Greater Flamingos in the South of France

Greater Flamingos, Phoenicopterus roseus, at La Camargue in the Bouche de Rhone region of France. These wild flamingos were feeding in a lake at the Camargue Bird Park. However, they range throughout the Mediterannean and down through Africa. They can also be seen along the coast of Marseille, sifting for food in calm bays. These flamingos are a little whiter in color than the Carribean Flamingos typically seen in the zoos. However, when they fly, the underwing is a wonderful, bright pink.

Green Scarab Beetle, Chiloloba acuta, in Vernegues, France

Green Scarab Beetle, Chiloloba acuta, munching on a fresh rose flower in Vernegues, France. I would check the roses every morning to see what new critters the floribunda roses had attracted for me to photograph! I was never disappointed! Ironically, it was just this one particular floribunda rose bush. Perhaps it was the fragrance that attracted the insects. In any case, the large-flowered hybrid tea roses did not get anywhere near as much insect traffic. Now for the really mind-boggling part. The amazing, glossy green color results, not from green pigment, but from the prismatic microstructure in layers of chitin in the beetles outer shell. The beetle is essentially a glossy green mirror. Thus, while normal organic pigments would fade over time and exposure to the sun, the prismatic green of the scarab beetles is remarkably durable.