Uploads from jeans_Photos, tagged stratton

How sweet

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:16:51 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Red capped robin on the reserve gate.

Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:31:29 -0800

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Think exist quote

Golden-browed Resin bee

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:42:38 -0800

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Megachile aurifrons

Australian Biological Resources Study explains this photo.
"The fore legs are very distinctive. The lower part has a translucent disc with a large dark central spot, above the disc is a line of long, stout hairs, and below the disc the claws are asymmetrical."

"Megachile aurifrons is a resin bee. Resin bees are so-called because the females build nest cells from plant resins and some species use chewed plant material as well. Females use their strong mandibles in the collection and preparation of nesting materials and building the nest.

Megachile aurifrons nests naturally in old borer holes and hollow stems, they have also been recorded by the author nesting in slender, rigid plastic piping in a greenhouse, abandoned mud wasp nests, and a trap nest. The cardboard tubes of the trap nest were lined with masticated plant material and resin, and partitioned into cells using the same material. Each cell contained a thick pollen paste, there were several larvae in each cell.

Adults fly all year in northern Australia, and from spring to late summer in cooler areas."

See a bee landing

Digging in

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:59:40 -0800

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Fred photographed this series of photos (15 Nov 2011) of a Blue banded bee starting to dig a burrow. The bee allowed us to move around it and take photos using a flash. She seemed quite happy for us to be there.

Here she is keeping an eye on us and starting to dig in. She had used her head to push the gray sand rock (in bottom left corner) out of the way.

See more information and video

This bee appears to be a different species than those shown in a previous photo.

Head to Head

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:09:36 -0800

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

These are easier to photograph when they are asleep!!

Photo: Fred

Explored: Jan 14, 2013 #8

Needle leaved smokebush

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 05:06:12 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Conospermum acerosum This was beautiful in the reserve this year. The individual flowers are grouped together in small heads and together they make a large spike of flowers.

Orange

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:47:52 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Drosera callistos
One of the many brightly shining orange pygmy drosera plants.

Peacock spider

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:15:37 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Maratus mungaich
In July we found a number of these tiny spiders. Each time we thought. "We have enough photos. We don't need to take any more."

The males are just so pretty and cute, the temptation was too great. :))

This fellow is having a break from his frenetic running and searching for a female or food. Sometimes they sat for a few minutes very still but with one leg stretched sideways.

Photo: Jean

Beefly

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:23:48 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

This fly usually lands with its head down and abdomen in the air. It has a set of white setae down the side of its abdomen.

Photo: Jean

Pleasure or pain?

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:53:15 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Today we captured an eventful moment in the life of the colourful little male Maratus mungaich jumping spider. He is all of around 3-4 mm long. He is out on his first date. He meets his lady friend sitting on the same reed only 100 mm away. He must get her attention. He is beautifully dressed for the occasion. He raises his stunning wraparound mediaeval cloak from the Maratus mungaich clan and sways with this from side to side – a performance that would make Elvis proud.

Surely she can see him. But she was not impressed.

So he waves to her raising and lowering his much longer third leg from each side of his body – so desperate for her to look his way. He persists with his colourful display for about 10 minutes or so - his black eyes focussed on her.

I suppose you know that it is pretty tough in the jungle for the little people.

At a defining moment she launched herself at him landing squarely on top of him. In less than a second his passions and egos were smashed to bits. He desperately freed himself from her evil embrace, diving for cover under some leaves, breathing heavily whilst thinking that at least he could live and love another day. She probably went off in a huff wondering whether to have takeaways for dinner instead.

Photo and description: Fred

Mama mungaich

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:32:53 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

Maratus mungaich - Peacock spider

I like her brown eyes.

Photo: Fred

Watch it!

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:48:49 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

These flower wasps always look so ferocious and yet I have found they are really gentle.

Photo: Fred

Bee digs in

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:59:27 -0800

jeans_Photos posted a video:

I photographed this bee digging a burrow November 2011.

"Amegilla bees are a group of native bee species that do not produce honey but are important pollinators of crops and wild plants. Amegilla bees are not aggressive but can sting for defence. They have a mild sting that is much less painful than that of a honey bee. Amegilla bees, often known as banded bees because of their characteristic striped abdomens are medium-sized bees (10-12mm in length) with a golden brown head . Males rest overnight by clinging to plant stems. They live independently of others (i.e. they are solitary) and nest in burrows in the soil, soft sandstone, old mortar or even mud bricks." Fact sheet

Beefly

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:23:48 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

A dark fly sitting on the track soaking up some sunshine.

Aleucosia australensis

Photo: Jean

Stiletto flies

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 07:08:50 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

These tiny Stiletto flies were congregating on a sunny section of a sand track in the reserve. Most were male. At 3pm they all disappeared.

Parapsilocephala duocoloris?

Males ~5mm
Photo: Jean

Best viewed at full size.

Patience

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 05:02:28 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

This male wasp was very patient with his female and often sat and waited while she fed on the nectar from the Geraldon wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum ) flowers. This is only the second time I have seen the female feeding directly from the flower. Usually the male gathers pollen or nectar and passes it back to her mouth to mouth.

The female is wingless and is carried by the male during mating, to the flowers to feed.

Stiletto flies

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 07:28:26 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

An amazing find during the week. Fred saw and photographed a Stiletto fly.

15mm long

Photos: Fred

Stone hopper

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 06:47:51 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

This little stone hopper moved and attracted my attention. I had a chance of one good shot then it hopped away. It was so camouflaged I had no chance of seeing it again. I have looked out for it but not seen it. It is related to www.flickr.com/photos/jean_hort/7580870796/

It is also very similar to one from South Australia Phanerocerus testudo.

Castianeira sp ?

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:42:13 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

It looked like a small ant running over the ground. It appeared to be a male spider with large palps. It stopped long enough for me to get a photo or two and it started to rain so we had to move on.

Wolf spider Lair

nobody@flickr.com (jeans_Photos) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 04:49:29 -0700

jeans_Photos posted a photo:

A sand spider living in a burrow with a palisade of sticks around the opening.
Out and about in the daytime. Here she is sitting on the sand with her hind legs touching the web holding the grass surrounds of her burrow palisade.