Desert insects

Desert, not dessert scorpion! Although in some places this is a delicacy!

I noticed this desert tarantula (aphonopelma chalcodes) lit up in my headlamps while driving this evening in Ironwood Forest National Monument (near Tucson, Arizona). This is the time of year when these beautiful (and harmless!) creatures go looking for a mate after dark, and this photo is lit by (off-camera) flash, as the night was totally dark and the moon had not yet risen. The one you see here is a male tarantula. It's the males that go looking for the females, who remain in their…

EARTHOFFICIAL on Instagram: “Exploring the Australia’s desert 🦎 | Photography by © (@sabowden) #earthofficial #molochhorridus #centralaustralia #desertwildlife…”

The Thar desert in Rajasthan is home to two of the seven known dune cricket species. The insects have adopted mechanisms and lifestyles that help them survive the arid desert climate

For every cute cottontail bunny hopping through Arizona, there are just as many dangerous creatures lurking around. Here are a few that you may encounter.

Desert horned viper. Photo: Mark Kostich.

Pachysoma rodriguesi walking across a dune in the NamibRand nature reserve, Namibia

0.1 Adult female Androctonus gonneti preserved in 75% Isopropyl. Location: Morocco, exact location only on request. Colors restored. Sony Alpha 7RII - MPE 65mm @1x - 2x Godox AD200, Cognisys Stackshot. 5304x7952px, 63 images, ƒ5,6, 280µm. Setup www.mygale.de www.facebook.com/mygalephotography Specimen from www.buthidae.eu