Well, we've had the mosquitos, they've been and gone (but due back soon). We've had the flies - loads of them - but armed with a large can of spray you can keep on top of them. We've even had the jumping spiders, the suicidal woodlice and a very nice Stick Insect!
Well, now we have grasshoppers, millions of them .....everywhere. Now forgive me but I thought grasshoppers jumped - I thought they were experts at jumping, infact, I believe from my school days that there is some record they hold for jumping distance compared to size, but trust me - our grasshoppers can fly.
They are quite entertaining little creatures, inoffensive, don't leave a mess and apart from the 'startle' factor they have, I am quite fond of them. But when did Darwin's theory of evolution extend to grasshoppers flying?
I have come to realise that, spiders & flies apart, I am quite intrigued by the variety of insects we have here, and the relative reactions they invoke in the people nearby. But the biggest reaction was to a little green grasshopper which wasn't actually doing much at all.
We were sat outside a friends villa having the obligatory evening glass of wine when our friend noticed a little grasshopper close to the open patio door. She shouted to her other half to stop it going into the villa and so he pulled the patio door closed - only, instead of just pulling it to, it closed completely.
Now, these villas are built to be secure and so all the doors except one lock on closing - and if you are outside enjoying the night air or the days sun you either need to open the one door that doesn't lock from the outside OR make sure you have your keys with you.
Unfortunately, our friends had done neither and so found themselves late at night, locked out of said villa. That's when you discover how a burglar would get into your villa - and also discover how wise it is to have a neighbour you can trust to leave a key with.
A seconds panic over a very placid grasshopper led to an interesting hour.
And the grasshopper? It was one of the newly evolved species - it flew away.
2 comments:
It's actually a preying mantis, not a grasshopper.
Just returned from Spain where we had that same red dust & rain like you've not encountered before too. We were MEANT to fly out of Murcia Thursday night but London radar went down so no flight out till last night.
Chat soon.
Janice
Oh, I thought this was a stick insect, but yes, it does look like a mantis on closer inspection. At the time I was just desperate to keep the dogs off it - and mantis or stick insect, it was still pretty dopey.
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