An Awesome Encounter with Scorpions at the Amsaal Venom Farm in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi

An Arabian Fat-Tailed Scorpion ready to strike

Details of the awesome scorpion stinger

A Death Stalker ready to pounce

A horde of Death Stalkers

A Death Stalker on the prowl ready to strike

An awesome part of being a public health entomologist, naturalist and explorer is that I have the awesome chance to go and visit awesome sites and locations with truly awesome creatures. One of these awesome opportunities was during my recent trip to the Amsaal Venom Farm in the heart of the Al Wathba desert area in Abu Dhabi. I got to see and handle awesome specimens of various scorpions species that they are rearing and raising in the facility to produce life saving products. I was face to face with the Arabian Fat-Tailed Scorpion and the Death Stalker specimen.

SCORPIONS (ARACHNIDA, SCORPIONES) 

Awesome creatures! AWESOME CREATOR!

     

An Encounter with Desert Locusts on the desert grasslands in Maleha, Sharjah

A solitary desert locust upfront in the desert sand

The desert grassland was teeming with these large hoppers

Hop, hop, hop, they never stop!

Can you spot the locust hopping on the desert sand?

Explorations in the desert grasslands can lead to truly wonderful encounters. My early morning walk in the desert of Maleha lead me to encounter of numerous still in the solitary phase of desert locusts on the wide spread of the dry grassland. Numerous hoppers were hopping, jumping, skipping a beat on the sand and on the available desert foliage. The awesome part of observing desert locusts in the field, is how fast and how high they jump on a single leap and also how they can also glide in the dry desert morning air to move away from me as I photo chase them. Plus, they can also  easily camouflage themselves in the sand and escape my detection. I wonder, if  I would encounter these hoppers in their aggregation or swarming phase out in the desert!

DESERT LOCUST, Schistocerca gregaria (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE)   

Awesome creation! AWESOME CREATOR!

 

An Awesome Foliage of Red - The Flame Trees Around Dubai

 

More flaming red than green in its foliage hue

Flaming, Fiery Red Flowers are Truly Hot This Summer!

A fiery red statement to usher in the summer.

This tree has more red flames than green leaves

Red, red and red all over!

Red flames up close

Intense flaming red flower!

The summer season is in full throttle here in the Emirates! The summer heat is constantly increasing and outdoor temperatures intensifying. One awesome feature of the local landscape around Dubai is the proliferation of the majestic and awesome flame trees with their bright, flaming, fiery red flowers surrounding if not overwhelming the green foliage. Flaming, fiery red is the color of this awesome summer. 

Awesome creation! Awesome CREATOR!   

An Encounter With Bed Bug Eggs in an Accommodation Facility

Just a tiny space on a bed frame corner can harbor hordes of bed bug eggs

The white barrel shape eggs looks like rice grains splattered on the dark metal frame

BED BUGS, Cimex hemipterus (HEMIPTERA: CIMICIDAE) 

 

An Encounter With a Defoliating Caterpillar in Maleha, Sharjah

A super voracious caterpillar on a leaf surface

 

An Encounter with a Robberfly Couple Engaged in a Fatal Embrace at the Maleha Desert, Sharjah

A Robberfly couple locked in a fatal embrace

A relationship that lead to a gruesome end

 

An Encounter with Green Conehead Mantises at the Maleha Desert in Sharjah

A ferocious side view of a ferocious female predator

Strategically positioned on top of a flowers in anticipation of prey

Carefully camouflaged on the rows of dark green leaves

Notice the cone like protrusion on its head that looks like a horn

I was back in the Maleha desert trail in Sharjah trying to observe the movement and numbers of locusts and grasshoppers on the desert grassland, when I stumbled upon an evergreen Sodom's Apple Tree adored with its radiant violet colored blossoms. Hidden among its branches, dark green leaves and the bundles of flowers were ferocious predators, Conehead Mantises on the hunt. Their sleek bodies and deep green coloration strategically allows these insect hunters to be camouflage in the chambers of this abundant green spot in the desert. Noticeable as well is the distinct cone like horn protruding on top of  its head. The cone shaped horn gives it a more ferocious appearance! The mantises where strategically positioning itself among the bundles of the violet flowers in anticipation of flying in pollinators. I forgot about my photo hunt for locusts and grasshoppers for a while, these praying predators took my full attention on the cool and windy morning out in the desert.

CONEHEAD MANTIS, Empusa pennata (MANTODEA: Empusidae)

Mantises always reminds us that sometimes beauty can be also ferocious and deadly!

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR!

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com