DESKTOP 3303 - BEE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3283 - BUG

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

DESKTOP 3268 - SLUGGISH BEE

It's Winter here and the weather is cold, windy and wet. This poor bee must have become disoriented while out gathering food and the cold has made her sluggish. Having a rest on a patio, and hopefully she did find her way back to the hive...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3256 - SPIDER

Came across this spider in the Darebin Parklands in Melbourne. Not familiar with it, any spider ID experts are welcome to tell us what it may be.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 3214 - SWALLOWTAIL

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia. For protection against predators, this non-poisonous butterfly mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida, another swallowtail butterfly that obtains its toxic properties through its host plant, the Dutchman's pipe.

Papilio anactus is endemic to Australia. It was originally only present in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but due to the growing of citrus, a larval food plant of this species, in orchards, the species spread to South Australia in the late 1920s. Papilio anactus is not present on Kangaroo Island or elsewhere in Australia, as there are currently too few citrus trees. It also occurs on New Caledonia. There, it may be an introduced species or a vagrant.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 3207 - BUSY BEE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3144 - JEWEL BUG

Jewel Bugs (Family Scutelleridae) have broad rounded bodies with an undivided shield covering the whole abdomen. Jewel bugs get their common name from their bright colours. Jewel Bugs have the scutellum expanded to cover the whole abdomen and both pairs of wings, leading to their other common name, Shield-backed Bugs. 

Australian jewel bugs suck plant sap and feed on a broad range of seeds, either while they are still attached to the plant, or after they have fallen to the ground. In Australia, some are known as Harlequin Bugs, a common name used for several other sorts of bugs elsewhere in the world. There are 25 Australian species of jewel bugs in the Family Scutelleridae.

The Hibiscus Harlequin Bug, Tectocoris diophthalmus, sucks sap from hibiscus plants, bottle trees and related species. Its main foodplant is the native Beach Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus). It is also a minor pest of cultivated cotton, a member of the hibiscus family Malvaceae, leading to its other common name, the Cotton Harlequin Bug. In our garden it was feeding on a native hibiscus bush.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

BUGS

These are harlequin bugs, a common sight in the Melbourne area with the cool and wet Summer weather we are having.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

DESKTOP 3012 - BEE AND ANEMONE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2893 - COCKROACH

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug. Despite their name, American cockroaches are native to Africa and the Middle East. They are believed to have been introduced to the Americas only from the 17th century AD onward as a result of human commercial patterns, including the Atlantic Slave Trade.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2880 - ARALIA FLOWERS

Aralia flowers in the winter sun.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

DESKTOP 2781 - EUROPEAN WASP

Vespula germanica (European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket) is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has spread and become well-established in many other places, including North America, South America (Argentina and Chile), Australia, and New Zealand. German wasps are part of the family Vespidae and are sometimes mistakenly referred to as paper wasps because they build grey paper nests, although strictly speaking, paper wasps are part of the subfamily Polistinae. In North America, they are also known as yellowjackets.

The European wasp is an established pest in Australia. This non-native wasp was first found in Australia in 1959 in Tasmania. By 1978 they were also known in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia, and are now firmly established in the Sydney area.

European wasps are more aggressive than bees and will attack when their nests are disturbed.
Unlike bees, wasps can sting more than once, and do not die after stinging.
The sting causes a burning pain and swelling. If stings are multiple, a more severe systemic reaction may occur.
In some individuals, wasp, bee and ant stings can cause an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), but this is relatively uncommon.

Effective treatment is available, which involves known bee/ant/wasp sting allergy sufferers carrying a special kit when outdoors. Immunotherapy or desensitisation is also available, and can reduce the severity of the allergy.
Seven deaths over a twenty-year period attributed to wasp stings have been recorded in Australia, mainly amongst known allergy sufferers who were not carrying their preventative medicine with them.
A cold pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2739 - BEETLE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2683 - BUG

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2644 - INSECTS

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 2599 - BEE

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2587 - IN THE GARDEN

As the weather improves, we venture into the garden...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

DESKTOP 2571 - BEE

A bee feasting on rue flowers.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

DESKTOP 2526 - WEB

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

DESKTOP 2506 - ECHINACEA

Echinacea is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae. The nine species it contains are commonly called purple coneflowers. They are endemic to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas.

They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἐχῖνος (echinos), meaning "sea urchin," due to the spiny central disk. Some species are used in herbal medicines and some are cultivated in gardens for their showy flowers. A few species are of conservation concern.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.