unusual plants, insects, ...what have you seen?

[boomerangutang]

Me and my hill tribe helpers have been slashing away at weeds for 15 years. As you probably know, every plant grows hardily here. However, in past years, it seems even crazier. I have a personal theory: because of the added CO2 (from global warming and/or greenhouse effect, or whatever), I believe weeds are growing twice as fast and bushy as they did just 20 years ago.

Primroses, which look like miniature daisies, are relative newcomers here. Up until 4 years ago, I didn't see them. Now they're everywhere, and thick. Even if my helper weed-eats them once a month, they grow back thick and fast (3 ft. high) - similar to all weeds here, but more-so.

Has anyone ever done a count of types of climbing vines? I estimate 240 types, but who knows?

insects: here are some notable ones I've seen:

>>> taratula spiders. One live and one dead (paralized, and being dragged by a wasp)

>>> dung beetles. Once. two little black ones, doing a piggy back mating thing.

>>> a long stilleto beetle: it's body was 5" by 1/2" and it's legs spread several inches more

>>> a very bulky beetle, about as big as a small mouse. No matter what direction I pointed it, it only wanted to go SE.

>>> a stick insect, straw colored, 3.7" long by the width of 2 toothpicks.

[kevvy]

i seen one animal with frumpy indigo farmers pants on ......just kidding .. i would love to see some pictures if you have some .

seen a Lantern Bug in a Forrest one time . it was amazing

[pomchop]

Good for the OP taking time to notice the plants and bugs that nature has on display. Far too many times we go about our daily lives more or less oblivious to the wonder of nature.

I have done many mountain hikes in the Great Smokies and Blue Ridge mountains over the years. One thing that I have found to be amazing is to take a magnifying glass with me and every now and then take a break from the hike and get down to ground level with the glass for a close up look at the tiny bugs and plants going about their lives with much energy and beauty and totally oblivious to the human species. For me it helps to remind me how very little we sometimes know about the other species that share the planet.

[sceadugenga]

A few local bugs, the red one smells really bad if disturbed.

[boomerangutang]

good photos. that green (leaf mimic) one on the bookshelf looks quite large.

just in case: if you don't already know, if you see a small black shiny/fuzzy caterpillar, don't let it touch your skin. It's very itchy. Same for other types of caterpillars, particularly if they have hairs. There is another black type, which is not itchy, but allegedly because it mimics the bad one. The mimic one is shaggier, a bit larger and with some silvery highlight, but to safe, don't touch any of those types.

There is a small caterpillar, yellow and black banded which is mildly itchy, but its main claim to fame is it attacks certain trees and munches on their leaves. You can actually hear it, if you're near an infestation. Plus they string themselves down on webs. Rather gross. I have 2 trees (out of hundreds) with that problem, and am thinking of burning mosquito coils under them on windless days/nights, to see it abates the problem. Any suggestions? It thought birds would eat 'em, but the critters are probably bad tasting.

Similarly, about once a year, I get caterpillar infestation on one or another of my many avocado trees. The bugs are 3 to 4 inches long and colorfully striped. I go to them with scissors, lop each in half, and that seems to work to eradicate them.

[DonaldBattles]

Sorry that I mistakenly clicked on don't like on the topic. I meant to say liked. The photos are great and we appreciate your taking them.

Insects and soil laden fungi and virus is a big problem for me. There is hardly anything you can do about the soil and the fungus except to douse it good with copper oxide dust when it is being tilled. Microscopic spider mites get on the back side of leaves and suck the moisture out and then the leaves curl up. Spraying on the bottom side with an organic pesticide that I get from the prison farm seems to work.

In areas that I am saving I have used roundup (herbicide) 3 times and it kills the plans on tip but then a new batch of seeds come up. Weed control is a big problem in my place. I don't dare spray in the vegetable garden.

Bugs and weeds sure have a tendency to discourage you.

[villagefarang]

These guys seem to be back in season right now.

[villagefarang]

Here he is as a youngster.

[glegolo]

Nice photos, here comes my own contribution than

from Isaan... Chaiyapum...

Glegolo

[sceadugenga]

I thought they had eaten all the insects in Isaan.

[glegolo]

I thought they had eaten all the insects in Isaan.

Yeah right. the main reason for falang NOT to eat insects in Isaan is

photo number 1......

Glegolo

[abhaya]

I thought no one would ever ask.

[glegolo]

I thought no one would ever ask.

Nice photos,, thank you

Glegolo

[boomerangutang]

These guys seem to be back in season right now.

wow, nice detail and color clarity. I took a photo of one (can't find it) but it was in a dark place. It nearly completely covered a standard sized cinder block (6" x 12"). I never saw the red white and blue lizard face shown on your image. You could submit it to Nat'l Geographic!

In the prior photo collection, I couldn't quite get the baby pink elephant - then upon enlarging it, there appears to be a spider on it's ear. Here's a suggested name for your pink elephant: 'loxodonta champuensis-noi'

Lots of good photos, not least, the scorpion carrying its white babies. If you were with a Thai person when you saw that, I'm sure they yelped and wanted to kill them all right away.

Also: saw a black land crab crossing the street the other day. Not sure if there's any voodoo about that, like the old blues song: "Ain't superstitious, but a black cat just crossed my trail. Don't sweep me with no broom, I just might wind up in jail."

Edited August 29, 2013 by boomerangutang

[villagefarang]

Which lizard were you referring to? Was it this one?

[villagefarang]

Took this one a couple of days ago, in the garden. Somebody took a bite out of him but he was still pretty handsome, basking in the glow of the afternoon sun.

Edited August 29, 2013 by villagefarang

[villagefarang]

Not sure who this is. Only saw him once many years ago.

[villagefarang]

Here is a tasty little fellow.

[villagefarang]

Dragonfly on a mushroom.

[boomerangutang]

That's a great lizard, but no, I was referring to the lizard face on the tips of the Atlas moth. They must be American or Thai lizards because they're red white and blue.

[mrwebb8825]

don't have pictures but when I was down in Precheupkirikhan I was attacked by a 14-16" centepede that was a good 1" wide. It was very dark brown with yellow-orange legs and pinchers. Freaked all the Thais out as well when it ran into the little beer bar we were at. At my home in Nakhon Nayok I've seen this little black bug(?) that has front arms (?) that look like a crayfish. It was about 3" long.

Went fishing with a friend down south and we startled a 10-12' lizard that was obviously fishing there 1st and didn't seem to appriciate being disturbed. And last but not least, outside my balcolny in BKK I see bats with a wingspan of at least 3' and a head the size of a medium dog.

Edited August 29, 2013 by mrwebb8825

[glegolo]

don't have pictures but when I was down in Precheupkirikhan I was attacked by a 14-16" centepede that was a good 1" wide. It was very dark brown with yellow-orange legs and pinchers. Freaked all the Thais out as well when it ran into the little beer bar we were at. At my home in Nakhon Nayok I've seen this little black bug(?) that has front arms (?) that look like a crayfish. It was about 3" long.

Went fishing with a friend down south and we startled a 10-12' lizard that was obviously fishing there 1st and didn't seem to appriciate being disturbed. And last but not least, outside my balcolny in BKK I see bats with a wingspan of at least 3' and a head the size of a medium dog.

The centerpede maybe is the one I have in my post way above??? than when it comes to Bats having a head like a mediumsized dog....I think you have discovered a new spice actually... Have NEVER heard about such a bat other than in the usual american horror stories..

Glegolo

[1Ping1]

Great, super cool pics. I'm curious about glegolo's frog. We get the darn things in.our small garden. Always hiding in the shade. I'm no wimp but my wife says never touch as poison on skin and be very careful as they can also spit poison in your eyes from 2-3 ft away.

I use a long broom to get them out of herbs. Drop a bucket in them and then take them to jungle.

Is my wife correct. My frogs look just like the one in pic. 4-5" long. Are they really poisonous and if so how bad.

[glegolo]

Great, super cool pics. I'm curious about glegolo's frog. We get the darn things in.our small garden. Always hiding in the shade. I'm no wimp but my wife says never touch as poison on skin and be very careful as they can also spit poison in your eyes from 2-3 ft away.

I use a long broom to get them out of herbs. Drop a bucket in them and then take them to jungle.

Is my wife correct. My frogs look just like the one in pic. 4-5" long. Are they really poisonous and if so how bad.

Checked again with my wife, and she still claims that the frog as you say, are poisenous. The frog is actually not spitting poisen, but when you touch it, and it get scared it protect itself by squeezing poisen out of the bodyskin. And the presure of it, it is just like the force of spitting.... Yes your eyes will be VERY damaged, but if this is just for a couple of days or permanentaly I do not know, sorry about that!!

Glegolo

Edited August 30, 2013 by glegolo

[sceadugenga]

I know that species of toads secrete poison through their skin, there's an introduced species in Australia that has done damage to native birds and also killed off a lot of dogs who have picked one up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad

[boomerangutang]

I know that species of toads secrete poison through their skin, there's an introduced species in Australia that has done damage to native birds and also killed off a lot of dogs who have picked one up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad

My thoughts also, when I read the prior post. Sounds like a cane toad. they're rather horrible, and wreak havoc on many native species they come across. They breed like crazy and have no prey (except a few blackbirds which have figured out how to flip them over to peck and kill them). Even snakes die when they ingest the toads, if they don't get eaten first. I've seen what I thought were the big ugly fellas around C.Rai, but hope I mistakenly identified them. Thailand and SE Asia would be worse off if cane toads took hold here. They're originally from S.America and because they've been there a long time, the native species there have ways of dealing with them.

[onthedarkside]

2 off topic posts removed. Topic is about insects & plants.

[angiud]

Not sure who this is. Only saw him once many years ago.

Wow, supercool!

It's a Longhorn Beetle, probably Aristobia horridula.

It looks similar to this one:

Thysia wallichi tonkinensis with similar 'tootbrush' antennae LOL

[angiud]

This not properly in CR, but half way from CM ;-)

Sagra femorata - Called "Frog-legged Leaf Beetle"

[toybits]

Cicada