Forager!


I was out walking by the Lake the other day, nonchalantly strolling around as one does on a cooling Autumn day. Movement on one of the rocks caught my eye, so out came the mobile phone and out came the camera! You can just make out the โ€˜whatโ€™ towards the top of this photo.

Oopsโ€ฆ sorry โ€“ maybe now would be a good time to say โ€˜Warning! May Contain Bugs!โ€™

In the blink of an eye, this little chap made his way down the rock, to feast on whatever it found lurking in the moss and plant life a little further down:

Itโ€™s a shield bug. Normally they are a green/brown colour (well, the ones I normally see are!), but this one caught my eye because of its purples, blues and oranges. I do like a splash of colour, I do. Here he posed to show off his good side:

Iโ€™m fascinated by creatures such as thisโ€ฆ their intricate markings, the way they know exactly what theyโ€™re doing, where they are going, and the way they seem to show no fear when a great looming giant is standing not too far away taking photos of them.

We share our fabulous planet with an abundance of creatures, some of which we wouldnโ€™t even give a second glance to. But if we stop and watch them going about their normal lives, surviving, we start to see the very essence of life itself: just being. Living. The magic of life.

This ends this post. If you arenโ€™t keen on insects and creepy crawlies, you may now come out from behind the sofa!


21 responses to “Forager!”

  1. Visionkeeper avatar

    Wow! AMAZING BUG!!! Those colors are unreal. I remember when I grew a monarch butterfly from caterpillar to butterfly in a jar I was stunned to see the color gold in nature. I thought of it as a created color by man…The chrysalis was lime green with knobs of gold! That was a fun experiment watching the whole process unfold, literally…Anyway, great shield bug for sure…. VK ๐Ÿ™‚

    Picture of it. It’s kind of hard to see the gold balls that surround the pupa…Pretty cool…
    http://powerpictures.crystalgraphics.com/photos/view/cg2p03659861c/monarch_butterfly_chrysalis_or_pupa_attached_to_a

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      It is amazing, VK! Thanks. I was glad I was in the right place at the right time to see it – I could easily have just walked on by!
      And yes, I could see the gold in some of the other images on the link you provided. We live in a remarkable and complex world full of awe, don’t we?

      Liked by 1 person

  2. bcparkison avatar

    Nature at it’s finest. Those lesser known things around us. Good pictures.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      Thanks, Beverly. I’m pleased to be spotting more and more of these colourful creatures nowadays!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Diane Henders avatar

    He’s quite a handsome fellow! He must have been out enjoying the sunshine before the autumn rains start. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      I think he was, Diane – or nipping out between torrential downpours. We’ve had a few this week… and yesterday… FOG! Eek! So soon!

      Like

      1. Diane Henders avatar

        I know; I can’t believe we’re into third week of September. This summer just flew by!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom Merriman avatar

          It’s now the last day of September… which means one thing – October tomorrow!!! ๐Ÿ˜€
          (I got a little carried away there…)

          Liked by 1 person

  4. samanthamurdochblog avatar
    samanthamurdochblog

    Lovely! Never seen one that colour, but I had a colony of bright green ones that lived on my roses in the summer and ate the aphids…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      I think so too, Samantha! Yes, I’ve only ever seen the green ones before, I was very pleased to spot this one!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. -Eugenia avatar

    I am not real fond of bugs but this creature is downright cute. It has such pretty markings.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      They are rather cute, Eugenia. Too cute for their other name: Stink Bugs!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. colonialist avatar

    Obviously didn’t find your appearance as striking as you did his, so ignored you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      I don’t think he was bothered I was there, Col… and he did pose with his good side, but he didn’t scutter away either, so he mustn’t have thought of me as a threat!

      Like

  7. thecobweboriumemporium avatar

    Brilliant photograph Tom. Fabulous looking insect … although it doesn’t look like it belongs on the earthly realm, more somewhere like Jupiter or Mars. It has an alien look about it.

    Congratulations on seeing it and managing to capture it so well with your camera.
    Have a great day ~ Cobs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      Thanks, Cobs – yes, it does have some alien-like qualities to it. And to think… I could have just walked on by! ๐Ÿ˜€

      Liked by 1 person

      1. thecobweboriumemporium avatar

        OK… now I’m singing the Carpenters song. sigh. LOL.

        Loved the photos Tom. Very much so. ~ C. x

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Tom Merriman avatar

          Hehehe!
          Remember the Happy Birthday song, Cobs! ๐Ÿ˜€

          Liked by 1 person

  8. prenin avatar

    The world is a beautiful place for those who wish to see! ๐Ÿ™‚

    God Bless!

    Prenin.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tom Merriman avatar

      Right place right time, Prenin… the best place to be! ๐Ÿ˜€

      Liked by 1 person

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