A bug

Living in the city, you don't see much variety in your insect life. Outside of cockroaches, ants, and fruit flies, there isn't much in the way of diversity. Once in a while I see a random butterfly that reminds me of a cabbage butterfly. This guy came in and spent a good 10 minutes sitting on my T.V. until he was almost squished by a small child. I don't know if he survived the tour of my house - may have been eaten by the cat.

(singing) The itsy bitsy anty....

No, it's not dirt. What you are looking at are the tinyest ants I have ever seen. They are by far the most irritating insect that infests homes here in Brasil (beating mosquitos only because at least there is a repelant for those). They work just as fast as the super speed ants upstairs, but they are always around, and are on everything, even me. Ever feel that tickle that might be a loose hair touching your arm? Nope, it's an ant. And that itchy feeling on your neck? Also an ant. Tickel in your nose or ear? Probably an ant. I can't figure out how to get rid of them - the smaller they are, the more ellusive they are. I wouldn't mind them so much if the didn't also populate the trash cans as well as investigave my table and Ju's high chair tray (which is where they are in this picture). They have sort of artistically surrounded some spilled juice here, but that doesn't really add anything credible to their CV in my book.

Super speed ants

Not that you can tell from this photo, but these ants move faster than any you will find in the States. You need not wait more than 1 minute for them to find any kind of food you have in their vicinity (they really like cat food) and will clear the area of it in under 5 minutes, taking it to their nest which I suspect is actually deeply embedded in the wall of our veranda. At one point on my way home I came across a plant whose flowers resembeled small roses, and that just happened to have some nice seeds comming from one of the buds. I brought them home and planted them, and low and behold I have grown an aphid magnet! To the ants' delight. Slowly but surely the sticky residue from my resident parasites is turning all my nice white rocks green. I think this plant is about to go bye bye.