Steve's Nature Blog: Sinapis alba

Hold your hand out in front of you, at arm's length, fingers pointing upwards. Gradually move it towards you. At a certain point, it will become fuzzy and out of focus, thus proving that you really cannot see what is right in front of you. The same is true of the hinterland, the area beyond what is visible, or known. A description, which for most people, describes a semicircle, of 500 yards or so, around their front gate. The area that we pass through every day and seldom give a second glance. So, this is the project for the week and it's the perfect time to do it. You don't have to use the car and nobody is going to look over your shoulder and ask what you are doing. They may think you a little eccentric but, at the moment, eccentricity is the new normal. Think of it as a public service: you're something to watch on a dull day, while staring out of the window, at nothing in particular.

White Mustard, Sinapis alba

I am lucky with my hinterland, as it contains olive groves and a small, seasonal stream. Even so, it is an area which I've tended to neglect over recent years, for the simple reason that it has become too familiar. As I needed some White Mustard, Sinapis alba, yesterday, for a little project involving snails, I revisited the banks of the little stream. Here, I knew that white mustard grew, in some profusion. I took my camera with me, to see how many different types [orders] of creepy-crawlies I could find.

HEMIPTERA Calocoris nemoralis

The HEMIPTERA, or True Bugs [as opposed to the general term 'bugs' which covers all creepy-crawlies, especially in American English], were represented by two or three different species of Mirid Bug, such as this Calocoris nemoralis of the Miridae family.

COLEOPTERA Oxythyrea cinctella

The COLEOPTERA, or Beetles, came in the form of this Middle Eastern Flower Scarab, Oxythyrea cinctella of the Scarabaeidae family, as well as a good number of 7-spot ladybirds, Coccinella semipunctata of the Coccinellidae family.

LEPIDOPTERA Acontia lucida

The LEPIDOPTERA, or Butterflies and Moths were much in evidence with Small White, Pieris rapae, Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus, and Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria, butterflies, all flitting about in the sunshine. The only one to sit still and be photographed was this Pale Shoulder Moth, Acontia lucida, of the Noctuidae family.

HYMENOPTERA Apis melifera

The HYMENOPTERA, or Bees, Ants and Wasps, provided a nice, buzzy, Spring soundtrack as the Western Honey Bees, Apis melifera, of the Apidae family, went about their business of collecting pollen with which to make honey. In the process of which, they inevitably transfer pollen from flower to flower and ensure a good harvest for next year.

ORTHOPTERA Acrididae family

The ORTHOPTERA, or Grasshoppers and Crickets, were busy jumping about and these two landed on the same rock at the same time. One, I think, is a Chorthippus species and the other, a Band-winged Grasshopper, both of the Acrididae family.

All the above are insects [having six legs], but there was one arachnid [having eight legs], bustling about in the undergrowth: this lovely Harvestman. Most people think that this is a type of spider but it isn't. Harvestmen form the order OPILIONES and, despite their size, are totally harmless. Their body shape is different to a spider and they only have one pair of eyes, whereas spiders have three or four pairs. This one, investigating my arm, is a member of the Phalangiidae family.

OPILIONES Phalangiidae family

I nearly forgot the White Mustard, which I came out to pick in the first place. I haven't been able to photograph any birds today as my bird camera is en route to Cumbria with about a third of my furniture. I, of course, am locked down, the same as everybody else. However, I can tell you that there are Chaffinches, Great Tits, Sardinian Warblers, Greenfinches, Blackbirds and Hooded Crows all heralding the arrival of Spring. Oh, and I also saw a little mouse in the garden the other day, so the small, furry mammals are about too.

Until next time, stay safe, avoid people and enjoy nature. I wish you all well, wherever you may be.

The Quick Guide To Creepy-Crawlies not only gives pictures and easy descriptions of twentytwo insect orders (in both their adult and juvenile states), but also pages of molluscs, myriapods, isopods, arachnids and all the other creepy-crawlies that you are likely to find in your hinterland. Suitable for adults and children alike, I am putting it on special offer (a third off, except in the USA where a minimum price applies) until the end of April. So, order a copy, take your camera or phone with you, photograph what you find, and identify them when the book arrives. Congratulations! You've just got yourself a new hobby!

Was £14.99 $17.31 €16.14

Now £10.00 $16.48 €11.52

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
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Steve's Books

The Eggs of Saramova

A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete).

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies

All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it.

Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels

A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex.

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LINKS:

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Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)

Last week we went down the lane to the cliffs so this week I thought I’d take you up the hill to the ‘lost’ garden. I discovered this some years ago whilst rambling through the olive groves at the back of the house. In truth it is not lost at all but merely neglected and belongs to a neighbour of mine. I have two reasons for wanting to visit it today: firstly it contains a pond that I would like to get to the bottom of (literally) and secondly his oranges and lemons are ripe and he always lets me have a few to make some English style marmalade.

Turning off the lane we climb through the olive grove through shoulder high stalks of last year’s fennel passing carob and fig trees until we come to the citrus trees, the air highly perfumed by fruit ripening in the early morning sun. Grapevines sprawl along the ground like Medusa’s snakes on a bad hair day and poking out from between the tendrils is an insignificant looking plant with small, yellow flowers.

White Mustard (Sinapis alba)

Take a closer look. Those hairy seed capsules (called siliquae) are full of mustard seeds, in this case white mustard. Although these produce a milder flavour than black or brown Indian mustard the strength of any of them can be varied. The addition of water to the ground seeds releases two chemical compounds which create the ‘heat’. As one of the compounds, an enzyme called myrosinase, is denatured by high temperatures, mixing the seed with hot water creates a milder mustard and mixing with cold water creates a hot mustard.

Climbing over a low stone wall we come to the pond, dominated at one end by a huge wall of Rosemary which climbs the cliff behind it. Honey bees and butterflies are busy harvesting nectar from its small blue flowers. Beneath our feet is a bed of Horse Mint which has run wild so our every step releases an invigorating draught of fresh minty air.

The rescued beetle (Elaphocera sp.)

The surface of the pond is quiet at this time of year apart from one small beetle, flailing about and very much out of his element as he is not one of the aquatic species. I’ll rescue him and take him home to dry out and then we can take a closer look at him. I’ll also take some water samples from the top, middle and bottom of the pond and we can examine them under the microscope when we get back.

Inocybe sp.?

Retracing our steps and pausing to collect four oranges and a lemon en route we make for the other end of the garden. Here among the leaf litter below the Linden trees is a little cluster of mushrooms. I am happy to find these as the fungi season is very short out here and we have nowhere near the diversity that exists in more northerly latitudes. These are gill mushrooms of the order Agaricales and, though I’m no mycologist, their fibrous caps lead me to believe that they may be members of the Inocybaceae family. Anyone care to elaborate?

Diatom

So, let us head for home and get these pond samples under the microscope.

The top and middle levels are providing nothing much of interest but down in the murky depths we have life. These tiny little creatures are called diatoms, a type of algae that forms the very basis of the complex food web of the pond. Without these our pond would be sterile. Fascinating stuff nature, isn’t it?

As usual there was far more to see and discuss than could be covered in one small blog but you can see more on our facebook page: Steve's Naturalists' Group. Meanwhile I’ll leave you with a few butterflies that can be seen in the south of Crete in January, some of which were flitting around the Rosemary back at the pond. Until next week – good hunting.