Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Some Flora but Mostly Fauna of the Front Yard, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We're getting along well with the neighbors, except perhaps for the mosquitoes which we're initially a problem but now seem to have simmered down.

spider in web

Giant spider. The color of the thick web is an incredible yellow-orange.

wasps nest

Wasps' nest. We evicted them with a broom, but they promptly began to recolonize. So far, no stings.

white and purple passion flower

Passion flower (aka, the Tilt-a-Whirl)

green passion fruit

The fruit of the flower's (and the bee's) passion, the Passion Fruit. Tart, tangy and seedy. We haven't quite figured out how to properly consume it.

Phasmatodea, stick bug

Cool Mr. Stick Bug (aka, Phasmatodea).

insect eggs

Mysterious insect eggs on the kitchen window.

two red admiral butterflies

Dos mariposas on the raspberry bush. Not sure what kind... (David S., do you know?)

5 comments:

  1. I love seeing all the differnt flora and fauna but for some silly reason am most excited about the walking stick. I cannot think of a better named insect.

    From National Geographic: Did you know? Stick insects are part of the Phasmida order, the name of which is derived from a Greek word meanint "apparition."

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  2. Apparently the passion fruit in your picture isn't ripe yet. According to some internet thingy www site: An egg-shaped tropical fruit that is also called a purple granadilla, the passion fruit has a brittle, wrinkled purple-brown rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds, something like a pomegranate (granadilla means "little pomegranate" in Spanish). The seeds are edible so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Passion fruit is more commonly sieved and its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The flavor is likened to guava.

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  3. we have so many passion flowers growingin our backyard.

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  4. Kara usted tiene la fruta en la yarda. Conseguí insectos gigantes en mi patio trasero. Me pregunto si kim está desinsectando hacia fuera. ¿Cómo sobre cuadros de algunos pájaros? Quizá algunas historias de vida de la gente de la ciudad o apenas cuadros del área local.

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