What is that weird fly on the window?
Cora Pens sent a picture of a strange fly on the window. I can imagine Cora thought it was a strange fly, because they are very similar to regular flies. But they are not. We are dealing here with a parasitic fly, whose scientific tachina fera or Tachina magnicornis is. Both types of parasitic flies are very similar and are called ferocious parasitic flies in Dutch. The females of these special flies lay eggs on leaves. Larvae crawl out of those eggs, which penetrate into every long-running caterpillar or larva. That can be caterpillars of butterflies, but also larvae of bugs, beetles, etc. Inside that body they eat that animal completely empty. After about two weeks, that sheath a new ferocious parasit fly emerges.
What makes the dead tree so beautiful orange?
Rikie van Engelen saw a beautiful red-orange color on a fallen tree in the nature reserve De Brand (Udenhout). She wonders what that would be. The discoloration was caused by Portuguese algae having settled on that tree. About fifteen years ago, the Portuguese red algae entered our country, thanks to global warming and cleaner air. This red algae causes an orange-red discoloration on the bark of various types of trees, but especially on dead standing and lying wood. In the past you only encountered an algae that caused a greenish attack on trees. Now both species are in our country.
Algae, also known as seaweed, covers a large and diverse group of organisms. The common thing that algae species have is that – just like plants – they get their energy from sunlight while simultaneously producing oxygen.
Which dwarf is on my wall?
Auke van Veen sent a photo of an animal on a wall. I think this is a common pipistrelle, because I see a nice orange rust brown top. Unfortunately I can’t see the bottom well. Common pipistrelle bats, with a maximum length of fifty millimeters, are one of the smallest bat species in Europe. On the menu of these bats are mainly small insects such as mosquitoes, sedges, moths and lacewings. In principle, they catch about three hundred of these prey animals in one night. They come out about thirty minutes after sunset and then hunt for eight hours straight.
Why are there so many dead trees?
Around Molenhoek near Nijmegen, Ida van der Reijt saw many trees without bark, so dead trees. She thought this was caused by a bark beetle, but that is not true. Actually, there is something else going on, namely dehydration. Because of the desiccation, spruces can no longer defend themselves against the beetle known as typesetter. If there was no desiccation, spruce would be able to repel that beetle through resin. If the spruce trees are no longer able to produce resin due to water shortage, the beetles have an excellent opportunity to lay eggs on the trees. The larvae from those eggs then start their voracious work and the spruce die.
Not a skull but a sacrum
Hanneke Serafijn made a photo showing part of a skeleton. Hanneke was thinking of a skull, but I think it’s just the underside of an animal’s skeleton: the sacrum. This leg is the largest bone in a spine. Usually it is triangular and consists of fused vertebrae. In the skeleton, it lies between the lumbar vertebrae and the tailbone. The name sacrum originated in the time when there were people who were called surgeon barbers. They found the body area below the loins very risky and stayed away with their knives, because that was too dangerous. That zone was sacred.
Waiting for privacy settings…
Nature lesson #2 – Mushrooms – IVN Nature Education
Publication: 1 Nov. 2018
Iris takes us into the mysterious world of mushrooms. Get acquainted with the appearance and properties of mushrooms. Fly agarics pass the image, but Iris also shows fungi. Another fact: a stem with a hat in any shape is called a mushroom, and a hat without a stem is a fungus.
So many mushrooms together in my garden
In the photo that Jan Hamers sent, you see a lot of yellow-brown, yellow and dark mushrooms together. I think they grow on an old stump and the name is common sulfur head. When these mushrooms are still fresh they have a nice sulfur yellow hat with a nice orange-brown color in the center. In general, the hats of these common sulfur heads are conical at first and later become more convex and flatter. They are true saprophytes and so they live on dead wood. They are most commonly encountered in mixed forests, where they grow at the base of deciduous or coniferous trees in forests. Of course also in gardens and public gardens if there are dead trees or old stumps.
Cockroach on the window, now what?
Toosje sent a picture of a cockroach on the window. She wonders if it’s the pale cockroach. And that’s right! The beauty of this species is that it is one of the rarest native cockroaches and belongs to the forest cockroaches. Pale cockroaches are only found on the sandy soil areas and in the dunes. Research has shown that forest cockroaches do not live in buildings or houses. If such a yellowish pale cockroach comes into the house, then it will in any case not be a long-term infestation. Controlling them is therefore very simple: you can simply put them outside and preferably far from the house. If you want to prevent them from coming in, you have to seal seams and cracks. It is also smart to provide windows and doors with screens with fine mesh.
Beautiful photos section:
Nature tip: an autumn walk through the Loonse and Drunense Dunes
Sunday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
Color splendor
As the days get shorter and colder, nature is preparing for winter. This means that there is a lot to experience in the forest and the dunes. The ranger knows the area like the back of his hand and tells you all about the changes you can see and why this is all happening right now, in the fall.
More information:
• Through this link can you get information and order the tickets
• Starting point: Bosch en Duin parking lot Schoorstraat 50 5071 RC Udenhout
• We follow the guidelines of the RIVM for all activities.
• This excursion is aimed at adults. Older children are welcome accompanied by an adult.
• Wear clothes that suit the weather.
• Always check yourself for ticks afterwards
• Dogs are not allowed.
• Take your binoculars with you.