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Captured moments Green Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) - Ausemade

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Author Koh Lin ◦ 

As I look back through some of my photographs, I could see that I had snapped many photos of insects, and a phrase comes to mind “all creatures great and small”. For those that remember, the phrase became popular from a British television series that was set in 1930s and 1940s in Northern England. The tv series was based upon a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon, authored by Alf Wight and under the pen name of James Herriot. So presented here, are some of those captured moments of creatures great and small…


I had been watching this mud nest for a while, so was super happy to observe the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), with their amazing eye colour, making use of the vacated nest and the empty nesting cells, and lucky to get a photo of the Megachile aurifrons native bee emerging with pollen all over her face.

Red Eyes of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
Red Eyes of the Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons), Alice Springs, NT
New Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) emerging from the nest, Alice Springs, NT
New Golden-browed Resin Bee (Megachile aurifrons) emerging from the nest, Alice Springs, NT

The Red-headed Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps) enjoyed living in the cracks of our wooden bench seat on our porch… and did not appear to mind posing on my finger…

Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs, NT, Alice Springs, NT
Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs, NT
Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs, NT
Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs, NT
Red-headed Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs NT
Red-headed Masked Bee (Hylaeus ruficeps), Alice Springs NT

I was really taken with Green Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina), blowing a nectar bubble.

Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) also known as Green Blowfly, blowing a nectar bubble, Alice Springs NT
Australian Sheep Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) also known as Green Blowfly, blowing a nectar bubble, Alice Springs NT

A colourful bee fly (Neosardus sp), that was in the swimming pool.

Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae), Alice Springs NT
Neosardus sp (Bee Flies family Bombyliidae), Alice Springs NT

A species of Mydas Fly (genus Miltinus) on a eucalypt leaf in Alice Springs.

Mydas Fly (genus Miltinus), Alice Springs NT
Mydas Fly (genus Miltinus), Alice Springs NT

A Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis) rescued from the pool.

Male Radumeris tasmaniensis (Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp) rescued from a swimming pool, Alice Springs NT
Male Radumeris tasmaniensis (Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp) rescued from a swimming pool, Alice Springs NT

A distinctive looking Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris) in Alice Springs.

Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-shouldered Hover Fly (Ischiodon scutellaris), Alice Springs NT

My first Soft-winged Flower Beetle, Chlorobapta frontalis, rescued out of a pool.

Chlorobapta frontalis (Flower Beetle), Alice Springs NT
Chlorobapta frontalis (Flower Beetle), Alice Springs NT

Another colourful Soft-winged Flower Beetle (from the genus Carphurus).

Soft-winged Flower Beetle (genus Carphurus), Alice Springs NT
Soft-winged Flower Beetle (genus Carphurus), Alice Springs NT

Love the eyes in this closeup of the Eretes australis (subfamily Dytiscinae).

Eretes australis (subfamily Dytiscinae), Alice Springs NT
Eretes australis (subfamily Dytiscinae), Alice Springs NT

I found this Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri), missing one leg and crawling on a supermarket floor. Yes, I did rescue it and released it outside on a garden verge.

Calosoma schayeri (Green Carab Beetle), Alice Springs NT
Calosoma schayeri (Green Carab Beetle), Alice Springs NT

A Digger wasp (thought to be Sphex corporosus), is a member of the Thread-waisted Wasps family Sphecidae. The Sphex genus are commonly known as Digger Wasps.

Digger wasp (Sphex corporosus), Alice Springs NT
Digger wasp (Sphex corporosus), Alice Springs NT

I was amazed to see my very first Shield Shrimp (Triops australiensis) at the water-filled Alice Springs Ilparpa Claypans, on the south side of the MacDonnell Ranges.

Shield Shrimp (Triops australiensis), Ilparpa Claypans
Shield Shrimp (Triops australiensis), Ilparpa Claypans, Alice Springs NT

The Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes) has certainly been one of my favourite insects, as it settled long enough for a series of photos.

Male Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Male Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT
Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Alice Springs, NT

Captured moments… | More captured moments …