Natural History Photographs


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.
oviposition
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