Comparison between Iphiclides podalirius VS Iphiclides p. feisthamelii  What a pleasure to go after dragonflies and find this gorgeous specimen on my doorstep in the lavander!   Un Flambé magnifique, un des plus beaux papillons d’Europe, dans la lavande du jardin. Ces plants isolés m’ont offert un bokeh assez uni mais je n’ai pu me concentrer […]
Tag: Noushka
Dragonfly, a formidable predator
I suggest here a more detailed follow up to this article, about odonate predation. A dragonfly feeds exclusively on live preys, whether it is still at the stage of larva or of a winged imago: it consumes a wide variety of insects daily from flies (Diptera), to bees (Hymenoptera), to some beetles, to butterflies (Lepidoptera), […]
All about Common Scarlet-darter
Crocothémis écarlate et coeur copulatoire Crocothemis erythraea – Anisoptera – Crocothemis -Cette magnifique espèce est devenue courante en Europe du sud et de l’est, mais elle nous vient d’Afrique comme le Trithémis pourpré – Trithemis annulata – qui est arrivé dans notre pays plus récemment (suivre le lien pour lire son histoire). Cette libellule peut […]
Butterfly larvae mimic queen ant to avoid detection
Parasitic butterfly larvae may mimic ants’ acoustic signals to aid in the infiltration of their host colonies, according to results published April 9, 2014, in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Marco Sala from University of Turin, Italy, and colleagues. Very interesting article you can read in English [HERE…] Papillons et larves de papillons […]
European polecat
Mustela putorius putorius – Rare pictures of this forest creature with wet hair from all the rain we had these last weeks. Mustelidae close to the weasel, mink, otter and hermine. Its domestic counterpart is the ferret (Mustela putorius furo). Short-legged, this animal measures from 35 to 37 cms long without the tail and weighs […]
2 species of owl flies
Ascalaphe loriot – Libelloides ictericus -Neuroptera – Ascalaphidae 4 genders of owl flies divided into 14 species in Europe.This first one is a scarce insect for which I haven’t found the English vernacular name. It occurs around the Mediterranean dry countries and can be rarely found in about 4 French departments. We encountered this individual […]
The Common Genet
Genetta genetta – I went to photograph quite a different subject knowing that in this low mountain area Genets are quite common, I was hoping to see one but without really believing it. This one was having a nap in a tree hollow so must have had a meal not long ago. The big eyes […]
Plea for the Pyrenean stags
The largest and best reproductive males are systematically culled for their trophies even during the bellowing period. Result: these males are not seen any more and the younger ones hesitate to come down in the Pyrenean valleys to join the females; this is what’s left to admire… A sad situation. As the wild boar, this […]