Bugz n Slugz

A photo of a golden yellow jumping spider on a green leaf. It has a long black bug in its mouth - dinner no doubt

Spood time! I believe this is Carrhotus sannio. It’s from Thailand and has snagged something tasty for dinner.
#Spiders #Invertebrates #Thailand

A photo of a large Orbweaver spider perched in the middle of its web. The long legs are black, with a white thorax and yellow markings. Its abdomen has thin longitudinal black and white markings.

Giant Golden Orbweavers (Nephila pilipes) are a stunning spider. Also the fact that they apparently manipulate UV light reflections on their body to attract prey - makes them a great little marvel of nature.
#Invertebrates #Spiders #Arachnids #Thailand

A photo of a blue butterfly with ice blue patterns on its wings bordered by black. Almost resembling stained glass windows - it’s is feeding on white flowers

A photo of a blue butterfly with ice blue patterns on its wings bordered by black. Almost resembling stained glass windows - it’s is feeding on white flowers

This believe is Ideopsis vulgaris, the Blue Glassy Tiger. Another one from Koh Yao Yai in Thailand.
#invertebrates #Butterfly #Thailand #insects #lepidoptera

I actually think we have reached the Weekend at Bernie’s stage of the Presidency - I don’t think Trump is capable of making any orders - there are others dictating the plays now.

A photo of a dragonfly that has a golden coloured body with an orange oblong patch on its eye - it is resting on a plant talk

A photo of a dragonfly that has a golden coloured body. The picture shows off the intricate lace like detail of the wings

Another one from Thailand - Pantala flavescens - The Wandering Glider.
#Invertebrates #thailand #dragonfly

A photo from the front of a bright green metallic looking beetle perched on a leaf

So here we have a little green invertebrate from Thailand - not sure of the species but it appears to be a type of Shining Leaf Chafer (according to iNat) #Invertebrates #Beetles #Insects #Thailand #Chafer #Green

I have the Cygnustech one which I highly recommend.

Photo of the front end of an Asian house gecko. It is lying on a window frame and is a mottled brown colour

Now that I am back to Thailand I can start processing some of my pictures. Here is the helpful house gecko that hung around our jungle villa for the duration of our sojourn keeping the mosquitoes at bay.
#Lizards #Gecko #Thailand

A photo of a small jumping spider that has a metallic looking colouration across its head and back interspersed with solid black bands.

So this was a nice spot the other morning - Phintella vittata (Banded Phintella). I was disappointed that I couldn’t get it to face me properly so I could get a shot of its spoody face. #Invertebrates #Spiders #Spood #Thailand

A photo of a very colourful Orbweaver spider. It has red, black, white and yellow bands across its back and a hairy grey head.

Here is the first bug/insect - straight out of the camera as all my editing stuff is back home. This is Argiope versicolor - Multi-coloured Saint Andrew’s Cross Spider from Koh Yao Yai in Thailand.

A picture of a Clouded Monitor Lizard hanging on a tree in Koh Yao Yai island in Thailand

Saw a Tree Puppy this morning on the way back from breakfast

So I’ve been finding a fair few bugs - but everything has been surpassed by what my wife spotted in the trees on our way back from dinner tonight. A true bucket list moment - Nycticebus coucang in the wild - female I believe and possibly pregnant

Off to Koh Yao Yai Island tomorrow - hopefully will find some interesting bugs to shoot. Hopefully will stop raining

So it’s International Sea Slug Day (Happy Birthday Dr Terry Gosliner)
So here is the Branch of the Week featuring yours truly on one of my favourite little websites.

slugsite.us/bow2007/nudw...

Summer photo of the site, showing wildflowers & grasses, blue skies & fluffy clouds.

Autumnal photo of the site being cut & raked by our volunteers. 📷 Tara Higgs

Work at Ettington Cutting site has now been completed for this year ✅ Many thanks to our hard working volunteers. Summer & Autumn photos of this site below.

Thanks Mark - I have an ex-colleague who has just started as Assistant Prof at University of Khorfakkan - so that’s one of my potential routes for the East Coast. I believe each Emirate issue their own collection permits.

A photo of a sea slug that is mainly white with a yellow marginal band. It has large purple wine stain like blotches covering its notum

A photo of a sea slug that is mainly white with a yellow marginal band. It has large purple wine stain like blotches covering its notum

A photo of a sea slug that is mainly white with a yellow marginal band. It has large purple wine stain like blotches covering its notum

Some potential great news from today - looks like I may have finally found a way to get some real scientists to start describing some of the many undescribed #Nudibranch we have here in the UAE. This spectacular creature will hopefully be the first on the list.
#🦐 #🦑

This is why the future has to be Green

A photo of a small sea snail that has a white base colour but is covered in shocking pink splodges

So no #Nudibranch today - but something almost as cool - a little snail from the genus Diminovula.
#🦑 #🦐 #Mollusc

A photo of a sea slug from the side. The main body is translucent white with a series of cerata on its back that are orange and blue tipped with yellow.

This #Nudibranch is Caloria indica and is one of the slugs seen quite often here in the UAE.
Hopefully I can get back in the water soon to find some more.
#🦐 #🦑

A photo of a small squat lobster. It is coloured in alternating bars of white, brown and grey. This helps it to camouflage amongst the arms of its Crinoid host.

So this morning we have a bug rather than a slug. This is Allogalathea elegans - the elegant squat lobster who are generally found hanging out on crinoids. This one is from the east coast of the #UAE
#🦐 #🦑

A photo of a sea slug that has a pale background cover that is interspersed with little orange markings. The mantle is bordered with broken yellow and purple lines.

This one is not so common here - probably only the second time in 15 years I’ve found this in the UAE. Goniobranchus alius is the name
#🦑 #🦐 #Nudibranch

A sea slug that has a pale blue background colour interspersed with yellow patches. It then has a series of black lines crossing its body. The rhinophores and gills are bright red

So for today’s #Nudibranch we have this zigzag emblazoned slug. This is Hypselodoris nigrostriata from the UAE.
#MarineLife #Invertebrates

A photo of a tiny crab wedged in a hole. It is brownish red in couloir and a bumpy texture. It has some small growths on it also

This tiny little Crustacean was hiding in a piece of old coral thinking nobody would spot them. Not sure of the genus - iNat suggested Pilodius
#🦐 #🦑

The meaning of your post has a completely different context in the UK - but surprisingly no less accurate.

A photo of a sea slug that is predominantly ivory in colour with a yellow margin. Its body is interspersed with red circular patterns with some tinted blue inside.

So apparently it’s #MolluscMonday so here is one of our local star #Nudibranch in the UAE. Hypselodoris dollfusi is relatively common but no less spectacular.
#Invertebrates #MarineLife #SeaSlugs

I have a funky crab for you later - could be Pilodius

A photo of a shrimp sat on a stone covered in marine slug eggs. The shrimp has white eye stalks and a translucent body with red markings. The slug eggs are apricot coloured.

So for this shrimp I am leaning towards Dasycaris symbiotes- problem being it isn’t included in iNaturalist. It could also be D. ceratops but I’m not an expert so who knows. From the UAE.
#Invertebrates #MarineLife

A photo of a bright White Sea slug with longitudinal lines along its body. The mantle is fringed with blue spots and edging. Rhinophores and gill is bright red. The picture is taken from above looking down on the creature.

So this is one that shows up a few times here in the UAE - was historically referred to as Hypselodoris capensis - but is now more likely to be undescribed. This was found on a wreck down at 21m.

A photo of a Nudibranch that is light apricot in colour with worm like cerata that are orange with hints of blue

So first dive in over a year - and first dive in the UAE in about 4 years. A few Nudibranch were around which makes it nice. Here is the first one - an undescribed Phyllodesmium down at 21m.