Wild Life of Malta Introduction to the Wild Life of Malta: This is an additional page showing some of the non-floral species that makes an essential part of the wild life of the Maltese Islands. Apart from wild plants, there are about 7,000-8,000 species recorded on our islands, mostly insects (5000 spp. c.) Moluscs (1000 spp. c.) and Fungi (400 spp. c.). Here you find a very small selection of the fauna and fungi found on the Maltese islands, mostly being common Molluscs, Fungi or Insects due to the ease of capturing photos and their abundance. This page is created to celebrate the 3rd year of this website (MaltaWildplants.com), which was launched back on 31st October 2002. One can click on the photo images below to view a larger photo and read some information when available. The page was later enhanced in 2007. Credits for this page: Photos: Most photos are taken by Stephen Mifsud © (author of the webpage). Some other photos are kindly given by other contributos as indicated on the photo itself and text under the thumbnail. These external authors gave me permission to publish their photos here. Please observe their copyright rights. Publishing photos without permission of the authors is a crime. Additional information is mostly taken from: "Wildlife of the Maltese Islands" by various authors (E. Lanfranco, A. E. Baldacchino, D. Dandria, G. Lanfranco, S. Lanfranco, C. Mifsud, P.J. Schembri, S. Schembri, J. Sultana, V.Falzon, A. Micallef), BirdLife and Nature Trust, Malta 2002. ISBN 9 9909-66-02-1 . A special thanks goes to : - Prof. Patrick J. Schembri, Biology Department, University of Malta : for extra bits of information and identification of some species mostly in the reptile and marine field. - Daniel Farrugia : data input and contributor of some photos. Other main pages found in MaltaWildPlants.com Select a page in the drop down menu on the right and click on the NEXT button. [ Main Index ] [ A-Z Index and search page ] [ Forum ] [ Home ] Home Page Index by Plant Family Index by Flower Colour News and Updates Search and General Index Plant Profile User Guide List of Botanical Terms Bibliography and References Visitors' Comments Online FORUM Sponsors and Ads Copyright Information Promotions and Contributions Felter's Eclectic Materia Medica NARROW DOWN ENTRIES BY THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA Division Plantae Green Algae Funghi (All) Animalia Mollusca Animalia Arthropoda Insecta Animalia Arthropoda Arachnida Animalia Chordata Animalia Show all organisms Select ONE -> Select further division(s) where applicable -> (All) (All) (All) =All insects= Blattodea Coleoptera Dictyoptera Diptera Hemiptera Heteroptera Homoptera Hymenoptera Lepidoptera Neuroptera Odonata Orthoptera Zygentoma (All) =All vertebrates= Amphibia Aves Mammalia Reptilia (All) (Default) Agalenatea redii (ID unsure) Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Aranae No Common Name No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Micrommata ligurinum female Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Aranae No Common Name No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Synaema globosum female Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Aranae Red Crab spider Brimba tal-Fjuri Daniel Farrugia Argiope lobata Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Araneae Lobed Argiope Brimba kbira tal-Widien Stephen Mifsud Argiope trifasciata Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Araneae Banded Argiope Brimba Rrigata Stephen Mifsud Nemesia arboricola female Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Araneae Trap-door spider Brimba tal-bejta Daniel Farrugia Salticidae (Uncertain ID) Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Araneae Uncertain ID Uncertain ID Stephen Mifsud Thomisus onustus Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Araneae Humped Crab Spider Brimba tal-Fjuri mhattba Stephen Mifsud Euscorpius sicanus Animalia / Arthropoda Arachnida / Scorpiones Scorpion Slorpjun Stephen Mifsud Pachygrapsus marmoratus Animalia / Arthropoda Crustacea / Decapoda Mediterranean Shore Crab Granc tax-xatt Stephen Mifsud Potamon fluvitile subsp. lanfrancoi Animalia / Arthropoda Crustacea / Decapoda Maltese Fresh Water Crab Qabru Stephen Mifsud Loboptera decipiens Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Blattodea Field Cockroach Wirdiena ta' l-Ghelieqi Daniel Farrugia Alaocyba melitensis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Maltese Blind Weevil Bumunqar Ghama ta’ Malta Stephen Mifsud Alphasida grossa subsp. melitana Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Tortoise darkling beetle Hanfusa tal-fekruna Daniel Farrugia Brachycerus undatus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Onion weevil Bumunqar tal basal Stephen Mifsud Carabus morbillosus subsp. alternans Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Great ground beetle Bunittien Daniel Farrugia Chrysolina grossa Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Red Leaf Beetle Zabella Hamra Stephen Mifsud Chrysolina variolosa Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Leaf beetle Zabbella Stephen Mifsud Cocinella septempunctata Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Seven-spot Ladybird Nannakola tas-seba' tikki Stephen Mifsud Lixus junci Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Striped weevil No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Meloe tuccius Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Common Oil Beetle Dliela Zejtnija Stephen Mifsud Oxythyrea funesta Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera White-spotted barbary bug Busuf tat-tikki bojod Stephen Mifsud Pentodon bidens subsp. punctatus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera Black flower scarab Bughawwar Botni Daniel Farrugia Phryneta leprosa Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Coleoptera No Common Name Susa tat-Tut Daniel Farrugia Mantis religiosa male Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Dictyoptera Praying mantis Debba ta' L-infern Stephen Mifsud Calliphora vicina Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Diptera Blue Bottle Zarzura Stephen Mifsud Eristalinus taeniops Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Diptera Lesser Drone Fly Dubbiena ta' l-Ghajnejn Irrigati Stephen Mifsud Philaenus spumarius Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hemiptera Common Froghopper Pulcinell Daniel Farrugia Caenocoris nerii Nymph Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Lygaeid bug Seffud tax-xaghri Stephen Mifsud Camptopus lateralis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Eurydema ornatum adult Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Ornamental Shield Bug Spallut ta l-orjent S. Mifsud & D. Farrugia Graphosoma lineatum subsp. italicum Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Striped Shield Bug Spallut irrigat Stephen Mifsud Nezara viridula mature nymph Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Green Vegetable Bug Spallut ahdar Stephen Mifsud Nezara viridula nymph stage 2 Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Green Vegetable Bug Spallut ahdar Stephen Mifsud Oxycarenus lavatera Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Rhinocoris erythropus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Heteroptera Assasin bug Seffud ta l-assalt Stephen Mifsud Cicada orni Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Homoptera Cicada Werzieq ta' Bi Nhar Stephen Mifsud Bombus terrestris Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Bumble bee Bomblu Stephen Mifsud Crematogaster scutellaris Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Cocktail ant No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Megascolia flavifrons female Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Large yellow-banded Scolid wasp Qerd iz-Zaqquq Stephen Mifsud Podalonia tydei Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Polistes gallicus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Large Paper Wasp Zunzan tax-Xehda Kbira Stephen Mifsud Sceliphron spirifex Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Mud-dauber Zunzana taz-Zokk Daniel Farrugia Xylocopa violacea Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Hymenoptera Large Carpenter Bee Bomblu Iswed Stephen Mifsud Achyra nudalis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Agdistis tamaricis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Aporodes floralis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Catocala elocata Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Red Underwing Elokata Daniel Farrugia Cynthia cardui Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Painted Lady Farfett tax-Xewk Stephen Mifsud Dysgonia algira Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera The Passenger No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Hellula undalis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Old World Webworm No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Hyles livornica adult Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Spurge hawk moth Bahrija tat-Tenghud Stephen Mifsud Hyles sammuti larva Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Spurge hawk moth Bahrija tat-Tenghud Stephen Mifsud Hymenia recurvalis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Beet Webworm No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Lasiocampa trifolii Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Grass eggar Bahrija tas-silla Stephen Mifsud Lasiommata megera Male Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Wall brown Kanella tax-Xemx Stephen Mifsud Orgyia trigotephras Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Vapourer Moth Bahrija tal-Frott irqiq Stephen Mifsud Pandesma robusta Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera No Common Name No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Papilio machaon subsp. melitensis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Maltese Swallowtail Farfett tal-Fejgel Stephen Mifsud Polyommatus icarus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Common Blue Farfett ta' l-Anglu Stephen Mifsud Pyralis farinalis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Meal moth Bahrija tad-dqiq Daniel Farrugia Synthymia fixa Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Lesser Yellow underwing Bahrija tas-Silla tal-moghoz Stephen Mifsud Tyta luctuosa Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Four-spotted Moth No Maltese Name Daniel Farrugia Utetheisa pulchella Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Lepidoptera Crimson-speckled Moth No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Macronemurus appendiculatus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Neuroptera Ant-lion Qerd in-Nemel Daniel Farrugia Anax imperator Male Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Odonata Emperor Dragonfly Mazzarell sultan Stephen Mifsud Crocothemis erythraea female Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Odonata Scarlet darter Mazzarel skarlat Stephen Mifsud Crocothemis erythraea male Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Odonata Scarlet darter Mazzarel skarlat Stephen Mifsud Ischnura genei Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Odonata No Common Name Damigella Stephen Mifsud Sypetrum fonscolombii Tandem Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Odonata Red-veined darter Mazzarel ahmar Stephen Mifsud Acrida ungarica subsp. mediterranea Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Orthoptera mediterranean slant-faced grass-hopper Gurat ta' rasu twila Stephen Mifsud Acrotylus patruelis Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Orthoptera Slender Red-winged Grasshopper Ruxxan Irqiq Stephen Mifsud Aiolopus thalassinus Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Orthoptera Australian aiolopus No Maltese Name Stephen Mifsud Anacridium aegyptium adult Animalia / Arthropoda Insecta / Orthoptera Egyptian Grasshopper Gurat tar-Raba Stephen Mifsud