Tag metamorphosis

Small Red-Eyed Damselfly

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The Small Red-Eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridium) is an insect in the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies, which are similar to dragonflies.

The Small Red-Eyed Damselfly has a long, cylindrical, slender abdomen with ten segments. It has membranous forewings and hindwings. It has compound eyes (like the eyes of house flies) and three simple eyes (ocelli) on its forehead, with small antennae. The joint between its head and prothorax is flexible, which enables the damselfly to swivel its head. 

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17-Spot Ladybird Beetle

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The 17-Spot Ladybird Beetle (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) is a small insect in the Coccinellidae family of ladybird beetles and ladybugs. It is a coccinellid beetle.

The 17-Spot Ladybird Beetle has yellow-orange elytra (two wing cases) with 17 black spots. Its pronotum is yellow with 5 black spots. Its shiny body is oval-shaped and slightly domed. Its wings are hidden underneath the wing cases. It has black compound eyes. Its antennae are light-brown and slightly thickened at the ends. Its neck shield has white spots and usually covers its head. It has little black legs. 

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Western European Ringlet Butterfly

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The Western European Ringlet Butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus hyperantus) is an insect in the Nymphalidae family of butterflies.

The Western European Ringet Butterfly has chocolate brown to black wings and a dark-brown hairy body. The upper and lower sides of its wings are solid brown with small, yellow-ringed eyespots. The number of eyespots is variable. The juvenile butterfly has a velvety appearance and is almost black with a white fringe (margin) on each wing. It lightens in colour as it ages.

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Potter Wasp

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The Potter Wasp (Eumenes dubius) is an insect in the Vespidae family of petiolated wasps (with a long thin waist called a petiole). It is a vespid. It is also called a Mason Wasp.

The Potter Wasp is black with yellow markings. The first part of its metasomal section (abdomen section) is narrow and elongated with a bulbous appearance. It has a very thin, long, waist. The thorax is about the same size and shape as the abdomen. Its wings are attached to the thorax. Its six legs are also attached to the thorax. It folds its wings longitudinally when it is resting. It has a large head, large eyes, and a pair of segmented antennae that curl at the tip. 

The female Potter Wasp has a stinger but she is not aggressive. The stinger is also the ovipositor which she uses to lay eggs.

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Tadpole of the Caucasian Parsley Frog

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The Caucasian Parsley Frog (Pelodytes caucasicus) is a freshwater amphibian in the Pelodytidae family of frogs. 

The Caucasian Parsley Frog begins its life as an egg. The adult female frog is oviparous, laying eggs. The female lays 40-300 eggs near reeds in a still body of water. The eggs hatch after about 14 days. 

The eggs hatch into tadpoles. 

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Southern Damselfly

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The Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) is a medium-sized insect in the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies which are similar to dragonflies. It is also known as the Mercury Bluet.

The Southern Damselfly has a long, cylindrical, slender abdomen with ten segments. The male is bright blue with black markings. The female is less colourful. It has a mark on the second segment of its abdomen that resembles the symbol for the planet Mercury. It has forewings and hindwings which are similar in appearance and are membranous. It has compound eyes (like the eyes of house flies) and three simple eyes (ocelli) on its forehead. It has small antennae. 

The joint between its head and prothorax is flexible, which enables the damselfly to swivel its head. 

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CREATURE FEATURE: Caucasus Marbled White Butterfly

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The Caucasus Marbled White Butterfly (Melanargia galathea donsa) is a medium-sized insect in the Nymphalidae family of butterflies. It is also known as Our Half-Mourner Butterfly and the Marmoris Butterfly.

The Caucasus Marbled White is white with grey-black markings on its upperside. The underside of its hindwings (back wings) has grey eye-spots. The male and female are similar, except that some females have a yellowish underside. Its body is greyish and fluffy. It has long, black, clubbed antennae and large eyes.

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Red Wood Ant

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The Red Wood Ant (Formica rufa) is an insect in the Formicidae family of ants. It is also known as the Southern Wood Ant and Horse Ant.

The Red Wood Ant has a head, thorax, and abdomen. It is reddish, except for its brownish-black abdomen and dark patch on the back of its head. Its 6 legs are reddish-black. Its antennae are long. It has large jaws called mandibles. It has smoky-brown wings during the mating season – only the fertile female and adult male have wings.

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Ivory Featherleg Damselfly

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The Ivory Featherleg Damselfly (Platycnemis dealbata) is an insect in the Platycnemididae family of dragonflies and damselflies. It is also known as the Needles Swallows Damselfly.

The Ivory Featherleg Damselfly has an elongated, cylindrical ivory-coloured body, enlarged white legs, a large head with large eyes, and a bulbous tail. The male’s abdomen is almost all-white. It has black markings down its abdomen. Its head had broad, pale-brown double antehumeral stripes. Its wings are long and translucent.

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Puss Moth

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The Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) is an insect in the Notodontidae family of moths.

The Puss Moth is creamy-white to yellowish-grey with light-brown lines and markings. The female has blackish lines and markings. It has a wide whitish-grey head, thorax, and abdomen that are very fluffy, like a hairy cat. 

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Pool Frog

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The Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) is a freshwater wetlands amphibian in the Ranidae family of water frogs.

The Pool Frog is green, olive or brown. On its back is a green line that runs from head to tail. There are small warts on its back. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a plump body with long hind (back) legs, and no tail. It has large, round, protruding eyes. It has webbed feet.

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Majorcan Midwife Toad

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The Majorcan Midwife Toad (Alytes muletensis) is a small freshwater amphibian in the Alytidae family of toads. It is a vulnerable species. 

The Majorcan Midwife Toad can be a variety of colours, but it is generally brownish to yellowish or greenish, with several irregular dark spots along its body. It has big, bulging dark eyes, suited to living in the dark. It has long legs with webbed feet that enable it to climb over rocks.

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Common Carpet Beetle

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The Common Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae) is a very small insect in the Dermestidae family of carpet beetles. It is also known as the Buffalo Carpet Beetle.

The Common Carpet Beetle has a rounded body and six legs. Its wing cases (elytra) are covered in fine scales with an irregular pattern of brown and yellowish-reddish colours. Its head is black. It has short, clubbed 11-segmented antennae.

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Tau Emperor Moth

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The Tau Emperor Moth (Aglia tau) is an insect in the Saturniidae family of emperor and royal moths. 

The Tau Emperor Moth has large, lobed wings. It is brightly coloured, usually orange to brown with a large eye-spot on each of its four wings. It is a distinct marginal line across each wing. The hind wings (back wings) overlap the forewings (front wings). Its body is wide and hairy. It has feathery antennae. 

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Solomon Islands Longhorn Beetle

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The Solomon Islands Longhorn Beetle (Batocera kibleri) is an insect in the Cerambycidae family of longhorn beetles. It is also known as the Solomon Islands Longicorn. 

The Solomon Islands Longhorn Beetle has an elongated brown, mottled body with extremely long, segmented antennae. It varies in size, shape, and colour. It has brown wing cases called elytra. It has two tarsi (similar to toes) at the end of each of its six legs.

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Giant Click Beetle

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The Giant Click Beetle (Oxynopterus annamensis) is an insect in the Elateridae family of click beetles.

The Giant Click Beetle is black to reddish-brown. The male has distinctive feather-like antennae. The female has thin, toothed antennae. It has a prothorax (front thorax) that is shield-shaped with sharply pointed posteriolateral tips. The elytra (wing cases) are long and smooth, tapering to a point at the tail end. It has wings, but it is not a strong flyer. It has simple, hairless claws on the tarsal segments of its six legs.

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