Lacewing Larva vs Aphids

Lacewing Larva vs Aphids

This plant in my garden was infested with yellow coloured aphids. These belong to Aphis nerii an aphid of the family Aphididae. Its common names include oleander aphid, milkweed aphid, sweet pepper aphid, and Nerium aphid. Last time when I saw them, they were tended by White-footed ants. You can check that story in my … Read more

Oriental Spiny Orb-Weaver

Oriental Spiny Orb-Weaver

I found this female Oriental Spiny Orb-Weaver spider Gastercantha cf geminata on a leaf at Kadri Park, Mangalore. Spiny orb-weavers is a common name for Gasteracantha, a genus of spiders. They are also commonly called Spiny-backed orb-weavers, due to the prominent spines on their abdomen. Spiny Orb-Weaver spiders can reach sizes of up to 30mm … Read more

White Lynx Spider

White Lynx Spider

I found this female white Lynx spider Oxyopes cf shweta on a leaf at Kadri Park, Mangalore. Oxyopes cf shweta, commonly known as White Lynx Spider, belongs to the genus Oxyopes, in the family Oxyopidae. I was using Canon EOS 6D Mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens with Godox Ving … Read more

Bioluminescence – Living Lights

Bioluminescence - Living Lights

Across the various beaches of Karnataka coast, the waves at night are showing a strange glow, due to bioluminescence. For many of us, the only awareness of bioluminescence—the emission of light by living organisms—is the sight of fireflies. For others, the magic moment is a “phosphorescent sea,” where myriads of microscopic sources emit flashes of … Read more

Lema Leaf Beetle

Lema Leaf Beetle

I saw this leaf beetle in my backyard feeding on the leaves of the Cheilocostus speciosus (Crepe Ginger). It has 4 tiny dark spots on their hard wing cases (elytra), two on each elytron. This corresponds to the description by Martin Jacoby back in 1908 The Fauna of British India V1: Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, this beetle … Read more

Carrhotus Spider

Carrhotus Spider

I captured this Carrhotus Spider on a leaf at Mala near Karkala. It had rained a little while before the shoot. Water drops were still all around its silken cell. I was using Canon EOS 5D Mark IV fitted with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM with Godox Ving V860C II E-TTL Li-ion Camera … Read more