcerting until you get used to it. Two of them are clearly visible here.
Salticids are renowned for their visual acuity. They hunt by stealth and pounce with deadly accuracy. In their courtship dancing, the males often flaunt brightly coloured parts of their body. Some species have impressive John Travolta disco moves (click on second image down).
Another movement caught my eye and I was just in time to see a soft downy feather disappear through a hole, as an ant whisked it into the depths of the castle wall. You can only wonder what use the ants would find for it.
Barcelona, Insects, Montjuic, Spiders | Tags: ants carrying objects, exploring Montjuic castle, jumping spider eyes, jumping spider vision, Mediterranean jumping spiders, Menemerus semilimbatus, wildlife in stone walls|
A Praying Mantis was ensconced in the Sticky Fleabane with a bee in its claws. It was delicately eating a leg, still sprinkled with fresh pollen, before neatly detaching a wing. Instead of bright green, like all the mantises I’ve ever seen, this one was a dull khaki colour. As it chewed, its plump, segmented abdomen pulsed in a rippling movement. The whole of the body seemed to be concentrated on digesting the bee.
While watching the Mantis, I could hear the liquid notes of robin song. The woods and parks fill up with migrating robins in the autumn. As the season moves on, they seem to disperse, but for a while the whole of Collserola vibrates with robins tic-ticking from every bush.
Bee eaten, the Mantis fastidiously cleaned its weapons. Suspended between the Sticky Fleabane on one side and gorse on the other, it faced the sky as if lying in a hammock. When I left, it was still absorbed in polishing its spiky forelegs.
Inside the woods, it was warm and humid. After weeks of drought, a typically intense two-day downpour had washed away the summer dust. Seizing the moment, plants were regenerating their leaves. Boar mud-baths were restored. Bark had turned velvety with moss. Stones at the side of the path were covered in lichen: a mass of goblets if you looked close.
A fresh crop of puffballs had sprouted in the middle of the path, tender, fragrant and good to eat. Soon they will age, turn brown and let out a puff of spores. They’ve been given some great names: the Devil’s Snuffbox and Wolf’s Fart.
Coming down the hill at dusk, the Praying Mantis was still in the same spot, eating the last bee of the day.
Collserola, Insects, fungi | Tags: autumn in Spain, autumn walk near Barcelona, Collserola praying mantis, colour of praying mantis, insects in spain, lichen in Mediterranean wood, Mediterranean fungi, Mediterranean insects, praying mantis eats bee, praying mantis grooming, praying mantis in Barcelona, robin migration in Mediterranean|
The roast chestnut stands were raising the temperature of the city streets while people roasted in the October sun. In the park, where benches in the shade were at a premium, there were other reminders it was officially no longer summer: the rustling of squirrels picking acorns in the oaks, or the engrossed silence of parakeets gorging on berries and seeds. One day the grass was cut, and a flock of swallows paused to dip and dive and feast on the disturbed insects. Pedralbes Park is on the busy Diagonal road, a causeway for migrating hirundines, just like the coast.
A new sign has appeared at the pond: “Urban diversity protection programme. Amphibian reproduction point.” Hopefully, pond life will be allowed to develop undisturbed and the bright spark who thought to drain and scrub it out mid-May will now be restrained. Sheltering from the heat, I sat down under the Buckthorn tree to watch the legion of Darters† who’d gathered to mate.
One had set up his territory in front and hovered in a haze of just-discernable wing-movement. I was awestruck by this display of energy. It only allowed itself the briefest of rests on the ledge. These breaks would last all of 2 seconds before it zipped off in pursuit of a rival Darter, driving it into another part of the pond. As well as aerial pursuits, there was also a lot of ovipositing going on, the darters still in tandem as the female dipped into the water.
Even more copious, though much less conspicuous, were the Western Willow Spreadwings. They’ve been in the park throughout summer and autumn, barely noticeable except as a spindly insect presence, dangling off leaf tips.
But if one lands nearby you notice their beautiful green and coppery colouring, and their astonishing eyes. Our eyes, set deep in sockets, are half hidden. These orbs are on full display.
On this day there were couples of Spreadwings dangling all over the place, looking for a quiet spot. One pair alighted in the Buckthorn tree. The male clasped the branch and then his long straight abdomen began to fold. He slowly lifted the female, like a dancer raising his partner.
She reciprocated by thrusting her abdomen up in the air, until they were linked together in a jagged heart. While he clung to the branch, she clasped her abdomen. They remained like this, rocking gently from side to side.
†This year I’ve seen 5 Dragonfly species in the park: the Broad Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea), Blacktailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum) and the Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator). On this occasion, despite clicking away, I somehow managed to avoid all the best ID angles! They might have been Common Darters, but a positive ID is impossible.
Barcelona, Insects, Palau de Pedralbes park, weather | Tags: Barcelona odonata, best park in Barcelona, dragonflies in Barcelona, Lestes viridis, mediterranean fauna, October weather in Barcelona, odonata spain, red squirrels in Barcelona, sex life of damselflies, Western willow spreadwings, wildlife in Barcelona parks|
The beginning of September is dry and dusty in Collserola, after weeks of cloudless skies and hardly a drop of water since early July. Only the Umbrella Pines look fresh and green. One of the few flowers to be seen is the Sacred Herb (Verbena officinalis), tiny specks of blue on the tip of long stems. Thistles are brown and petrified. A few Corymbose carline thistles still show yellow flower-heads among the blonde grass, where flocks of young dragonflies cling. They’re this year’s second generation of Red-veined Darters (Sympetrum fonscolombii), out to graze on flies and build up their strength.
They have plasticine-bright colours - yellow abdomens, pale green segments in the thorax and sky-blue eyes. This young male has just a touch of the deep red of his adult colouring.
The males turn scarlet as they grow, while the females stay yellow. Females are distinguished by their double black lines, like this one who munches on a fly while clinging to a broom seed pod.
The darters anchor themselves to twigs and stalks, immobile except when the breeze ruffles their wings. Sometimes they turn their heads in quick, deft movements. This male’s golden wing veins will soon turn red.
For all things dragon and damsel, it’s well worth visiting Steve Jones’ Cornish Nature web site, where you’ll find a wealth of information and superb photos of species found in Cornwall and Iberia. Steve loves dragonflies and they’re quite partial to him too.
Collserola, Insects | Tags: dragonflies in Spain, late summer in Barcelona, libelulas en Collserola, Mediterranean dragonflies, nature in Barcelona, odonata in Spain, Red veined darters, Sympetrum fonscolombii|
The plan was to walk along the small river that comes down from Montseny to Aiguafreda, marked on the map as the Riera de Pujol. It was a bit disconcerting to find a bone-dry river bed, but a few shallow puddles on the outskirts of Aiguafreda encouraged me to keep walking. A kingfisher hunting by a small dam was an even more hopeful sign.
The sporadic pools were linking up. A waterfall crashed down, where a man stood immersed up to his chin, eyes closed, exulting in the cold water. Up on the dusty track, the sun was scorching hot. Two women from the fire-prevention squad had parked their jeep and were refilling water bottles at the spring. I followed a path that dipped steeply under the trees.
It was like stepping into a church. At the end of the vault of trees there was a flat gravelly bank. Beyond that point the river deepened and levelled off, and the water grew still. On one side were smooth grey rocks, where a dipper had been perching, and the other bank was a tangle of vegetation in full blast of the sun. Boots flung off, I cooled down in the shade, and observed the scene.
There was a general commotion: iridescent damselflies flashed turquoise, clusters of butterflies fed, mated and basked, quantities of spindly water striders littered the water and light dappled on every surface. As usual when you sit in one spot for long, dimensions began shifting. Soon I was looking at a vast wilderness river, flowing by sheer grey cliffs and impenetrable jungle. Then I’d wade out into the canyon and, with water just above my knees, the world would shrink again.
The sunny bank was bustling with butterflies. Dusty pink Hemp-agrimony and a large dome of Wild Angelica were the most popular attractions, attended by a constant crowd of Silver-washed Fritillaries (Argynnis paphia). Any butterfly that fell into the water soon disappeared under wiry clumps of striders.
Most beguiling of all were the Beautiful Demoiselles (Calopteryx virgo), whose name goes straight to the point. The males would display their wings in a flash of dark blue silk, like peacocks.
The females are very metallic, a white spot on each of their four bronze wings, their abdomens a coppery green.
An impish damselfly perched on a twig, as if flown straight out of Dr. Caligari’s cabinet. Though in silhouette, the dark band of its narrow wings revealed it to be a female Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis).
Engrossed in damselflies, legs pleasantly chilled, a sharp pain made me look down. The mob of water striders were honing in for a nibble.
I retreated to the cool gravelly bank and lay listening to the water tumbling over rocks to fill the canyon. A waspish Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus - see Forum) settled on a stone. The dipper returned, flying low up-river. From this angle its white breast looked enormous. A Silver-washed Fritillary floated down like an autumn leaf. Occasionally a gust of wind would come up the valley, roaring in the tree tops, making the branches creak. It was a reminder of the hot world out there. It felt good down in the cool green vault.
I began to hear the sound of car doors slamming - post-siesta people coming to stock up with spring water. I walked up-river for a while, rock-hopping, and surprised a sparrowhawk who’d also been quiet down under the trees.
Insects, Montseny, butterflies | Tags: Argynnis paphia, Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis, Calopteryx virgo, day trip from Barcelona, escaping Barcelona heat, Mediterranean butterflies, Mediterranean damselfies, montseny in august, river walk in Montseny, Silver-washed fritillaries, walks in Montseny|
Up in the pine trees, the hectic sawing of the cicadas almost drowns out the parakeets. The sprinklers are on in force, hissing curtains of recycled rain water. When puddles form on the paths, magpies and parakeets waddle over to bathe. A Tree rat emerges from the undergrowth, spruce and bright-eyed, and wants to join in, but is driven off by a magpie. Tail-pecking is a tried and trusted technique, often used on cats.
I get to see my first ever cicada. It seems ludicrous that I’d never seen one before. Fixed quite low on the tree, its body vibrates without pause, long wings curved like sycamore seeds.
Over in the pond, an inevitable Red-eared slider swims ponderously past. Someone’s also introduced shoals of small gold fish – several days hunting for any kingfisher passing by next autumn. Dragonflies sunbathe on the stone slabs round the edge and I try to sneak up for a closer look.
The Broad Scarlet Darter (Crocothemis erythraea) is almost transluscent under the hot sun. It’s saturated with colour, which spills over to the wings, where the veins near the body are like red netting. The amber pterostygma at the tips are like small stained glass windows.
There’s another basking dragonfly – the Blacktailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) – stocky and powder blue.
So many male dragonflies – where are the females? I spot two Scarlet Darters coupled up in the wheel position. Once released, the beige-coloured female oviposits pogoing across the water, dangerously oblivious to the group of young mallards. One lunges at her, but she’s away.
Barcelona, Insects, Palau de Pedralbes park | Tags: Barcelona in July, Barcelona nature, Barcelona parks, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad Scarlet Dragonfly, cicadas in Barcelona, dragonflies in Spain, Mediterranean dragonflies, summer in Barcelona|
The road up to Santa Fe is one of countless twists. You climb, swinging to the right and the left, until finally you take another turn and find you’ve left the Mediterranean behind. It was intoxicating to be out of the coastal heat and in an under-canopy world of streams, fungus, and beetles that glow like sapphires.
We’d planned a short walk to a rocky outcrop known as the “Empedrat de Morou”, a good place for lunch. But an hour later, we were still within a stone’s throw of the visitors’ centre. It’s what happens when coastal urbanites are let lose in a completely diferent habitat.
Chafer beetles (Hoplia caerulea) were scattered in profusion near the stream, shining in the deep deciduous shade. We watched them stretch their limbs and use their hooked extremities to negotiate the leaves. Then there was the enticing pool by the tree roots, where tadpoles lurked, legs sticking out at right angles (identification pending). But by the time the Camberwell Beauty flew past, pursuit would’ve been stretching patience. On we went, towards lunch on the Empedrat de Morou.
The route took us through coppiced chestnuts and into the solemn beech wood, among large granite boulders. But clearings were frequent and all had butterfly activity, to the consternation of those with growing hunger pangs. A Comma (Polygonia c-album) was chased away to thwart more photography sessions. Then a stunning Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) settled on the track, marked like a cheetah above, and with large silvery spots below.
Despite gnawing hunger, it was worth holding out to the Empedrat de Morou. The rocks are smooth, the view inspiring, and there were even chives growing in the cracks, for forager Nick to spice up his sandwiches. Other fissures were filled with white flowering stonecrop, possibly Sedum hirsutum. While eating you could look over the Santa Fe valley at the Turo del’Home, partially hidden in the clouds.
The mist suddenly went roaming and came swirling around us, so we ducked down into the woods again. Although the trail was simple, we managed to lose it, and for a while were plunging ankle-deep in beech leaves and marshy soil. All kinds of fungus had emerged after last week’s rain, with thick white stems and caps like freshly baked bread.
We hit solid ground again near the small reservoir, which used to provide electricity for the Santa Fe hotel. There were Heath spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata) and wild strawberries by the path. We went past a stream where water slid over the rocks in a succession of pools and waterfalls - an otter’s playgound. Monica did some sliding too, but luckily had dry clothes to get changed into.
On the way down, back to the coast, we pulled over for a while and walked about in the warm light mist. Vapours were pouring up the slope, like smoke out of a chimney. The roadsides were filled with colour: Nettle-leaved bellflowers (Campanula trachelium), Yarrow (Achillea millefoium), and vivid Pinks (Dianthus seguieri) and Violets (Viola bubanii). The last moments of calm were savoured before going home.
Insects, Montseny, Plants, butterflies | Tags: beech wood of Santa Fe, Dianthus seguieri, Empedrat de Morou, Hoplia caerulea, Mediterranean butterflies, Mediterranean wildflowers, Queen of Spain fritillary, Santa Fe, trips near barcelona, Viola bubanii, walking in Montseny, wild flowers of Montseny|
We were leaving the coast behind, Pyrenean-bound. Back in Barcelona, the trees were wearing light new foliage, and through the train window, we could see spring spreading inland along the River Ter. House martins and swallows swooped over the rain-swollen water, set to be torrential when the thaw reaches the mountains.
Climbing out of Campdevanol, spring receded with every step to an earlier phase. The way was spotted yellow with Cinquefoil (Potentilla neumanniana), unchecked by any competition. The woods were lit up with white and purple anemones (Anemone hepatica). In a sheltered spot, Peacock butterflies (Inachis io) came out with the sun, their rich colours as warming as brandy.
In the Sierra above Montgrony, rising to 2,000 metres, spring would presumably have even less of a foothold. But there were surprises. A strong scent invaded a clearing, its source a small solitary bush of Common Mezereon (Daphne mezereum), all bare branch and florid pink blossom. Horses were hungrily tearing at the short grass where emphatically blue Spring Gentians had sprung up. Higher up, purple crocuses could hardly wait for the patches of snow to melt.
We stood near the top looking over at the high mountains on the French border, white under an iron-grey sky. A line of geese crossed the ridge, heading north.
Wearing every spare layer, we got out our lunch. The silence was broken by a kronk, as two Ravens materialised, settling near by. Sometimes they rose up and circled us, black feathers shining like oil. As soon as we moved on, they came and cleared up the leftovers. The mountains felt very remote that day, but the ravens were a reminder that other people come up and have picnics too.
Large outstretched wings passed above – a Red Kite. Below, we saw the brown backs of Griffon Vultures. The Gombrèn valley is a busy highway for raptors moving in and out of the Cadi-Moixeró area. The day before we’d seen a pair of Egyptian Vultures, a very easterly sighting.
Descending under a shower, we watched the outlines of the hills opposite gradually merge with the clouds, and it was our turn for the sun again.
Birds, Insects, Plants, Pyrenees, Trip reports | Tags: Anemone hepatica, cinquefoil, Common mezereon, Egyptian vulture, Gentiana verna, griffon vulture, Inachis io, Montgrony, Peacock butterfly, Potentilla neumanniana, Ravens, spring, spring gentian, walking in the Pyrenees|
On a path in Collserola I came across a whir of wings near a Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides). My camera caught the Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum) uncoiling its lengthy proboscis to dip into the glistening nectar.
At rest, the moth is a non-descript brown, but in flight you can see its orange hindwings, albeit in a blur. So much movement requires copious quantities of nectar, so they are restless foragers. They are also strong migrators, crossing the Alps to reach central and northern Europe.
Though innately attracted to blue, Hummingbird Hawkmoths soon discover that flowers of other colours can be profitable too, including the inconspicuous yellow-green Wood Spurge. A long proboscis is not really necessary with this plant, which serves nectar up on a plate.
What the Wood Spurge lacks in colour it compensates with elegance. Each cyathium contains four nectar-secreting glands in the shape of half-moons. They encircle the male and female flowers, although young plants are sometimes male only, like this one. The whole structure is about to be repeated as two pale green cyathia are poised to unfurl.
Collserola, Insects, Plants | Tags: Euphorbia amygdaloides, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum, Mediterranean flora, Wood spurge|
The strongest winds in Catalonia are the Tramuntana in the north and Mistral in the south. Barcelona, halfway down the coast, usually escapes their full force, while enjoying sparking clear skies when they blow. But Saturday, January 25th was different.
For hours and hours, the wind tried to tear everything from its place. Lights dimmed, threatening to go out, and above the general din, sirens of firemen to the rescue were constant. Eventually the pauses between gusts grew longer, and their direction shifted from west to north, leaving people to face the consequences, in lives lost and property destroyed.
The next day, the force of the gale was writ large in Collserola. Nearly all the toppled trees were Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis Leer
Barcelona, Collserola, Insects, Trees, weather | Tags: Aleppo pine, Libythea celtis, Mediterranean weather, nettle tree butterfly, Pinus halepensis, winds in Spain|
