Meet our new neighbour Eva. She lives in our stairwell and is a blue-eyed ensign wasp (Evania appendigaster). She parasites the oothecas (egg capules) of cockroaches – a huge problem in Barcelona in the heat, humidity and so many restaurants. We love Eva.
Category Archives: Invertebrates of Spain
Paper wasp on nest
Paper wasp on its communal nest. Antic Jardí Botànic, Montjuïc. “While not aggressive, they will defend their nests if disturbed” … I can vouch for that…
Asian predatory wasp nest
This huge nest of invasive Asian predatory wasps found in Montseny near Barcelona. The caption read it was home to 6,000 adults, 30,000 larval cells. Adults feed on nectar, honey, sugars. Larva fed on insects, threatening eg honey bees. These nests are a common sight in Barcelona’s trees. Great and blue tits will eat larva which is something.
Museu Blau natural history museum.
Spurge hawk-moth
This fat, handsome fella near Horta de Sant Joan, Tarragona. It is the caterpillar of a spurge hawk-moth (Hyles euphorbiae) feeding on spiny starwort (Pallenis spinosa). A juicy, looking but toxic prize for many birds.
Swallowtail butterfly
This gorgeous Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthamelii) on Montjuïc, one of around 51 species of butterflies found in Barcelona’s city parks.
By way of comparison, the entire UK has ~60.