Longhorn beetle

This little beauty was on our utility wall. Got a few shots in our old Samsung C1 Pro mobile phone.

Longhorn beetles feed on dead trees helping the process of decomposing wood. Sometimes they feed on live trees too. As I remember, I'd not seen this insect earlier. This is the first time I've seen this insect.

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Bee sucking nectar from Tulasi flower

On a rainy morning, a honeybee sucks nectar from a Tulasi flower.

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Yellow stripey sans stinger

Couple of weeks ago, while watering plants on our apartment roof I happened to notice fly like insects buzzing around. I hadn't seen the insects clearly, assumed they were some kind of flies. There wasn't any decaying matter on our roof. So, why these insects?

A few days later when I moved one of the buckets, I happened to notice a colony of insects. Oh those buzzing insects weren't flies. These are bees, the smaller type without sting. I left them alone, didn't even take a photo. A week later I noticed the exposed honeycomb with just a fraction of the colony. I guess the bees migrated to another location to build a new honeycomb. Here's a short video of the stingless bee.

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a beautiful moth

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the second honeybee colony at our home

The first time bees made our home their home was last year. They moved in February 24th and moved out June 14th. It took a few weeks for us to get used to their presence in our sit-out. It was fun seeing them build the honeycomb. We noticed they had a daily routine of reorganizing... all bees would leave the nest, fly around few minutes and then resettle on the honeycomb. Given their short life span, in few weeks the honeycomb was home to 3 or 4 generations. When they moved out the honeycomb was dry, meaning no honey in it. We left the comb as it is. After 6 or 7 months it started warping and crumbling little by little. That's when I removed it. Here's the link to the post- honey bee colony of 2021.

March 11 2022 afternoon a new swarm moved in and settled on the exact same place. This is one of the first few pictures I took that day. The bees are hanging in chains, the topmost ones have initiated the construction work.

March 11, 2022

March 12, 2022

March 19, 2022

April 12, 2022

May 5, 2022

May 26, 2022

June 8, 2022

The bees moved out in June 26th afternoon, three days before new moon. Just like last year, the honeycomb was dry. It had the same sweet-pungent odor. And we'll miss them again.

June 26, 2022

Here are a few close up shots of the honeycomb. No matter how many times I look at it, I can't stop wondering how the bees are programmed. Truly Nature's circuit is beautifully programmed, humans are messing it up.

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common green grasshopper

Grasshopper is called as Shivana Kuduri (Shiva's horse) in North Karnataka.

Its hind legs are like springs enabling it to leap great distances.

This grasshopper has lost a part of one of its tentacles.

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Golden green stag beetle

Found this insect on Aug-14 resting on a brinjal plant. Its armor looks like it has been polished. Its legs have anchors to help it cling on to surfaces. Such a lovely creature!

 The beetle's face has a menacing look. As though its wearing a mask.

 The shiny coating is a reminder of fire proof suits. The beetle is coated completely except a part of its tentacles.

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blue banded bee and brinjal flower

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brown shield insect

Happened to spot this insect on a brinjal plant on June 5th afternoon. This insect's generic name seems to be brown-shield insect or the leaf-foot insect. Its body was approximately 30 mm long.

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ten year old Parijata

This picture was shot 10 years ago i.e. on Oct-19-2008. I'd never posted it before, looks like I forgot about it. Here's another picture of Parijata shot July-2008 which is livelier because of rainwater.
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ant, bee & leucas aspera

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new born butterfly

This butterfly was seen at Wagengera fort.

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spider, web and eggs

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Dragon fly

Seen at Maakali hills near Doddaballapur

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Lemon Yellow Butterfly

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Wasp Hive

July 6, 2013

During a visit to Bangalore last week, Durga my niece and I had been to General Post Office to renew her philately subscription. The Philatelic Bureau is located in the second floor of the building which is a good 40' above the ground level. While walking the corridor I noticed this nest hanging from branches of a jack fruit tree.

On the next was an insect.. yellow and black. I said it was a bee; Durga corrected me- Siddesh its not a bee, it's a wasp.

The hive has several entrances at the top. The inside will have several layers of hexagonal cells.

Close look at the surface and an entrance

Do check this small post.

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Borangi Hula ~ Golden Green Ladybird

golden green ladybirds in Jatropha curcas

ladybirds camping in Jatropha during April/May months

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ants' stitched nests

May 24, 5-30 PM at Botanical Garden, Karnatak University Dharwad.

In the area between the main gate and the nursery, I noticed ant nests on few trees such as Terminalia bellerica (Beleric or Bastard Myrobalan), Dalbergia sissoo and Polyalthia longifolia (false Ashoka). Some nests were quite new while others were old; I guessed it by the color of the leaves. Leaves were not separated from the trees in Beleric and false Ashoka trees; that way the nests were anchored to the tree. Nests in Dalbergia were made of leaves separated, however few leaves remain attached providing anchorage to the nest. These nests were probably made by the same species of ant. The white binding material was common in all nests.

Terminalia bellerica

Terminalia bellerica

Dalbergia sissoo

Dalbergia sissoo

Polyalthia longifolia

Polyalthia longifolia

To see more nests click on the label nests.
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