Jahanvi Tiwari

Carpenter bees are shiny looking insects and show variation in their size. They get their name from their ability to burrow hard wood for nesting.

They are essential pollinators of several plants. Sometimes they pollinate plants which can not be pollinated by any other insects.

Some species also show nectar robbing where nectar is sucked by slitting the the base of flower and pollen is not effeciently transferred. Most plants have developed defence against this phenomenon.

Overall they are useful and essential part of the system playing their role beautifully.

In order to see birds
we must become part of the silence 🕊

These tiny little wasps, pollinators of fig (aka fig wasp) are less than 2 mm in size. The female has a long ovipositor to insert the eggs inside the flowers, also pollinating them during the process.

The males in the second picture are wingless, and their only purpose is to fertilize the female and chew cavity out of the fruit so the emerging female can escape.

These wasps have an interesting mutualistic relation with the fig, where one can not survive without the other.

Also every species of fig plant have its own unique species of wasp that pollinates it.
Hence both wasp and plant must survive for the existance of diversity.

Unlike females, male mosquitoes don't bite. They feed on plant juices and take their nutrition from nectar for survival. It's the females that need protein from blood for egg development.
The males since don't feed on human blood, can not transmit any disease and are harmless to humans.
The life span is also much shorter in males. Their basic work is just to find foor source and suitable mate.

Common mormons are well known for their mimicry display.
They show Batesian mimicry in which they copy some distasteful butterflies to avoid their predators.

The images depict mud puddling in common mormon. It is mainly shown by males in cool shaded areas to extract minerals from saline soils.

Asian spotted swallow tail moths are mostly white in colour with a black spot on the lower tip of the wing. Not much is known about these beauties, except for the beautiful pattern of black/brown bands on the wings.
I spotted this one last summer on our lemon tree, probably doing no harm and playing its role in the system peacefully.

Dobsonflies are another group of beneficial insects. The immature stages are called Hellgrammites and are found in freshwater.

They are voracious predators of blackflies and mosquitoe larvae and keep their population in check. They are also food to several fishes hence are essential part of the food chain.

The adult dobsonflies are harmless to humans. Their sharp pincers may peirce the skin if handled roughly, but on the good side the painful bite will not last much longer.

Dobsonflies are usually rare, while they may be attracted to lights near the streams at night. The reason I was able to spot this one is because our house is alongside with the rivers, and we left the lights open at night by mistake.

Conclusively, these harmless insects are crucial part of food chain and ecosystem, so if you spot any keep them safe.

These little beetles are known for their ability to only feed on the very common w**d, Parthenium, aka Congress or Carrot grass.

The w**d spreads aggresively fast and can several issues ranging from respiratory or dermatological disorders to crop production losses.

However, these tiny beetles (_Zygogramma bicolorata_) were imported from Mexico to control the w**d. And they are so far the best biocontrol agents of the w**d.

Despite being free from most pest attacks, marigolds are occasionally bothered by some insects.

Weevils suck the sap from young leaves and shoots, causing discoloration and damage to the plant.

However, the incidence of weevils on marigold may suggest its utilization as trap crop against weevil-attack as well.

Aphids are these small, soft bodies, strengthless and boring insects. However they have an ability to multiply tremendously fast. Hence, if not controlled at initial stages, they may cause massive damage to the crops.
There are also several biocontrol agents of aphids found within agro-ecosystem, including parasitoids and predators. The third image shows parasitized golden aphid and the last image is showing a very successful predator of aphids i.e. grub of ladybird.

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Beautiful day !

FOUR-FOOTED BUTTERFLY! Yes, we are all aware of the fact that all insects posses three pairs of legs, then what about the four-footed butterflies. Well, they exist...

Common baron are beautiful brown butterflies, that are also common pest of mango trees,(usually minor). The intresting fact about the nymphalid butterflies is that even though they all posses 3 pairs of legs, only two of them are functional. Hence get their names as four-legged butterflies.

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence!

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Can not get enough of these!
I guess no one can 😅

Blow flies (Calliphoridae) are metallic green or blue flies, lay eggs on meat (hence get their name from meat blown by flies). Also sometimes lays eggs on wounds causing myiasis (infection by maggots).

Truely spiritual souls are always the peaceful ones 😇

These beautiful looking beetles are actually serious pest of mango trees, aka Mango stem borers. The legless and fleshy grubs feed inside stem making tunnels and causing serious damage to the trees.

Unlike most flies with poor reputation, Long-legged flies are actually beneficial dipterans that feed on soft bodied insects and serve as great biocontrol agents. Next time you see these tiny metallic bugs, be thankful to them for adding up worth to the environment.

The most fascinating and ideal creatures on the planet.
Worker bees sacrifice their entire life in taking care of the brood that is not even their own.
Even though they are not able to reproduce, yet spend their whole life serving the comb. The little bees beautifully show us the significane of team work and responsiblity.

Observing the beauty around you will always add up worth into your life!

Mausam 🍃☁️

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Clearly the most common and the most widely distributed birds, comfortable around human and adapted to both rural and urban areas.
However, the population of house sparrows has been declining (upto 70%) since past few decades and have been listed under endangered.

I think the best relaxation therapy is to be out there. And just look at the beauty of whatever you see.

Whether it be the little ants crawling around or maybe some beautiful pattern in the clouds. These little things will always bring a smile on your face, no matter how rough the day was.

Holy Basil (Tulsi) are excellent source of Vitamin C and Zinc along with the immunity boosting properties.
And surely, we can not ignore the flavour and aroma (especially when added with tea).
The plants indeed are worth praising.

Blister beetles, get their name from a blister causing agent (Cantharidin) that they secrete.

While the immature stages feed on other insects and their eggs, the adults feed on various plants.

Intrestingly they are both beneficial and harmful in agroecosystems.

Family: Meloidae
Order: Coleoptera

Gossamer-winged butterfly, comprizing the second largest butterfly family (Lycaenidae) with more than 6,000 species. One of the most common species distributed from Europe to Australia is Lampides boeticus.

Sadly, most of the species are endangered due to habitat alteration by urbanization, large-scale forest destruction, industrial land use, etc. Also, chemical pollution due to pesticide drift may cause hazards to the beautiful little creatures both in agriculture and forest ecosystem.

Just trying to click an evening shot. But with a little bit editing, this one turned out to be something different 😅