Journal of the Plague Year: January 2006

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Monarch

Danaus plexippus
Vero Beach FL
1/25/06
What can I really say about Monarchs? Well, some of them are quite wary, never allowing approach, and others less so. This is one that is less so. I think they are quite pretty insects, and I am glad that I can see them almost every day.

Shiny

Ornidia obesa
Vero Beach FL
1/25/06
Another shiny Ornidia obesa. I cannot resist metallic insects. The only reason I do not have many Calliphorids is that they are so wary. Plus this particular syrphid is a lot prettier. It is also larger, allowing me to get better shots with easier focus.
So what can I say about these guys that hasn't already been said? Nothing. I know nothing about them except first-hand observations of their behaviour. Since I do not keep a field notebook, these will vanish into obscurity. Anyway, what I know about them is that they are big, heavy flies, and will weigh down a small flower such as Bidens alba (which is the best flower I have found for both pollen and nectar-feeding insects in this area. Hence, many of the shots I get are of the front of the fly's face. These guys are very similar to Copestylum mexicana , to which they are closely related.
Here is a link to what Bugguide has to say on the subject: (not much).

Honeybee

Apis mellifera
Vero Beach FL
1/26/06
I thought I would get back to adding a few more comments to some of my entries. Who knows, maybe it will generate more interest in this sadly neglected part of the Web (I just installed a hit counter. I am the only one being counted, apparently.)
I was also inspired by reading some of the stuff on