Asphalt Chronicles: The Micro-World We Leave Behind in Palermo

 
Walking through the City of Buenos Aires is usually associated with a frantic pace, the roar of the avenues, and eyes glued to smartphones. However, when practicing urban trekking or low-intensity steady-state urban walking (LISS), the tempo shifts. The walk transforms into a journey that is both active and deeply contemplative.
On my usual routes through the Palermo neighborhood—starting at the intersection of Güemes and Godoy Cruz, passing by the Lago de Regatas (Regatta Lake), and ending at Av. Intendente Bullrich and Av. Santa Fe—I decided to sharpen my gaze toward the ground. The result is this minuscule and honest record: the urban fauna that succumbed to the rhythm of the city. A miniature memento mori rescued from the concrete.

1. The Fallen Giant (Family Scarabaeidae)
Lying belly up on the dry dirt, I found a beetle belonging to the order Coleoptera. Due to its robust, oval body of a shiny dark brown color, and spiny legs adapted for digging, it most likely belongs to the family Scarabaeidae.
Within this group, and given how common it is in the Southern Cone, its appearance fits that of a rhinoceros beetle (subfamily Dynastinae, such as the popular "bicho torito") or a melolonthid. When these insects die or become weakened, it is common for them to end up in this inverted position due to a loss of muscle control and the convex shape of their exoskeleton.

2. A Bottom-Dweller on the Shore (Loricariidae)
By the water's edge, the discovery of an armored catfish (locally known as vieja del agua, family Loricariidae) interrupts the landscape. Despite its state of decomposition, its prehistoric features are perfectly distinguishable:

•    Armor of bony plates: Instead of traditional scales, rows of hard plates give it a rigid appearance.
•    Morphology: A wide, flattened head, along with the arrangement of the pectoral and dorsal fins typical of bottom-feeding catfish.
•    Context: They are very common and resilient benthic fish in the Palermo lakes. However, they often wash up dead on the shores due to thermal variations, lack of oxygen, or natural cycles.

3. Static Collage in Dorrego (Apis mellifera)
On the characteristic green synthetic, rubberized flooring of the Dorrego pedestrian bridge—that "cushioning" designed to soften one's step—a honeybee (Apis mellifera) "stretched its wings" one last time next to a dry leaf.
The texture of the ground fully highlights the tininess of the insect. With its wings spread across that surface, the scene looks like a meticulously arranged collage composition. A small, poetic imprint rescued from the asphalt.

4. The Collateral Casualty (Periplaneta americana)
On the very same Dorrego bridge, a cockroach met its end, crushed. A postcard of urban chance in its crudest form. In the vastness of traffic, even the most resilient being designed by evolution succumbs to the city's anonymous footstep.
Due to its shiny reddish coloration and oval silhouette, it is an American cockroach. Unlike the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), which is small and colonizes indoor spaces, the American species prefers humid outdoors, sewers, and transit areas. With the heat, it emerges to the surface and ends up fatally crossing paths with pedestrians.

5. Interrupted Flight (Likely a Furnarius rufus fledgling)
A sad find: what appears to be a Rufous hornero fledgling. Although it lay on its back (making identification difficult), there are key details:

•    The plumage: A cinnamon or reddish-brown tone in the area where feathers are starting to grow, identical to the rufous color of the adult hornero.
•    Belly: Whitish/light grayish down, consistent with the species.
•    Rule-out: The Rufous-bellied thrush (zorzal colorado) is ruled out, as its fledglings usually have a noticeably mottled or freckled breast with dark spots, which is absent here.

Storms, strong winds, or ac

6. The Latent Danger (Genus Polistes)
Finally, a damaged and crushed wasp on the concrete. Due to its elongated body, dark coloration, and wings folded backward, it resembles a paper wasp, which is extremely common in Buenos Aires. A useful reminder: even when dead, you should never step on them barefoot, as the stinger can reflexively retain venom if pressed directly.
Walking while looking at the ground reminds us that the city is not just made of concrete and humans; there is a silent biodiversity that pulses, travels, and, at times, falls beneath our very footsteps.

Wikiloc track: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/walk-through-palermo-caba-dead-fauna-273902155