Big Moth

I spotted a large moth on my walk to the bus stop this morning. Must be a storm moth although the storm that we had the other day was hardly noteworthy. Perhaps the weather conditions brought about this little fella. He's quite a specimen, don't you think? Would have made quite a meal for a bird. I left him alone.

Big moth

That's how big he was

Front view

Side view

Ants versus Crickets

Another video in the series of Ants vs .....

Looks like there is going to be more than one or two deaths from the pet ants with the introduction of three crickets into the ecosphere. And to think that I was worried about being bitten by a grasshopper. These crickets can be lethal. They might also be a bit amorous when it comes to ants. Check out the close-up.


Ants versus Crickets

Wasps Aren't The Smartest Insects

We had a wasp nest underneath the top of our fence just outside the side door which we removed recently. Upon pain of death, or so we felt. Fast forward a month or so and the nest is back. The Boy and I have spent the afternoons on this weekend with the water blasters but discovered that it's much more fun to blast the wasps flying around and then smash them with my sandals. On Saturday arvo I think we killed six or seven of the little critters. Yesterday they were back. Slow learners. Killed another 15 or 20 after discovering a second another congregation. You stun them with water and then can squash them. Sometimes they fall off the branch they are sitting on or the shade cloth and make easy targets.

I checked this morning and they were back where the nest used to be and looked rather busy. These insects just don't get the message and seeing as the past three days (we have a long weekend here in the West) have been 37.9, 36.4 and 39.1ºC it's been great water blaster weather. Once The Boy has finished his piano practice we'll be into them again. I think that I've bred little Hambo. General Gummi Bear he calls himself.

Smarten up wasps and move on.

Strange Insect Discovered in Garden

Whilst having a bit of a spring clean this afternoon I noticed something waddling in the distance on the paving. It turned out to be a quite weird insect. Anybody know what it is?



What is this strange insect?