Bugs of Crete

[Amadeus]

Probably minority viewing this thread but I don't really care!:-)

I'm in Crete for a few days and have found a few bugs which I've taken some pics of. If I find anything else interesting I'll add them later.

An as yet un-identified beetle (shout if you know what it is):
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/a243d4a7.jpg

And a praying mantis - the first I've seen in the wild. I stroked him and he turned his head to look at me - if an insect can give contemptuous looks, this little chap did it:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/3be55986.jpg

Anyway, hope at least someone likes them.

[DarrenSV650S]

The mantis is cool :D I wouldn't have picked up the beetle lol

[Dave20046]

You stroked a praying mantis? They're one insect that makes me almost shudder on sight.
Never seen one that colour before!


I is no hexpert but the first reminds me of a scarab beetle.

[Amadeus]

I pick up any animal I find. I surprised my mum once many years ago when she found me stroking bees on lavender... :-). Oh, and i got told off at a zoo (belize - a rather amateur affair) for stroking a cougar through the bars in the cage. For some reason I'm not scared of animals. I probably should have learned after I got bitten by an adder when I was about 12, but i don't seem to have so far.

Anyways, glad you like them.

The only animal I find creepy is a horseshoe crab. Oh, and the fossa which just look evil.

[Amadeus]

And yes, good point, it does look the shape of a scarab. Will identify it when I get home, tho there are a few people on the forum who like animals as well so they may well know.

[minimorecambe]

We have a small zoo near us and they have Fossa.
I was there with my Niece and as we were walking up to the Fossa enclouser, there was a group of people and a lot of commotion.
The loudest voice you could here was a lady yelling at a young boy with a jumper wrapped round his hand.
I expect this lady was the boys Mam. He was crying his eyes out poor lad.

Found out later that he had gone under the barrier and put his hand between the bars. I think he is now a few fingers short :-?

[Amadeus]

You wouldn't have thought with the health and safety laws we have here that it would be possible but kids always find a way...
Like you said, poor kid but on the upside, he'll not do it again...

[Jayneflakes]

Lovely pics, I saw my first Mantis when I lived in France and it was beautiful, did not know that they could fly though until it took off!

[Stenno]

Looks a bit like a dung beetle!

[keith_d]

Looks a bit like a dung beetle!

Naah, it looks a whole lot like a dung beetle.

http://www.shutterstone.co.uk/frame1024.htm?otheranimals/dungbeetle.htm

[Amadeus]

I think the legs were wrong for a dung beetle but there was a lot of sheep pooh around....

[LankyIanB]

Be careful when stroking a mantis. Anything that moves within range is considered prey and is grabbed at. Those front legs are surprisingly strong and sharp and they don't let go easily.

If you do pick one up, be prepared for discomfort as they'll try to stab you with the pointed ends of those front legs... It's surprising how far they can reach behind their heads.

This info coming from the person who brought one home (in cabin baggage) from Spain when he was 15. Should have seen the expression on my dad's face when he found out.... Kept it in a tank at home. Whole family used to catch flies for it, then release them in the tank. They never used to last more than 10 minutes before they were caught. Some lasted less than 10 seconds!!

Gruesome but absolutely fascinating.

[gruntygiggles]

Like you said, poor kid but on the upside, he'll not do it again...

What, like being bitten by an adder as a 12 year old taught you not to do it again? lol. ;-)

I think it is just in some of us that we have a love affair and fascination with all things natural in this world. I do not like spiders being near me AT ALL....but I am fascinated by them and so long as they stay still, I can get as close as like just to look at all the detail and pattern. Saw a Black Widow in a smoking shed in Texas years ago and when I was told to move away, all I could do was take probably the only chance I'd ever get and have a really good look.

Thos pics are fab and please...take more. Me likey this thread :-)

[gruntygiggles]

Be careful when stroking a mantis. Anything that moves within range is considered prey and is grabbed at. Those front legs are surprisingly strong and sharp and they don't let go easily.

If you do pick one up, be prepared for discomfort as they'll try to stab you with the pointed ends of those front legs... It's surprising how far they can reach behind their heads.

This info coming from the person who brought one home (in cabin baggage) from Spain when he was 15. Should have seen the expression on my dad's face when he found out.... Kept it in a tank at home. Whole family used to catch flies for it, then release them in the tank. They never used to last more than 10 minutes before they were caught. Some lasted less than 10 seconds!!

Gruesome but absolutely fascinating.

Haha...my dad bought home the cone of a Sequoia (Giant Redwood) from Sequoia National Park when I was little and as he took it out of the bag, a cricket jumped out. We kept that thing well fed for the rest of the summer...was awesome. :-)

[LankyIanB]

Adder bites - I never saw the one that bit me! Didn't learn much on the how not to get bitten front. Learnt quite a bit about extensive bruising from the venom....

[Amadeus]

Adder bites - I never saw the one that bit me! Didn't learn much on the how not to get bitten front. Learnt quite a bit about extensive bruising from the venom....

I thought I'd try and grab it behind the head like they do in films... I thought I had good reactions - they may have been but not compared to a snake...:-)
I had a couple of holes which bled a bit - I showed my parents whe were mildly concerned but it only went a bit red - nothing much to worry about... :-)

[Amadeus]

Be careful when stroking a mantis.

<snip>

Gruesome but absolutely fascinating.

Great info - thanks! I didn't really think that much about whether it would attack me - I thought its head and mouth were too small. I think if I'd thought i might be attacked I'd have annoyed it until it did attack just to see what happened. I actually did this with a bee a few years ago because I wondered how much a bee dying hurt - I assumed it didn't hurt that much and I only remembered it hurting because the last time if been stung I was about 5. Anyway, I agitated this bee, it stung me and it really hurt for about 25 minutes. Surprisingly so... :-)

[Amadeus]

Todays efforts - depressingly low on the bug front but a few nice things:

A goat hanging on to a rock:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/ab21f06f.jpg

A sheep licking my hand (lovely and soft he was):
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/496781e2.jpg

And a red beetle:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/26e9d96e.jpg

Oh, and after cursory investigation it seems that dung beetles are found on all continents other than Antarctica do it could be one. I've lost my bug book as I've just moved house but I'll try and identify it when I'm home.

[LankyIanB]

The red beetle looks more like a bug than a beetle. Can't find my field guide at the minute (haven't moved house for nearly 9 years so don't have that excuse...)

See http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/Hemiptera.htm

[Amadeus]

Ooh, yes. Tbh, I always use bug as a fairly generic term tho as I do like shield bugs I should have realised it was more than that.
Looks like it could be the same family. Was scooting around at quite a pace, unlike beetles who seem to be quite leisurely creatures.

[Amadeus]

Fly porn! There was another participant but I didn't manage to capture that and besides, probably break the U rating of the site:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/db477de5.jpg

And a few of a devils coach horse. Used to see them a lot when I was young but not seen one for years:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/d3e1eddc.jpg
And after I annoyed him:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/99d91be5.jpg
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/rpwoodman/3dfd5297.jpg