Egyptian Pink Velvet Spider

On January 14, 2025 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods3 Comments

Meet Fred. Fred is the name I give to all my pet spiders, regardless of their sex. I have had countless pet spiders over the years. They are the spiders living in my house, the ones I notice and try not to disturb. And many of my pet spiders have been Egyptian Pink Velvet Spiders, aka Desert Velvet Spiders (Stegodyphus dufouri).

Velvet Spiders is the common name given to all spiders in the Eresidae family. There are nearly 100 different species in nine genera. Six of those species can be found in Egypt and three of those belong to the Stegodyphus genus. Their name is derived from the Ancient Greek word stegos, meaning “covered”. Velvet Spiders are covered in thick, glossy hair.

Egyptian Pink Velvet Spiders are typically solitary critters, living alone in separate nests. They build their silken nests in vegetation and prefer higher places in the wind and sun. The webs are cluttered with plant debris. Can you spot the spiders in the nests below?

The spiders feed mostly on flies (which is one reason they are welcome in my house), but will also eat wasps, ants, butterflies, moths, lacewings, antlions, and beetles.

The Velvet Spiders in my garden eat a lot of African Caper White Butterflies (Belenois aurota). The Velvet Spiders use the stickiness of their webs and their venom to subdue their prey.

Female Egyptian Pink Velvet Spiders create a round, light yellow-colored egg sac that they keep under their back legs. Spiderlings cannot emerge from this sac on their own; the mother uses her fangs to open the sac.

The mother feeds her young spiderlings by regurgitation for several days. Then she uses her silk to close the entrance to the nest, feeds herself to her spiderlings and they suck her body dry, a behavior known as matriphagy.

Before feeding themselves to their young, Egyptian Pink Velvet Spiders may also be preyed upon by Oriental Hornets (Vespa orientalis) and Mole Crickets (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa). The spiders can also be killed by pompilid wasps. These wasps, in the Pompilidae family, are also known as spider wasps or spider-hunting wasps because they capture spiders for their larvae to feed on. When the wasp finds a spider, they attack, paralyze it and carry it back to their larvae. Some pompilid wasps, however, after paralyzing the spider, lay their egg inside the spider’s body. When the larva hatches, it emerges from the spider’s body and eats it. Then the larva will spin itself a cocoon in which to complete its metamorphosis into an adult wasp. Many years ago, one of my Freds was a victim of a spider wasp.

Sad, but fascinating!

Do you have any pet spiders?

References:

El-Hennawy, H. & Mohafez, M. (2003). Life history of Stegodyphus dufouri (Audouin, 1825) (Arachnida: Araneida: Eresidae) in Egypt, A step on the way from asocial to social. Serket vol. 8(3): 113-124.

Two-spotted Cricket

On October 14, 2023 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods3 Comments

For a few weeks this past spring, we were treated, as we lay in bed at night, to the lovely sound of chirping. I woke up one morning to find a cricket hanging on my front screen door and so my curiosity about who exactly had been chirping was satisfied. Our serenaders were Two-spotted Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) – large, stout, blackish crickets with two dot-like marks on the base of their wings.

But while this critter helped me solve the mystery, she was not actually part of the chorus of chirping crickets. It’s the male crickets who chirp – by rubbing their two outer wings together. They do this as part of their mating behavior – to attract females – or to warn off other males.

The cricket on my screen door is female, identified by the ovipositor, or tube-like organ that she uses to lay eggs. Eggs are typically laid into moist ground, sand, or soil and hatch in two weeks.

Two-spotted Crickets, also known as African or Mediterranean Field Crickets, are the most widely, naturally distributed Gryllus species. They consume living and dead plant parts and live under logs or grasses and in crevices. They might also dig holes in the ground or hide in holes made by other animals.

Two-spotted Crickets are often used as a food source for spiders and reptiles that are kept as pets or in zoos. And in Northeast Thailand, these critters are considered a delicacy – they are fried in oil and seasoned with soy sauce and pepper. Something to think about if these crickets ever keep you up at night. 😉

Green Drab Moth

On April 10, 2023April 10, 2023 By Bernadette SimpsonIn ArthropodsLeave a comment

If “drab” can be defined as “not interesting, plain, or dull”, then it seems the wrong adjective to describe this moth, Ophiusa tirhaca, which I find simply stunning in appearance.

But “drab” can also mean “a dull greyish to yellowish or light olive brown”, which I suppose is a more fitting description for the adult females of this species, pictured below.

Green Drabs belong to the Erebidae family of moths and are native to Europe, Africa, Australia, and parts of Asia. The adult female moths have brownish-colored forewings, with a darker, irregular-shaped, broad band along the bottom edge. There is a dark spot near the middle of the wing and a black mark about halfway along the front edge. Males have a similar pattern but the forewings are more greenish, or yellow in several of my observations.

The hindwings of both sexes are yellow with a broad, dark band near the bottom edge.

“Ophiusa tirhaca larvae” by Sir Shurf is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Host plants include pistachio, pomegranate, sumac, and eucalyptus trees. Eggs are laid on trunks or older stems and the young larvae emerge and search for young leaves to feed on. Older caterpillars can be quite cryptic and difficult to see, resembling the branches they are attached to in shape and color.

Although the larvae might be a pest on some fruit trees, the adult moths are always a joy to spot!

Oleander Hawkmoth

On March 15, 2023 By Bernadette SimpsonIn ArthropodsLeave a comment

The Oleander Hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii), aka the Army Green Hawkmoth, is the most magnificent moth I have seen in the wild. Look at those wings! The colors and designs are truly stunning. That’s why I was so excited last week when my husband called me over to point out the one he had spotted in our desert garden.

This species of hawkmoth is native to areas of Africa and Asia. They are a migratory species, however, and fly to parts of eastern and southern Europe during the summer months. Oleander Hawkmoths have also been introduced in many places around the world.

The larvae, or caterpillars, feed mainly on oleander bushes (Nerium oleander), which of course explains their common English name, as well as other plants in the dogbane family. These plants are highly toxic, but the caterpillars are immune. Oleander, which is not native to Sinai, is the most popular bush to plant along the streets in Dahab because of it’s toxicity. The goats and sheep roaming the streets of Assala typically won’t eat these bushes, so they one of the few that can survive in this part of town. And so there is plenty of food around in my neighborhood for these caterpillars to munch.

“MMB_6870” by mmariomm is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

And if you thought the were amazing – check out these larvae! They are yellow when they hatch and turn green as they grow older. Like all hawkmoths, there is a “horn” protruding from the rear end of their body. There are large blue and white eyespots near the head (which are used as part of their defense system), a white band along the side of the body, and white and bluish dots. The caterpillar can grow up to 8.5 cm in length and turns brown shortly before it is ready to pupate.

“Daphnis nerii” by acherontyus is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“Hawk moth caterpillar” by DocJ96 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Fresh pupa are cream-colored but turn reddish-brown in color and will lie directly on the ground or under leaf litter.

“File:Daphnis nerii (Pakistan, Islamabad) (Muhammad Ather Rafi) pupa 2.jpg” by Muhammad Ather Rafi is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Adult moths have a greenish head with a gray band at the vertex and a green thorax with a black/tan belt across the center. The forewings are patterned with green, whitish, and rosy-colored curved bands. At the base of these wings is a white patch with a black spot.

Adults drink the nectar from a variety of flowers and are especially active at twilight, just after sunset. Oleander Hawkmoths may be important pollinators, and can find themselves prey to birds, lizards, and bats.

Their life cycle, from egg-laying to adulthood, takes between 28 – 30 days.

Read about other hawkmoths in Sinai:

Convolvulus Hawkmoth (Agrius convolvuli)

Eastern Death’s Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia styx)

Striped Hawkmoth (Hyles livornica)

Eastern Death’s Head Hawkmoth

On January 22, 2023 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods1 Comment

These beautiful wings above belong to a hawkmoth – specifically, to an Eastern Death’s Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia styx). Hawkmoths (family Sphingidae) are known for their sustained and agile flying abilities, reminiscent of a hummingbird’s flight and giving rise to another common name, hummingbird moths. There are 12 species of hawkmoths in Egypt. (You can read about two others on the blog – the Convolvulus Hawkmoth and the Striped Hawkmoth). Like all hawkmoths, the Eastern Death’s Head Hawkmoth has narrow wings and a streamlined abdomen, aiding their fast flying.

Acherontia styx is also known as the Small or Lesser Death’s Head Hawkmoth. Globally, there are three species of Death’s Head Hawkmoths (Acherontia spp.), all named in reference to Greek myths of death. A. styx is named after one of the rivers that divides Earth from the underworld. The moths were given this name in reference to the skull-like markings, with two black spots for eyes, on the back of the thoraxes, in addition to their somewhat-gloomy coloring.

Adults have brown heads, dark thoraxes, and a yellow-striped abdomen. Their forewings are mottled brown, grey, and a reddish color. The hind wings are yellow with two black bands. Eastern Death’s Head Hawkmoths have a wingspan of 80 – 120 mm.

Eggs are laid, and the larvae (caterpillars) feed, on a range of plants – potato, aubergine, tomato, tobacco, olive, as well as Capsicum, Solanum, Datura, and Nicotiana species. The larvae are yellow/green with yellow lateral stripes and go through several instars. When mature, they dig under the soil to pupate.

And these critters get more interesting!

Death’s Head Hawkmoths can, if disturbed, rapidly expel air to emit a loud squeak, similar to that of an agitated mouse. And these hawkmoths are also known as bee moths because of their ability to safely enter bee hives and drink the honey. They do this with the use of a chemical camouflage; they mimic the scent of bees.

Another fun fact: A. styx was featured in the film The Silence of the Lambs. (A victim was found with a pupa of this moth in her windpipe and there is a scene with entomologists determining the species.)

Interestingly, Acherontia styx was, in a study published in 2022, a new record in Egypt. The previous study on Sphingidae moths in Egypt was completed in 2005.

References:

Abdelfattah Mabrouk Amer Salem. Lepidoptera of Egypt Part III: Revision of Family Sphingidae (Bombycoidea). American Journal of Entomology. Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022, pp. 7-13. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20220601.12

Specimen of the Week 194: The Death’s-Head Hawkmoth

Blister Beetles

On January 11, 2023 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods2 Comments

These colorful insects belong to the Meloidae family of beetles and are commonly known as blister beetles. There are around 3,000 different species of blister beetles worldwide, and 145 species known in Egypt. They earned their common name from their defense mechanism – a secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. Getting this on your skin would cause an irritating reaction, but cantharidin is also used medicinally to remove warts.

Like all beetles (Order Coleoptera), they have hardened front wings that meet in a straight line in the center of their backs. Meloids, or blister beetles, are elongate in shape and the sides of their body are parallel. The pronotum, the hard shield-like covering on their thorax, is usually narrower than the head, and the tarsal claws are split in two lengthwise. Blister beetles are often conspicuous, with outstanding and noticeable colors. This announces their toxicity to potential predators.

Blister beetles lay their eggs in masses under stones, in the ground, or on the food plants of the adults. The larvae are insectivorous and are predators of grasshopper eggs and immature bees that they consume after entering the nests. Adults can live three months or more and feed on the nectar and pollen of a diverse range of plants – from the amaranth, aster, legume, and nightshade families. Some blister beetles also feed on foliage, leaves, and flowers and can be destructive to gardens and crops. In Egypt, for example, Meloe rugosus is a pest on agricultural crops in the western desert and feeds on fava bean, wheat, peas, alfafa, and onion plants.

Adult blister beetles are seldom seen. Have you ever spotted one while wandering through wadis in South Sinai?

Desert Skimmer

On June 26, 2022 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods2 Comments

Widespread in Africa and the Middle East, the Desert Skimmer (Orthetrum ransonnetii) is mostly found in hot, arid, rocky environments, like Sinai’s desert mountain region.

These dragonflies have almost completely black venation and completely transparent wings. (There is no amber color on the hind wings like in other species.) The males are blue, with an unwaisted body, and females are brown.

Because their larvae and nymphs are aquatic, Desert Skimmers are common at small flowing and standing pools of water, and particularly areas without a lot of vegetation.

Desert Skimmers are known to hang from vertical or sub-vertical rocks and walls. And if the weather is hot, they especially like to hang in shaded places.

Dragonflies are carnivorous, predatory insects, hunting on the wing for other flying insects, including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies and moths, and even smaller dragonflies. Their acute eyesight and strong, agile flight help make them some of the world’s most efficient hunters. Dragonflies catch up to 95% of the prey they pursue. And that’s good, because a dragonfly eats up to 1/5 of its weight every day.

Bedouin in Sinai, at least of the Jebeleya tribe, call a dragonfly a ghizlan غِزْلان

What do you call them in your native language?

Be sure to read the post about the Violet Dropwing where you can learn more about dragonflies’ amazing wings!

Darkling Beetles

On September 17, 2021 By Bernadette SimpsonIn ArthropodsLeave a comment

Even if you spot no other critter while wandering through wadis, you are almost guaranteed to see at least one darkling beetle, likely scurrying across the sand to find safety under a desert plant.

Darkling beetles are what we commonly call the beetles that make up the Tenebrionidae family of beetles (Order Coleoptera). There are more than 20,000 species of darkling beetles worldwide. In Egypt, there are about 400 different species, around 120 of those can be found in Sinai. I believe most of the darkling beetles that I have photographed belong to the Adesmia genus, but I have not been able to narrow down the identification any further.

Though most darkling beetles are dark in color, they are actually named for their nocturnal habits. A few beetles are colored or patterned, sometimes with red. Many of the larger species, like the ones pictured here, are flightless. The elytra (the rigid, forewings) are fused.

The domed shape of these darkling beetles, particularly those in the Adesmia genus, remind the Jebeliya Bedouin of donkeys. They refer to them as ‘uwir al banat, or “newborn donkey for girls”. ¹

Darkling beetles are common in desert areas, where they fill an ecological niche as plant scavengers. They are generalist omnivores though, meaning they can feed on a wide variety of plants and animals. As both larvae and adults, they feed on fresh or decaying plant matter like leaves or rotting wood. They will also eat fungi, dead insects and larvae. You will find darkling beetles living under logs and stones, in termite and ant nests, in plant debris, and in the dry dung of animals.

I always enjoy coming across these beetles while I’m wandering. They are entertaining to watch as they scuttle out of the way or over rocks. They are a good reminder that I am not alone out there, that there is a variety of wildlife surviving in our desert wadis.

On a lunch break in Wadi Lebba a few years ago, a darkling beetle was brave enough to approach our picnic spot so I shared a bite of orange with him.

If you’ve not spotted a darkling beetle on your wanders yet, watch the ground a few meters in front of you on your next hike. Or stop for a break near some plants. If you’re quiet, you might even hear them scrambling around.

References:

1- Zalat, S., & Gilbert, F. (2008). Gardens of a Sacred Landscape: Bedouin Heritage and Natural History in the High Mountains of Sinai. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

Camel Spider

On April 25, 2021 By Bernadette SimpsonIn Arthropods3 Comments

Camel spiders, sun spiders, barrel spiders, wind scorpions – all of these common names for Galeodes arabs are misleading as these fascinating critters are neither spiders nor scorpions but rather solpugids, a group of arachnids in the order Solifugae. More appropriately, they are also commonly known as Egyptian Giant Solpugids.

You may have heard of them; camel spiders have been the subject of many urban legends about their size, speed, and appetite. Despite knowing that they posed no threat to me – they are not venomous but can inflict a painful bite – seeing my first one last weekend in Wadi Kid still kind of creeped me out, partly because it was as big as my hand!

Camel spiders can grow up to 15 cm long. They have eight legs, as do most arachnids, plus two large pedipalps, or sensory appendages, in the front that look like legs. (The one I spotted was missing its front right leg.) These pedipalps have a “friction-based adhesive quality” that allows the them to grasp their prey and climb smooth surfaces.¹ Camel spiders have one pair of small eyes on the top of their heads and, with their eight legs, can move quite quickly – up to 16 kph!

These solpugids are voracious predators and eat insects, rodents, lizards, and even small birds. Their favorite prey are grasshoppers though. Camel spiders have two powerful chelicerae, or jaws, that they use to chop or saw their prey into a pulp. They begin by partially severing the neck, using one pair of chelicerae to hold the prey and the other to cut. Alternating the movements quickly between the two pairs of chelicerae, they continue along the whole body. At the same time, they use regurgitated digestive fluids to liquefy the flesh and suck up the nutrients. (And if this doesn’t sound too horrifying to you, visit the first link in the resources given below to read about their mating practices!)

These two distinctive jaws give rise to the name used by the Jebeliya Bedouin for camel spiders – abu hanakain, the father of two mouths.

Solifugae, the order these camel spiders belong to, means those who flee from the sun in Latin. These solpugids often seek shade from the intense desert sun in a person’s shadow and may seem to be “chasing” a person, but really all they want is a break from the heat.

Have you spotted any Egyptian Giant Solpugids during your wanders through South Sinai?

Resources:

1 – Bittel, J. (2017, August 9). Camel Spiders are Fast, Furious, and Horrifically Fascinating. Smithsonian Magazine.

National Geographic – Camel Spider

Aly, D. & Khalil, R. (2011). Wildlife in South Sinai. Cairo. Funded by the E.U. in cooperation with G.O.S.S.

Sand Wasp

On April 15, 2021 By Bernadette SimpsonIn ArthropodsLeave a comment

It’s springtime and the air is full of the sweet scent of flowers and the sound of buzzing insects. Some of the buzzers I’ve spotted recently in my garden are strikingly-colored sand wasps (Bembix sp.).

Sand wasps are solitary hunting wasps that build their nests in the ground. Worldwide, there are over 350 different species in the Bembix genus. They are typically yellow and black and are reported to be particularly diverse in dry habitats. Bedouin in Sinai call all wasps dabra.

Adult sand wasps feed on nectar, but the females are skilled hunters, capturing prey to feed their larvae. The females dig nests in the ground using their mandibles and front legs. The nests are simple burrows with an enlarged chamber at the bottom, the brood cell, which they keep stocked with fresh prey for their developing larvae. It is not uncommon for several females to dig their nests in a common area, but they are not social; they do not cooperate or share the labor.

Flies are the most common type of prey hunted, but sand wasps have also been observed preying on damselflies, grasshoppers, mantids, bugs, antlions, lacewings, butterflies, bees and wasps – but not beetles or spiders. The adult sand wasps catch the prey in mid-air, paralyze them with venom, and then carry them back to the waiting larvae.

After they have had their fill, the larvae spin silk cocoons and enter a prepupal stage. Pupation may not occur until the following spring, and then male wasps will emerge before female ones. Adult sand wasps probably live from several weeks to several months and spend much of their time sleeping. They spend this inactive time within their nests or in temporary sleeping burrows. The adult sand wasps may be prey themselves – to birds, lizards, robber flies, antlions, and velvet ants.

One source I consulted reports that these solitary wasps do not attack and sting humans, but another says they can deliver a painful sting if their nest is disturbed. So, like all stinging insects, it is best just to leave them in peace.

Have you spotted sand wasps on your wadi wanders or in your garden?