A Dragonfly Encounter in Early Morning Dew in Warzan, Dubai

Droplets of dew covers the armor of this giant solitary dragonfly

The desert shrub provided a perfect place to rest and prepare for this dragonfly for the long journeys ahead

The super chilly winter weather of the UAE is truly amazing. It was early morning, the sun is just barely rising in the horizon and the patches of vegetation is still blanketed by the glistening dew droplets. My exploration along the desert shrub patches in Warzan, Dubai led me into an awesome encounter with a solitary dragonfly hiding in the shrubs. It was covered in a beautiful array of dew droplets, like rows upon rows of diamonds embedded on the surface its wings, thorax and compound eyes. It was truly an awesome sight in a truly awesome chilly winter morning.

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

 

Encounters with the Arabian Fat Tailed Scorpion

Venomous, lethal, awesome in form and its arsenal

The Arabian Fat Tailed Scorpion, Androctonus crassicauda

(SCORPIONES, BUTHIDAE) 

It was during a consultancy visit and site inspection at a very prestigious catering facility that my attention was called upon to investigate a "dangerous biological contaminant" in fresh batch of organic lettuce. A fat-tailed scorpion was found on the leaves of the lettuce as the staff was preparing it for storage.     

 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

The Seasonal Emergence of Non-Biting Midges

Midges are mosquito-like in appearance but lack the piercing-sucking mouthparts

Upon emergence from their aquatic larvae environment they often rest on adjacent walls and surfaces

The emerging midges are often found in clusters

NON BITING MIDGES (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE)

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 

An Encounter with a Horse Fly in Bab Al Bahr RAK

The large multi-colored and space age pattern of its eyes caught my attention

A very large fly with a distinct abdominal pattern and transparent wings

Like a truly confident predator setting up on its high perch

A large ferocious biting fly on the prowl

It was a truly sunny and cool morning, I was on assignment for a site inspection in a very prestigious resort property in RAK. As we were doing our rounds on the landscape areas, we spotted a large fly on the trunk of a date palm. Because of its size, I initially thought that it was a flesh fly but closer examination revealed that this is not a fly with spongy mouth parts but it was a predatory fly with strong biting mouthparts. I encountered a horse fly setting up for a potential flight attack.     

Horse Fly, Tabanus spp. (DIPTERA: Tabanidae)

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

An Encounter with Blister Beetles in Warzan, Dubai

A Blister beetle actively feeding on a lovely blossom

Blister beetles are hervibores

Basking in the sun while continually feeding on the yellow petals

Blister beetles have a cylindrical body

Blister beetles secrete a defensive chemical called  cantharidin

In celebration of the end of the summer season here in the Middle East, in eager expectation of the much favorable weather outdoors, I would like to share this awesome encounter I had with the awesome blister beetles foraging on yellow dandelion blossoms in Warzan, Dubai.  Looking forward to more awesome creature encounters now that outdoor conditions are becoming more pleasant.    

BLISTER BEETLES, Hycleus spp. (Coleoptera:Meloidae)

Awesome creature! 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

Goodbye to a Truly Cute and Gentle Creature

 A truly cute and gentle creature said goodbye to me.

I just came back a little late from the Church Service and an extended catch-up meeting. When I arrived at the flat, I saw my cute little yellow bird on the floor. She was trying to lift her head up to call me. There was no sound coming out but the constant moving of her beak and her small eyes trying to gaze at me. 

I cradled her in the palm of my hands. Massaging her feathers, comforting her and asking her to stand up and not to leave me and Sylvester yet. She responded by just lifting up her head and opening and closing her eyes. With her cute stare as if saying "goodbye and thank you."

She waited for me to get back. She tried to hold on. She was that strong that even up to end of her sweet and brief life. She waited. She did not want to depart from me without saying goodbye and being held gently in my hand. 

She breathed her last laying at the palm of my hand. Allowing me to say goodbye and thank you baby bird as well.

Goodbye my Sweet Tweety Bird.

Thanks be to God for allowing me to be with such a gentle creature. 

Awesome creatures. Awesome CREATOR!

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny: And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father (Matthew 10:29) 

  

A Cranefly (Tipulidae) Encounter at the Tagaytay Midlands, Batangas, Philippines

Craneflies looks like large mosquitoes but they are not mosquitoes

Craneflies are harmless and does not bite or sting

Look at those very long and thin forelegs

We were invited to spend a lovely afternoon at the lovely mansion and farm of a very close family friend at the Tagaytay Highlands. As we were chatting and enjoying the beauty of the newly renovated mansion, my eyes caught a glimpse of a large mosquito-like organism on the wall of the lanai. A lonely cranefly got its way inside the mansion, its huge size, long legs, large wings and dark hue cannot hide itself from the light colored wall.   

CRANEFLIES (DIPTERA: Tipulidae)

Awesome creature! 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