Bugs, spiders and such

This male Red-headed Mouse Spider (the colour indicates the sex) was wandering around at Lake Mungo: the female is entirely black. One of Australia's eight species of mouse spiders, these are found in the arid areas and, although there are few reported cases of bites, they are thought to be quite venomous. What excited me, on doing some research, was to find that they are part of our Gondwanan fauna, with their nearest overseas relatives in South America.

There were quite a few of these bugs, busily having 'group hugs'.

It took ages to find the name of these native Australian bugs. When I did track them down, the name seemed an anticlimax. :)

Today I was watering the garden and found this tiny (about 10-12mm) leaf insect. Every time I tried to take its photo, it would shuffle around the stem away from me! Taken with reversed SMC Pentax M 50/1.4.

Taken with Pentax SMC M macro 100mm f4.0 on K10D camera - and with an obliging bee. :)

I was pruning our Wonga wonga vine when, suddenly, my thumb exploded in flames! At least it felt that way. I had been stung by an Australian Paper Wasp ( Polistes humilis ). I retreated, whimpering, indoors and some ten minutes later there was neither any pain nor bite mark, so I returned with the macro lens, keeping a safe distance and a wary eye. :) These are about 15mm long. They are called Paper Wasps because they build papery nests, as seen here, from a paste of saliva and chewed wood pulp.

I'm heading away for a few days. Hopefully, I'll be able to find some internet... This is a shield bug that was visiting our Wonga wonga vine recently. Explored

Bee on a callistemon (bottlebrush) flower. Taken on a quite windy day, hence the high shutter speed.

The wonga wonga vine has finished flowering and now has set seed pods. I found this bug (since identified as a Green Vegetable Bug - see thread) sitting on one. SMC Pentax M Macro 100/4.0 plus X1.4 Kenko T.C.