Seasons in the Netherlands |
Summer 2008 |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Wasps & Bees |
Calameuta filiformis | |
Elsenhove (near Amstelveen), 14 June |
Macrophya montana | |
Amstelveense Poel, 22 June |
Colletes succinctus | |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Cerceris arenaria |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Cerceris spec. | Dasypoda hirtipes |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Hedychrum spec. | |
Drents-Friese Woud, 2 August |
Harpactus lunulatus | Crabro cribarius |
Amstelveen, 14 June |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Mellinus arvensis |
Diodontus/ Passaloecus spec. |
Amstelveen, 21 June |
Amstelveen, 21 June |
Priocnemis spec. | Vespula rufa |
Amstelveen, 21 June |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Sicus ferrugineus & Bombus spec. | ||
Drents-Friese Woud, 2 August The conopid flies (seven in total!) parasitize on Bombus species, making this an interesting photo! The bumblebee seems not worried at all - probably with good reason, since the flies attack only flying bumblebees. |
Excavarus apiarius |
Gorytes cf. quinquecinctus |
Conops flavipes |
Drents-Friese Woud, 2 & 3 August Three widely different insects, sharing the same color pattern: black with yellow bands and spots, (fore)wing partially clouded. Could this be mimicry? If so, the aculeate wasp Gorytes is the most likely model, with its ability to sting. Left is a Ichneumonid wasp, right a thick-headed fly; if they lack a proper defense, they might achieve some protection from mimicing the wasp - this would be an example of Batesian mimicry. However, both could possibly be distasteful themsleves, and advertise this by the black & yellow color pattern. In that case, this would be an instant of Müllerian mimicry. The shared pattern would then enhance the speed of learning of predators. The more often a predator has an unpleasant experience with black & yellow colored prey, the faster it will learn to avoid all insects with this color pattern. |
Flies |
Asilus crabroniformis | |
Aekingerzand, 2 August. The name crabroniformis suggests a likeness to Vespa crabro. However, I find the likeness rather poor - in color pattern as well as in behavior. So mimicry as an explanation for the superficial likeness seems rather far-fetched to me. |
Dioctria cothurnata | ||
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August The prey of this Robberfly is a small apterous wasp, probably Gelis agilis. Since this wasp normally runs on bare soil, this observation suggests that Dioctria cothurnata at least incidentally preys upon sedentary insects. |
Dysmachus trigonus |
Amstelveen, 14 June. |
An unexpected guest in the polder, where peat and clay are the dominating soil types. However, I saw this fly on a sandy dike, close to a highway, also built on sand. Furthermore, the area close to the observation was rife with contruction activities, which all start with bringing sand to the area. So maybe this fly was accidentely introduced? |
Machimus atricapillus | |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August. |
Machimus cingulatus | |
Aekingerzand, 2 August. |
Hijkersmilde, 3 August. The prey is Lucilia spec. |
Philonicus albiceps | ||
Aekingerzand, 2 August. |
Anasimyia contracta |
Amstelveen, 14 June. |
Anasimyia transfuga | |
Amsterdam, 16 June. |
Melangyna umbellatarum | |
Amsterdamse bos, 26 July |
Amstelveen, 9 August |
Chloromyia formosa | |
Amsterdam, 16 June |
Stratiomys singularior | ||
Amstelveen, 9 August |
Gymnosoma spec. | Eurithia anthophila |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Linnaemya vulpina | |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Phasia hemiptera | |
Amsterdamse bos, 26 July |
Protocalliphora azurea |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Hybomitra cf. ciureai | |
Bovensmilde, 3 August |
Butterflies |
Pieris rapae |
Amsterdam, 16 June. |
Aricia agestis | Plebejus argus |
Amstelveen, 9 August |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Polyommatus icarus | |
Amstelveen, 26 July. Two males. |
Polygonia c-album | |
Amsterdamse bos, 26 July. Female ovipositing at stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. |
Lasiommata megera |
Amstelveen, 17 August. Male. |
Hesperia comma | Hipparchia semele |
Aekingerzand, 2 August. | Aekingerzand, 2 August. |
Damselflies & Dragonflies |
Lestes viridis |
Amsterdamse bos, 26 July. |
Sympecma fusca |
Amstelveen, 31 August. |
Ischnura pumilio |
Drents-Friese Woud, 3 August |
Enallagma cyathigerum |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Sympetrum vulgatum | Sympetrum flaveolum |
Amstelveense Poel, 26 July |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Miscellaneous |
Myrmeoleotettix maculatus |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |
Leptura quadrifasciata | Trypocopris vernalis |
Amstelveen, 21 June |
Aekingerzand, 2 August |