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.

European hornet (Vespa crabro)

It's covered in dust.

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.😋

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? 😋

Enjoy life! 🎊🤷‍♂️✨

That's my brand new family member (Heterometrus laoticus) as it kills a dubia roach.

Like this fly, I'll take a little break now. I want to thank you very much. It is nice to be connected with you.😊

Green shield bug,
Palomena prasina
(07/2021 in Oberursel)


Little stinker in its fourth instar. Two moults remain until adulthood. It's a very common European species. You can find them from North Africa across Europe to Central Asia. It prefers to live on deciduous trees (linden, alder), bushes, nettles and thistles. I found this one below a linden tree. In German we call them Grüne Stinkwanze (green stink bug). My friends from North America have a very similar bug with that name (Chinavia hilaris). But they differ much in color in their larval stage and have a few small differences as adults. Both species are member of the Pentatomidae family, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. They have in common that they release a pungent defensive spray when threatened, disturbed or crrrrushhhhed.💚

Clogmia albipunctata
🚽 Bathrom 🦋 moth 🦟 midge!

This cute member of the Psychodidae family can reach a length of 3-5 millimeters. It only lives about 12 days as an adult. If it doesn't slurp water or flower nectar, it just hangs on some walls or trees.✌️

It's distribution is worldwide in tropical and temperate areas. The origin of their distribution is unknown.

Their larvae live in aquatic environments and take about 18 days to turn into a pupa, which develops into an adult after 5 days.

Because of their fine water-repellent hairs, adults and larvae are difficult to drown and are not affected by contact with most water-borne toxins. They can also handle very high temperatures.

Great banded furrow bee (male)
Halictus scabiosae

(20.06.2020 in Oberursel, Germany)

Yesterday, on a rainy summer night, somewhere between kindergarten and cemetery, I met these two friends.😁

The snail is a garden snail (Cornu aspersum). A globally invasive species originally native to the Mediterranean region. It used to be assigned to the Roman snail, but represents a genus of its own. Like the Roman snail, this species is also bred as a food snail. Even to a greater extent than the Roman snail.🐌

The isopod is a common striped woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum). A very widespread species of woodlice in Europe. Because it can run exceptionally fast, it is called the fast woodlouse.💨

Both species have a beautiful eel line.❤️

Looks like the snail is the big boss (Jabba) and the isopod is his nimble sidekick who tells him the latest news from the neighborhood.🤣