Blog Archives

Micromoth

July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Posted in Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Micromoth

8mm long | July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Side view

Posted in Featured Photos | Leave a comment

Caterpillar

13mm long | July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Posted in Featured Photos | Leave a comment

Mystery Eggs

Egg, ~1mm wide | July 12, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

These curiously textured and patterned eggs were placed on a dried leaf tip. I don’t recall ever seeing anything quite like them. I don’t know what they are, but I’d guess moth eggs.

Some of the ones around the edge are a bit crumpled.

Edge shot, showing crumpling

Here’s a wider view, to give you some context for the placement.

Wider shot, showing placement

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Parasitic Wasp Cocoon

6mm long | July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

These attractively patterned little cocoons seem to be a common sight no matter where I travel. Each one holds the pupa of a parasitic wasp. I’ll often find what’s left of a caterpillar host nearby. The ones I notice are usually suspended by a thread, as here. That’s not always the case though.

Posted in Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Assassin Bug

July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This assassin bug mimics a bee quite well. It even seems to have pollen baskets on its hind legs.

Posted in Featured Photos | 3 Comments

Aetalionid

11mm long | July 8, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This atypical treehopper belongs not to the family Membracidae, but to a separate family, Aetalionidae.

Searching around on the internet, it seems most photographers generally seem to catch these hoppers while tending their eggs, as shown here.

To learn a bit more about the family check out Ted C. MacRae’s post from earlier this year.

Reference:

[book:1554073456]

Posted in Featured Photos | 1 Comment

Hairy Cocoons

15mm long | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I found quite a few cocoons like the one shown above. They all had openings where the moths or parasitoids had emerged. I didn’t spot any hairy caterpillars that might be responsible for them. Here are a few more examples of the cocoons.

Cocoon with emergence hole

One more example

Posted in Featured Photos | Leave a comment

Caterpillar

25mm long | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I found several of these caterpillars. They all had lighter colored mid-abdominal segments, like this one.

Posted in Featured Photos | 1 Comment

Another Possible Cyphonia Treehopper

3mm long | July 6, 2011 | Victorio Siqueroli Park, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

This might be another Cyphonia species. I’ve seen a few similar ones before, but not one quite like this.

Side view

I believe these photos are all of the same individual, but I can’t be sure. It was skittish, but when spooked it always seemed to land close by.

Another view

These really are very small treehoppers, only around 3mm long.

Dorsal view

Dorsal view

Posted in Featured Photos | 2 Comments