I think this is a cattleya orchid, growing on the trunk of a lychee tree. This particular tree has two or three other epiphytes, plants that grow on other plants, on its trunk.
Tag Archives: Macro
Ash grey lady beetle
I’ve always thought of lady beetles as little red creatures with black dots on their backs. So I was enlightened to see this one, also known as the ashy grey lady beetle (Olla v-nigrum). Apparently, this species can also have a completely different coloring. I learn something every day!
For more information about ash grey lady beetles, go to bugguide.net/node/view/8874.
Fiery skipper butterfly
A fiery skipper butterfly, Hylephila phyleus, dips its proboscis into a passion flower.
Chinese rose beetle
This is a Chinese rose beetle shortly after I evicted it from the house. They usually get in the house attached to laundry that was hanging on a line, towels being a particular favorite. Identifying this bug helped explain the condition of the hedge behind the house, where the leaves are so perforated they look like lace.
Green bottle fly
A green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata, checks out a flower on a tree heliotrope (Heliotropium foertherianum).
Young praying mantis
I saw this little fellow gingerly making his was across one of the windows. He was no more than an inch long.
Cuckoo wasp
I saw this small, bright insect flitting about on the new growth of a plumeria. The cuckoo wasp gets its name from its practice of laying eggs in the nests of other wasps and bees. Once hatched, the cuckoo wasp eats the host wasp or bee larva. Then it eats the food placed in the nest for the host’s offspring. Probably not an insect to invite to your next dinner party.
For more information about cuckoo wasps, go to bugguide.net/node/view/6946.
Oriental stink bug
When I first saw this bug, I thought it was a Japanese beetle. Later, I realized I was wrong and it was a stink bug. They get their name because they can emit a foul-smelling substance when disturbed. Luckily, I didn’t disturb it enough to provoke that response, though there was no way I was going to leave it be on the basil plant where I found it. Most mornings see the plant with new holes or bite marks. Seems to be a favorite of just about every bug around.
