Animals without backbones and other life forms

You find them wherever you find plants. Insects of course but also spiders, millipedes and centipedes; toadstools and other fungi, and all other beings that belong to nature.

Here are a few as a starter.

This one is called Dyer's polypore or Norway Chicken (don't know why; the Norwegian name is "gulrandkjuke" = yellow rim polypore), (Phaeolus schweinitzii). It causes rot on conifers but this one popped up on a dead rose shrub near a pine stump. The fruiting body developed in a month and then disintegrated into a very colourful slime.

The next two are caterpillars, Grass eggar (Lasiocampa trifolii) and Lettuce shark (Cucullia lactucae). The first one feeds on various trees and shrubs. I found it defoliating a Helianthemum. The second feeds on several Asteraceae and I found it on a sow thistle (Sonchus). I didn't kill any of them, softhearted as I am ;)

This is a common butterfly Scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae) - or to be more specific, is a representant for a common genus with several species. Always a joy to see.

The last one is a South American bee. Several bees were busy with this Pericum relative along the river Churun where we made a stop for lunch on our way up the river to take a look at Angel Falls.

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