Insects

Portugal Wildlife

Guide to the Insects of a Wildlife Reserve in Baixo Alentejo

All Photographs were taken by the website author on the reserve unless otherwise stated.

Species	Photographs	Photographs	Photographs
European Mole Cricket Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Ralo
Egyptian Grasshopper Anacridium aegyptium Gafanhoto do egipto

Blue Bandwinged Grasshopper Oedipoda caerulescens Gafanhoto de asas azuis
European Mantis Mantis religiosa Louva a deus comum	This mantis species is commonly known as a Praying Mantis due to the way it often holds its front legs as if in prayer.
	European Mantis hunting a Lang's Short-tailed Blue.
	European Mantis hunting a Longtailed Blue.	European Mantis hunting a Longtailed Blue.	European Mantis with Bristle Fly prey.
	European Mantis with Bristle Fly prey.
Conehead Mantis Empusa pennata Louva a Deus	Nymph.	Nymph.
Striped Shieldbug Graphosoma lineatum Percevejo riscado	Striped Shieldbugs mating (Graphosoma lineatum italicum).
Red Shieldbug Carpocoris mediterraneus	Red Shieldbug..
Blackshouldered Shieldbug Carpocoris purpureipenniss ((Or possibly Carpocoris mediterraneus ssp. Atlanticus)	Blackshouldered Shieldbug Nymph.
Soldier Bug Spilostethus pandurus Percevejo	Soldier Bug on a Sea Squill flower spike.
Bug Sp.	Bug Sp. on Crown Daisy.
Bug Sp. Centrocoris variegatus	Bug Sp. Centrocoris variegatus.
Common Pondskater Gerris lacustris Alfaiate
Appendicular Antlion Macronemurus appendiculatus Formiga leão
Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea Escorpião de água	Photo by Alan .
Water Beetle Cybister lateralimarginalis Escaravelho de água
Whirligig Beetle Gyrinus sp. Escaravelho
Redstriped Oil Beetle Berberomeloe majali Vaca loura	Redstriped Oil Beetle.	This is the rarer all black morph of the Redstriped Oil Beetle.
European Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata Besouro dourado
Leaf Beetle Sp. Chrysolina bankii Escaravelho
Darkling Beetle Sp. Scaurus uncinus
Darkling Beetle Sp. Heliotaurus ruficollis Escaravelho ou capuchinho	Darkling Beetle Sp. Heliotaurus ruficollis. Escaravelho ou capuchinho. Feeding on Limestone Lettuce.	Darkling Beetle Sp. Heliotaurus ruficollis. Escaravelho ou capuchinho. Feeding on Limestone Lettuce.
Apple Blossom Beetle Tropinota hirta	Apple Blossom Beetles on Crown Daisy.
Checkered Beetle Sp. Trichodes octopunctatus	A species of Checkered Beetle.
Dotted Bee-fly Bombylius discolor	Dotted Bee-fly. Bombylius discolor. Photo by Chris.	Dotted Bee-fly. Bombylius discolor. Photo by Chris.	Dotted Bee-fly. Bombylius discolor. Photo by Chris.
Bee Fly Sp. Bombylius cruciatus	Female Bee Fly Bombylius cruciatus feeding on nectar of Sweet Scabious.	Female Bee Fly Bombylius cruciatus.
Banded Bee Fly Sp. Exhyalanthrax muscarius
Hawthorn Fly Bibio marci Mosca de são marcos
Hover Fly Sp. Eupeodes corollae Mosca das flores	Hover Fly on Corn Marigold. Eupeodes corollae. Mosca das flores.
Common Globetail (Hoverfly) Sphaerophoria scripta
Drone Fly Eristalis tenax	A Drone Fly is a very common species of Hover Fly that is found all over the world.
Flesh Fly Sarcophaga carnaria	Flesh Fly sat on Lily Pad while drinking from Bulrush Pond.
Bristle Fly Sp. Nowickia ferox	Bristle Fly feeding on Yellow Fleabane.
Potter - Mason Wasp Sp. Eumenes Sp.
Furrow Bee Sp. Halictus Sp.
Fourstriped Digger Bee Amegilla quadrifasciata

Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea Abelha carpinteira	Violet Carpenter Bee feeding on Strawberry Tree flowers.

Large Earth Bumble Bee Bombus terrestris Abelhão terrestre	Large Earth Bumble Bee drinking nectar from Wild Radish.
European Honey Bee Apis mellifera Abelha europeia	European Honey Bee visiting Yellow Fleabane flowers.
Mammoth Wasp Megascolia bidens	Female Mammoth Wasp. Females have orange colouration on the front of the head and orange antennae unlike males which have black heads and longer orange antennae.	Females have two pairs of large yellow blotches on the abdomen (as here), while males only have one pair of large yellow blotches.	Female.
Large Yellowheaded Scoliid Wasp Megascolia maculata Vespa mamute	Female Large Yellowheaded Scoliid Wasp (Another species of Mammoth Wasp). Males have all black head whereas females have orange or yellow on head.
	Drinking at Bulrush Pond.
Sand Wasp Sp. Ammophila Sp.s
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris Vespa
European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula Vespa do papel europeia	Drinking at Bulrush Pond.
Pollen Wasp Sp. Jugurtia dispar	Pollen Wasps behave more like bees. They feed their young on pollen and nectar rather than insects unlike most wasps.	Gathering to drink at Bulrush Pond.	These wasps do not have stings.
Potter Wasp Sp. Eumenes subpomiformis	A species of Potter Wasp (Eumenes subpomiformis).	A species of Potter Wasp (Eumenes subpomiformis).
Digger Wasp Sp. Bembix oculata	Female Digger Wasp. Males do not have the two "eye spots" on the abdomen.	Female Digger Wasp in front of her nest burrow.	Female Digger Wasp at burrow entrance.
Square-Headed Wasp Sp. Pison atrum