Habitantes del bosque /Inhabitants of the forest

Greetings dear nature-loving readers. It is a pleasure to share with you what I was able to see on a trip I made in a forested area in the mountains of Henry Pittier National Park in Venezuela. The diversity of insect species in tropical forests is very large and this is just a small sample of what I saw in the river where the humidity and light that penetrates through the canopy of large trees creates an environment conducive to the life of these inhabitants.

Among the leaves, vines and roots hanging from the trees, forming a tangle of vegetation, among the rocks, the crystal clear water runs down the mountain following its course. It is a forest full of life where the balance of nature gives everyone their space.

There among so much diversity some beings do not hide but are so visible that we could think that they have no one to intimidate them, like this butterfly of black and red colors that contrast with the greenery of the vegetation. In nature, bright colors such as red, yellow and orange are a strategy to keep predators away, a warning that they should not be eaten because they can be toxic or poisonous . In addition, these colors allow them to attract mates, which is very important for the survival of the species.

She flies over the water and plants and almost never stops and it was not easy to photograph her. They walk in groups, fluttering back and forth, in a wonderful dance. This butterfly is of the genus Heliconius and the color of the wings is characteristic of each species, in this case it could be Heliconius melpomene. Note the white dots on its body.

This smaller butterfly with yellow, orange and black colors and perches quietly on the rock, the design of its wings very characteristic of another species of the genus Heliconius, seems to correspond to the species Heliconius ismenius.

And also flying over the waters were these two insects, they look similar but there are some important differences between them, maybe we call them damselflies or dragonflies, but each one has the characteristics of the species.

This amazing insect with blue eyes and stylized body, has its wings in a horizontal position, as seen in the photograph, when it perches on a branch. Its body is long and ends in appendages.

It is a dragonfly known as the blue-eyed skimmer (Dythermis nigra) and is commonly found in wooded areas of South America.

This other insect is called the common scarlet damselfly (Hetaerina americana) because of the color of its wings, because of the color of its wings. In the photograph you can see how it keeps its wings in an upright position unlike the previous one. This difference in the position of the wings has led to differentiate dragonflies from damselflies, although as everything in nature sometimes there are exceptions to the rules.

Both insects are predators, their strong jaws and legs allow them to catch their prey in the air, but also in the water and that is why we see them quickly land on the water and fly to another place. They are amazingly fast.