Dzidzilche blossoms are favored for honey destined to become Xtabentun, a Mayan spiced mead. There are different varieties of Melipona honey depending on the types of flower the bees have fed on. It is reportedly higher in anti-oxidants than honeys produced by other bee species. Yucatan honey has long been an industry here, is widely exported and uniquely delicious. It’s small, unassuming and doesn’t sting, although we’ve never tested the theory personally. The world-famous Melipona Bee is a honey bee native to the Yucatan. Locals tell us they’re bad luck, that when you see one, it means someone you know has died.īees and Wasps – There are several species of abeja (bee) in Yucatan. Since then, we have come to expect them as occasional ornaments in the house. When we first moved here, one flew into our house and we were sure it was a bat until it finally alighted on the wall.
It’s very dark brown, with a large, black spot on each wing, and it’s as big as your hand. There is one species of moth here that is similar to the Hawk Moth. If you drive outside Merida, you’ll sometimes find them clustered on rural roads, where you’ll be forced to crush hundreds if you hope to proceed. The only problem with butterflies is that you will undoubtedly kill dozens while driving through their flight path. As a resident, your yard will eventually be treated to a visit of one or more types of caterpillars, who will wind themselves up in cocoons to later emerge and join the butterfly dance. Throughout the summer months, you’ll see a profusion of butterflies of every stripe floating lazily through your yard and around Yucatan’s fields and jungles. Many of these are quite large and colorful. Magic was definitely in the air.īutterflies and Moths – Yucatan is home to scores of mariposa (butterfly) and mariposa nocturna (moth) species. We stopped the car, stumbled outside and stood like children with our mouths agape for half an hour.
One night, while driving between Yunku and Temozon Sur, we found ourselves in a literal firefly “storm”.Įvery direction was lit up with dancing, phosphorescent green flames. But nothing compares to seeing hundreds at once. We have been told they were once abundant in the gardens of Merida’s colonial homes, and we have seen one or two in our garden over the years. In the Yucatan Peninsula three species are listed, all in the genus Parraphrynus.įireflies (or Lightning Bugs) – During late spring and early summer, after the first afternoon rains become a frequent event, luciérnagas (fireflies) often appear around dusk in many of the rural areas of Yucatan. Fossils have been discovered which date back to the Carboniferous Period (359 - 299 million years ago), long before the ascension of dinosaurs.Īs of 2016, about 155 species of tailless whip-scorpions had been discovered and described. These are ancient animals with their own taxonomic order. Named for their long "antenniform" front legs which help them sense prey, they use pincers called "pedipalps" near their mouths to catch and eat small invertebrates. These insects have no venom and are not aggressive. Tailless Whip Scorpion (or Tailless Whip Spider) – Despite its appearance and frightening name this fascinating insect is fairly harmless.
They're not all as cute as the jeweled maquech pictured above, but these insects are your neighbors in the Yucatan.
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