saw some weird bugs in Italy last week – took some pics

is this a dragonfly or a damselfly? didn't like the look of its stinger, it was about an inch and a half long

this thing scared the crap out of me too – flying circles round my head
thought it was a cockroach, but maybe it's a stag beetle?

some other bugs

and what I think is an Italian Wall Lizard

Nice pics, especially the first one. What camera are you using?

No idea what any of them are I'm afraid.

nothing special, just an Olympus MJU 790 point and shoot

the colours aren't the best, especially in strong light but otherwise ok

I like these two landscapey ones

First one is a fly not a dragonfly or damselfly. Flies have two wings. dragonflies and damselflies have four.

Second is a Stag beetle.

Third is a bee 😀

oh fifth is a scarab beetle or dung beetle. Possibly a Geotrupes Egeriei but you would need to check

Flies have two wings. dragonflies and damselflies have four.

that's what I thought, but couldn't tell whether it had two wings or four

also saw a queen hornet, which was very very scary – red and yellow like a Ferrari wasp, I was in the pool at the time so didn't have the camera

the green (dung) beetle hit me in the head and fell on the floor then let me take its picture

I think it's some kind of Robber Fly

I'm sure I've been to that second landscape one. Is it Locarno?

no, it's Lake Como – Menaggio viewed from the hills above Varenna

I think it's some kind of Robber Fly

Is that closely related to these..?

I found a hornet in my shed the other day. It made a noise like a Spitfire. It looked at me, then came for me, and when I shut the door and looked at it through the window it followed my movements and kept headbutting the window

Emptied a full kettle on it whilst it was on the floor a couple of hours later. Left it where it was, and when I went back later the bloody thing had gone…

Your Hornet sounds more like a wood wasp if its pluttering rather than buzzing. Did it have a big ovipositer? (Looks like a Giant stinger)

The Dung beetles are remnants of savannah conditions in the uk in the past. When there were Rhinos and stuff running about.

Damsel flys close their wings when stationary, Dragon flys keep them open.

Robber fly rings a bell but i'm sure a wee google will find it.
Thats my insect knowledge exhasuted.

The Dung beetles are remnants of savannah conditions in the uk in the past. When there were Rhinos and stuff running about.

So they survived the Ice Age – cool.

Although I bet they were p1ssed off when they realised that they didn't need to eat sh1t after all.

Who was it who once said :

"I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. We have nothing to eat but sh1t.
The good news is that there's plenty of it"

Was it Alexander The Great ?