A flower for you! 😊

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Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) enjoying the sun 🦋🌞

Normally they always fly away 😆

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Ichneumon wasp,
Ophion obscuratus

I found this male in the house last night and brought him back outside. It's a nocturnal parasitic wasp species. Females look for caterpillars and inject one egg per host. The caterpillars remain alive until the wasp larva reaches its final instar. The adults feed mainly on plant sap and nectar and continue enjoying their lives. This species is one of the few that fly around even in winter. It's distribution area includes the entire Palearctic and Indomalaya.

Some representatives of the ichneumon wasps (not this one) carry a special virus in their genome and use it to produce virions, which after injection influence the host's behavior, metabolism and immune system.

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My furry friend, so grumpy and cute! 😄

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European hornet (Vespa crabro)

It's covered in dust.

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Female Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis). This one has just reached sexual maturity. After its moult, the insect first has to harden and take on color. The long sting is called ovipositor and is used to lay eggs in the ground. But that will never happen, because crickets taste best that tender to my geckos.😋

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Warning! Not suitable for imitation! Even slightly poisonous animals can be fatal and any animal can behave unexpectedly at any time.

I've had a persistent fascination for getting bees, wasps and spiders on my fingers since early childhood. I've always wondered why everyone panics when an animal like that is around. Panic isn't necessary. Only respect and prudence. I've never been stung or bitten, apart from a few accidents, when I stepped on or reached into it unnoticed. Still, I wouldn't dare to pick up my Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea). I don't think that's even possible without stressing both of us.

With my deeply relaxed Vietnam forest scorpion (Heterometrus laoticus) I had the impression that it was easily possible and I couldn't resist giving it a one-time try. The species is known for its peacefulness. He crawled onto the hand by himself and behaved relatively calmly. Scorpions always observe their surroundings very closely with all their senses and sometimes react to it in a startled way. He moves backwards away from the potential danger and can easily fall off the hand.

Scorpion stings are described as extremely painful. It's considered to be one of the most painful poisons in the world. The reason for this are special acids it contains. A good first remedy for the pain is said to be strong chewing tobacco that is applied to the area. According to scorpion researcher Martin Handjaba, who handles many different species, he and his colleagues have been stung many times. With the first sting, usually no poison is injected. Young scorpions like to shoot a full load straight away and every animal is different! You shouldn't try to figure out. They feel most comfortable in a natural or nature-like environment anyway.

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Life is a journey 😊

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Exactly half a year ago, on a warm and rainy summer night. I love walking through the night, enjoying the silence, discovering beauty and letting the mind and emotions breathe.😊

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Desert locusts (Shistocerca gregaria) only do two things 🤷‍♂️

I feed them alive to my animals.
I have also tried freeze-dried grasshoppers myself. Tasted a little like sunflower seeds. Did you ever eat insects and did you like it? 😋

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