Ticks

When you have been to the same place on holiday on a few occasions, as we have been to Olhos d'Agua, the chances of adding more 'ticks' to the life lists are somewhat diminished. This time, I didn't manage to add any new birds or plants to the lists, but I did get three new 'ticks' on the invertebrates list.  First was a large cricket which turned up on our balcony one day as we sat with a cup of tea.  Here, it was checking out the soft furnishings.  It turned out to be a Lily Bush-cricket (Tylopsis liliifolia).

The second 'tick' was another cricket species, but this time, it was found sitting on the desiccated remains of a Large Quaking Grass plant.  This was a Tree Cricket (Oecanthus pellucens) an rather tricky to spot being so well camouflaged.

Lastly, an insect which was much easier to see.  With bold, red and black stripes and sitting on the pale green flower head of a Rock Samphire plant, this is an Italian Striped Bug (Graphosoma lineatum italicum) and quite a little stunner.