Even leaving aside for the moment the ants and the flies there are a multitude of insects to be found in Paraguay.
The insects of Paraguay come in ever imaginable size, shape and colour. They range from the smallest, too small to be seem by the naked eye to those as large as small mice of birds. In shape, every imaginable form is to be found. From the thinnest of stick insects to the roundest of beetles. Then is colour whilst discrete brown and black may be common there are plenty of others in bright shades of red, yellow or green.
On the whole they are harmless creatures who play an important part in the local ecosystem and pose no threat to the people who share their land. A large scarab beetle for example my look formidable, but causes no more danger to humans than the chance of occasionally colliding accidentally with someone whilst flying from place to place on a dark night.
It does however have to be admitted that there are a few harmful insects out there. Mosquitoes aside though they are less than common and easily avoided. Even the mosquitoes outside outbreaks of dengue fever are more of an irritation than a danger. I have found that after being bitten so many times by them my skin no longer even reacts to yet another mosquito bite.
To concentrate instead on those insects that seek not to cause harm you could instead look at the many forms of beetles. These come in all sizes from small and delicate to large and robust. Many of the smaller ones have colourful wing causes. There are ladybirds with various forms of spots and stripes and and beetles coloured iridescent blue or purple. Some of these shimmer like oil on water. Then up at the larger end of the scale are the scarab beetles with their tough round bodies and large, strong pincers. These come in sizes ranging from one to several centimetres in length. Like many insects they are most active at night and attracted to lights. Fast but not the most maneuverable of flyers they will often crash into the wall from which a light is hanging.
At the other end of the scale of body shapes are the stick insects. These too can be of a great size, reaching 10 or even 20 centimetres in length. Many are green and as is common with stick insects difficult to spot as the hang motionless in a plant. Some though are brighter with purples and almost rainbow colours along their bodies length.
Another slender bodied insect is the mantis. These do tend to be green. Far better for remaining unseen by their pray. There are though also some species coloured brown, better for staying hidden on more woody plants. Praying mantis is an apt name for they do hold their forearms in front of their heads as they wait motionless for prey to ambush.
A more vocal, or at least more audible types of insects are the many grass hoppers and crickets. Theirs can at time be the over riding insect noise. At night it is often their calls which fill the night air with sound. As with all the insects in Paraguay they come in many forms. Small and brown may be the norm but larger grass hoppers coloured in blacks, reds and yellows are not uncommon.
Another of the more audible insects is the cicada. These large insects which are found throughout warmer climes spend the majority of their life cycle under ground as larvae emerging only to molt, mate and sing for a few short weeks. In my garden I have two distinct species which emerge simultaneously. I know they are different for every cicada makes one last molt upon leaving the ground and leaves behind clinging to a tree its final casing. In one part of the garden these are dark brown and in another light brown. They all emerge at the end of the year as summer arrives and make their sound the sound of summer.
These are but a few of the classes of insect to be found across Paraguay. There are many more which as yet are nameless and still more that remain unknown to humanity.
Such is the rich fauna of Paraguay.
Recent Comments