Sicily is close to Africa in a geographical and historical sense.
The island’s cuisine is dappled by Arab influences, open air markets in most major cities are reminiscent of Moroccan bazaars and the scirocco wind often whips up dry air from the Sahara.
Another African element of the island are the strange insects you discover, which seem to plucked out of a National Geographic Documentary.
If anyone knows anything about Entomology, please tell me the name of these fascinating creatures …
I have no idea, but look quite big. Do they bite?
What an Australian question to ask 😉 No they are harmless like most insects here. Yes I too used to be concerned about biting/poisonous things in Sicily but the ants don’t even bite, the mozzies are a pain and most snakes are harmless, unless you are unlucky enough to come across a viper in certain isolated areas of Sicily. I was struck with the lack of fly screens on windows here in Italy but they really don’t need them.
Looks like a type of longhorn beetle. They ususally feed on trees and things.
Yep agree with you there. Aren’t they fantastic, they look prehistoric don’t they …
Looks like an Oregonian “Laurel borer” who eat trees.
Thanks for being so precise. Are they deadly for trees at all? For now in Sicily there is a terrible little creature which is slowly killing off Sicilian palm trees, they call it the ‘Punto rosso’ and in some places it has reached plague proportions, it’s sad to see so many secular palms dying off!
I’m afraid I’m no ornitholo-whatsit, but I acknowledge they are very personable. I just wonder what it would be like to view their world?
I’m sure they have made an amazing journey to Sicily, worthy of an epic screenplay 🙂