Garnering ghosts for Halloween

There is such a creature as a ghost jellyfish (Cyanea nozaki), but I rather like this cute interpretation by pikaole on DeviantArt

It will soon be Halloween. At this time of year in the past I have looked for images of Jack o’ lantern and Will o’ the wisp, owls, cauldrons, skulls, black cats and bats.

This time I am running out of ideas. I could have chosen spiders, but that might put some people off their breakfast. So instead I have picked some ghosts, especially where they are connected to nature. Click on each image to find the source.

First there are some real animals so pale they deserve the name ghost…

This is a ghost shark – a deep-sea Chimaera photographed by the NOAA Okeanos Explorer

The ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) photographed by Hans Hillewaert in Costa Rica

This is a ghost slug Selenochlamys ysbryda – first identified in Wales (ysbryd is Welsh for spirit – it’s not often you see Welsh words in Latin names) – the picture is from the National Museum Wales

Then there are mythical beasts…

A ghost wolf in Reaper Kindred by WindSwirl on DeviantArt

A ghostly horse in Remember Me? by Lunameyza on DeviantArt – click on the link to see more of her lovely artwork

This round-up wouldn’t be complete without a ghost dragon – this is a Stone Skinned Dragon by Milicraft on DeviantArt

A topical ghost cat – and fairy – for Halloween by Jemajema on DeviantArt

There are also ghost plants…

This ghost fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) glows green in the dark – it was photographed in Australia by Christian Ferrer

This ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense) is a succulent from Mexico

The ghost flower (Mohavea confertiflora) comes from the southern USA and Mexico – this one from Stan Shebs is pictured in Nevada

Another ghost plant or “ghost pipe” is this parasitic heather Monotropa uniflora from Asia and parts of the Americas – read all about it on the Oakland County Blog by clicking on the image

The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is a native of Florida and Cuba

Here are a couple of more conventional ghosts…

A cute manga ghost by Radittz on DeviantArt

Not forgetting Shakespeare – Banquo’s Ghost from Macbeth by Theodore Chasseriau

One of my favourites – How They Met Themselves by Dante Gabriel Rossetti…

…and another, framed on my study wall, Reflection by Sulamith Wulfing – she tended to see angels rather than ghosts, but I interpret this differently

And finally…

I don’t particularly like ghost films, but this starred one of my favourite actors, Essie Davis, of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries fame. She did a wonderful job as a terrified mother haunted by a monster from a story book in The Babadook in 2014

Happy Halloween…