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Blog Archives
Spider Corpse with Fungus
14mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Can you spot the spider corpse here? Looks like it succumbed to some sort of fungal infection. Fungi are quite diverse and I don’t recall ever seeing one quite like this one. Here’s a closer view.
Closeup of fungus
I suspect that webbing is probably from the spider itself. It probably was hiding inside a silken retreat when it died.
Side view
Would the fungus properly be called an arachnopathogen? I think so but there’s practically no hits when I search for that term.
I did find a photo with a similar looking fungus on BugGuide though. Sadly, no info on the identity of the fungus. It’s neat to see that the photo was taken not too far from where I live though.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Colorful Leafhopper
5mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
It’s a shame I found this attractive little leafhopper on such an ugly leaf.
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Thorn Mimic Treehoppers
10mm long | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Treehoppers like this one are sometimes said to mimic thorns. If so, it would have to be a dull thorn, and it doesn’t do it much good hanging out on a leaf. More often though, you’ll find them hanging out together on branches.
Group of treehoppers
Posted in Featured Photos
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Lacewing Eggs Comparison
9mm high | July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I assume these are hatched lacewing eggs, though I think there are other critters that lay stalked eggs as well. What I found interesting was how long the stalks are relative to the eggs. The lacewing eggs I usually find have relatively shorter stalks. Compare the hatched ones above with some unhatched ones below that I found in a park close to home.
5mm high | August 27, 2011 | Twelvestones, Roswell, GA, USA
Searching around the internet I see two common explanations for why eggs are laid on stalks. First, the stalks make it more difficult for predators such as ants to reach the eggs. The stalks are sometimes even coated with a repellent substance. Second, lacewing larvae are cannibalistic and the stalks serve to keep keep newly hatched larvae away from each other.
Posted in Featured Photos
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Scale Insects
July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I assume these are scale insects. When I saw them I remembered the mysterious sign I spotted earlier in the year in Costa Rica. After seeing this, I think scales were probably responsible for that.
Note how they’re arranged along the central leaf vein. They’re undoubtedly taking plant juices through that midvein.
Click on the photo for a larger version and see if you scan spot a small mite (an “easter egg” I didn’t know about when I took the photo). Then see if you can find its recently cast off skin!
Posted in Easter Eggs, Featured Photos
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Crypsis Challenge #14 Reveal: Bark Mantis
Did you rise to the latest crypsis challenge and spot the bark mantis in the photo? If not, take another look with the help of my crude outlining skills.
July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Mantis Position Revealed
This bark mantis was the first thing I photographed on my first visit to Victorio Siqueroli Park. It was difficult trying to get some natural light photos that showed off its camouflage. It’s head down in the shot above, but it moved around during the shoot and ended up in various positions. Here’s some more shots with the aid of flash.
Posted in Crypsis Challenges
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Crypsis Challenge #14
July 5, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Can you spot the camouflaged critter in this image?
Posted in Crypsis Challenges
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Victorio Siquieroli City Park
Park Entrance
In July I spent a few weeks at our condo in Uberlândia, Brazil. Unable to take the time for any side trips, I sought out nearby locations for nature photography. I was pleasantly surprised by Parque Municipal Victório Siquieroli (Victorio Siquieroli City Park).
The park is a little slice of cerrado (Brazilian tropical savanna) nestled in the northern part of the city. The park comprises an area of about 23 hectares (57 acres) and promotes environmental consciousness. There’s even a small museum that gives visitors a look at the biodiversity of the cerrado. The park is named after Victório Siquieroli whose wife convinced him in 1996 to donate the land to the city for the construction of the park.
Posted in Location Profiles
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Camouflaged Planthopper
15mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This little planthopper blends in pretty well with the lichen covered bark I found it on.
Side view
Posted in Featured Photos
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Caterpillar
30mm | July 9, 2011 | Tupaciguara, Minas Gerais, Brazil
I might not have noticed this caterpillar during the day, but after dark it stood out in the light of my headlamp.
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