Hesse, a state in the heart of Germany, is characterized by a diverse biocultural landscape. From the wooded low mountain ranges like the Taunus and the Vogelsberg to the fertile valleys along the Rhine, Hesse offers a wide range of habitats for a variety of plant and animal species. The flora is marked by deciduous and coniferous trees in the forests, as well as typical Central European plants such as beeches, oaks, and chestnuts. The fauna includes a variety of species, including deer, wild boar, foxes, badgers, and various bird species like woodpeckers and owls. The people of Hesse have developed a close relationship with nature over the centuries, reflected in traditions such as the preservation of orchards and the protection of nature reserves. Despite challenges from land use, urbanization, and climate change, the protection and preservation of this biocultural diversity remain crucial for the future of Hesse and the well-being of its residents.
The Seven Sleepers is a medieval legend about a group of youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around AD 250 to escape one of the Roman persecutions of Christians and emerged some 300 years later.
🌥️ A weather lore says: "The weather today will remain the same for seven more weeks."
It has a kernel of truth. From the end of June to the beginning of July, the weather conditions usually stabilize. Actually, the Seven Sleepers Day is on July 7th, if you transfer it to today's calendar. In southern Germany, where the rule seems to be originated, for the first week of July, it has an accuracy of about 70 percent.
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This post is part of the artistic performance The Happening on Instagram.
Biting Ladybug! Yes, I got bitten on the arm by a ladybug and it pinched a little! 🐞🤕
I last had a similar experience when I was six years old, when a ladybug bit me painfully in my best part.😅🤭
Until now I wasn't sure if the ladybug bit me or if its defensive secretion caused the pain. But it was definitely a bite both times.
🔍 So I did some research and it is actually known that the Asian ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) bites people from time to time. They do this from a lack of food or fluids. Allergic reactions are possible but very rare. It's very dry here at the moment because it's very warm and it rarely rains.
However, when I was bitten in 1992, the Asian ladybug had not yet been documented in the wild in Germany. The first record of free-ranging Asian ladybugs in Europe was in Belgium in 2001.
In the meantime, one finds almost exclusively Asian ladybugs (images 1 and 2).
⚠️ Two-spot ladybugs (images 3 and 4) and other native ladybug species are now classified as highly endangered.
This two-spot ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) got lost in my room yesterday. It is a rare color variant, found in 15 percent of the species. Two-spotted ladybugs are usually red with a black spot on each elytra. The black variant is black, with two to three red spots per elytra.
Green is the color of hope. I can still remember the first time I heard that saying. I was asked to choose the color for a game called "Mensch ärgere Dich nicht!" (Man, Don't Get Angry!) and I chose green. I didn't win.
Still, I stuck with this color. Because you should never give up hope.
