Photographs of Greek Insects

Other Insects

"Flies and bees, and the like, produce their special noise by opening and shutting their wings in the act of flying; for the noise made is by the friction of air between the wings when in motion."

Aristotle, "The History of Animals"

This photo gallery contains an assortment of unrelated insects, which reside here temporarily, until I have enough photographs to build dedicated galleries.

I find flies, bees, and grasshoppers particularly difficult to identify. As a result, this gallery contains a rather high proportion of insects that have only been identified to family level. Any assistance in better identifying them would be greatly appreciated.


		Rivetina baetica Catch a glimpse of this large, distinctive mantis, whose brown colors blend seamlessly with the scorched summer landscapes of the Pelion region.
		Mantis religiosa When one speaks of mantises, this is the one that immediately springs to mind. Have a look at some close-up photos of the grand Praying Mantis, which is particularly abundant in our part of the world.
		Myathropa florea Check out this pretty little Hover Fly and find out how it uses mimicry to deceive its enemies.
		Tephritid Fly I found this swarm of beautiful Fruit Flies on a toadstool, growing from an apple tree trunk. Take a look at them, they're really interesting!
		Xylocopa violacea Have a look at some really nice photographs of the Carpenter Bee, which sometimes tunnels into the timbers and beams of houses, barns and other buildings, and may cause considerable structural damage if left unchecked.
		Bombus sp. View the picture of a boldly colored Bumble Bee, hanging onto an anemone, in a futile attempt to survive a sudden spell of cold spring weather.
		Calopteryx virgo The Beautiful Demoiselle, as its name clearly denotes, is one of the prettiest damselflies in the Pelion region. Males sport a bright, metallic blue color, whilst females are metallic brown. They are really worth viewing!
		Platycnemis pennipes Readily identifiable by its swollen tibiae, this smallish damselfly is very abundant in the Pelion region, especially in the vicinity of slow-flowing streams.
		Orthetrum brunneum Southern Skimmers are particularly common in Horton, and they frequently visit our plot, which is located near the stream, so I have taken quite a few photos of both males and females. Enjoy!
		Tibicen plebejus Enjoy an image of the largest and, quite likely, the loudest European cicada. This is probably the one that starred in Aesop's fable...
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