A Dragonflies Encounter at the Flood Plains of Warzan, Dubai

Darting in the air as it hunts for insect prey

Its silvery wings gliding and hovering on the hunt

Continuously moving, continuously flying, continuously searching for prey  

Reminds me of a dive bomber angling its way to attack

The predator on a perch of green

A green giant holding on to a thin landing strip

Attacking from below, a naiad makes it living "submarine mode"

The flood plains in Warzan has become a temporary habitat for wetland animals

Wetland birds foraging on the pools of water

The heavy downpour last April (reported as the heaviest downpour in the UAE for the past 75 years) created lots of ponds, "mini-lakes" and wetland conditions in Dubai. In the flood plains of Warzan, even after a month of the heavy rain, pools of water are still present. These pools are creating a favorable environment not just for the birds usually found on marshes and wetlands but also for insects that utilize the abundance of water for breeding and feeding. Mosquitoes and midges exploit these aquatic conditions. As the mosquitoes and midges numbers are increasing, their top predator, the dragonflies will truly follow.  

Dragonflies are also called Mosquito-Hawks

Dragonflies are ferocious hunters! They are also called mosquito-hawks. They hunt for mosquitoes and other insects on the wing. Snatching their prey in mid-air with their powerful and spiny legs. A mosquito is no match in the air when engaged in aerial combat. They are voracious hunters of mosquitoes, whereas they can feed up to 50-100 mosquitoes a day! 

Underwater, the dragonflies makes it living by attacking and feeding on mosquitoes wrigglers. Hunting below the surface, the immatures called naiads capture prey using its powerful mouthparts. 

Literally, no mercy for mosquitoes in the air and underwater. Awesome insect predators indeed. Truly beneficial insects we should conserve and protect. 

Dragonflies play an important part in the sustainability of our environment. Lets keep it that way. The same way we need to be BEE-FRIENDLY lets also be DRAGONFLIES-FRIENDLY. 

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 

  

 

A Close Encounter with Crows at the Al Fahidi Historical Area, Dubai

A murder of crows sunbathing as they prepare for the morning flight

Scanning the environment in search for its next meal 

A crow V formation

Leading the way for their sunrise foraging flight

This murder of crows occupying the tallest tree in the area 

Darkened figures atop the tree branches

I was involved in conducting population surveillance and biodynamics studies of a murder of crows nesting in the tallest tree fronting the Al Fahidi Historical Area. As the sun rises, the crows where preparing intently for their morning foraging flight.   

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 Mosquito Wrigglers and Adults

Mosquito Larvae are referred to as Wrigglers

Mosquito Larvae breathing and feeding on the water surface

A lone wriggler making its own ripple on the water surface

Mosquito Wrigglers breathing and feeding

A Male Mosquito, notice its bushy antennae

A Female Mosquito, notice the elongated mouthparts and fine hair antennae

The recent downpours this March has led into the sporadic build up of patches of mosquito breeding sites and numbers. The pools of stagnant water, clogged drains and availability of water containers have provided favorable breeding and feeding sites for these mosquito larvae.  

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 Silverfish inside a Posh Hotel In Dubai

A silverfish emerging from the shadows of a corner wall

I was on assignment for a site audit for a very posh hotel property in the heart of Dubai, I was invited to advise the hotel management on procedures how they can detect, control  and prevent the tide of insect pest sightings  in their rooms. As I was conducting my inspection in one of the rooms, a large, darting creature came out from the shadows. I was surprise by its size and the rapidity of its movement as it emerged, crawled away and concealed itself again on a gap on the corner wall. As far as I remember this was the largest Silverfish I have seen in the field. It was the long, triune whip-like tail that immediately caught my fancy. It was a quick but fantastic encounter!  

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 

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