October Wildlife 2013

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for the information ... what a handy adaption! I noted the forgoing discussion on bush crickets, etc. and was wondering if anyone can help with IDs for the following members of the order Orthoptera.

We photographed them in macchie scrub on the south coast of Evia in Greece last year.

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

We found this cool little wasp's nest in the same area.

M

[Anthony Darby]

Not sure of the bush cricket in pic one, but pic two looks like Saga pedo, one of Europe's largest insects. A species I could only dream of seeing, in spite of numerous trips to its habitat. Only females are known. The wasp is Polistes gallicus. We have the introduced P. chinensis building similar nests in our lollipop bushes.

[Mark Griffiths]

that Saga pedo is very impressive!

[Hillview croconut]

Saga pedo was gigantic. We only found them on this little dry hillside a few kilometers south of Karystos. Quite a few. What's the theory on the absent males? Is this species long-lived?  It seems a huge investment in energy to build a giant with a short life span. Are they herbivores or predatory? I have visited this particular site several times over the past decade and this is the first experience I had of it.

Cheers,  Marcus

[Mark Griffiths]

I think they are predatory.

Stick insects are similar in that the males are very rare. Parthogenesis is their thing mostly it seems.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Mark, must be an extremely successful genotype. No messy, wasteful mating and no unnecessary males using up valuable resources. I did some internet checking and apparently they are predatory (and tend towards cannibalism).

Cheers, Marcus

[Anthony Darby]

One of my "insects to see before I die".