With the wet and cooler conditions, most of the insects were resting up on or under leaves or in the grass during the last few days just coming out with the sun. Here a selection - most identified!
Ann Miles Blog
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Paxton Survey - Sanctuary
I did a survey of the sanctuary and the Meadow along side it on Thursday as I could't go on Saturday.Here are some of the more confiding insect and spider species - over 50 more or less identified.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Insects from Royston Heath
Here a few images from our afternoon visit to Royston Heath on Friday in a sheltered spot where there were flowering Berberis bushes and Alexander plants plus lots of nettles supporting many different species. I was pleased with the accidental capture of a beetle taking off, mating Bibio flies, Nursery spider with Crane Fly, Brown-tailed Moth caterpillars which will strip all the hawthorn bushes etc, Andrena fulva, Lygos Bug, two species of Click Beetles, Ichneumon wasp, Hawthorn Bug, Common Carder bee and Ashy Mining Bee
Monday, April 15, 2024
Flying Insects and Unusual 'Bug'
Continuing the quest for good flight images of insects, the hoverflies were at 1/5000th and 1/6400th and the Bee Flies at 1/6400th and 1/8000th. The wing movement relates more to position of wing in flap cycle than to shutterspeed.
The Saucer Bug, Ilyocoris cimicoides, is a new species for me and is listed as incapable of flight in Paul Brock's 'Bible' but this one definitely flew away when asked to pose too often. Looking into it further I found the following statement 'Although I. cimicoides is fully winged most individuals have reduced flight muscles and are unable to fly, but flight has been observed in England and Denmark'
Otherwise lots of activity on a warm afternoon including the Ashy Mining bee with its parasitic wasp Nomada goodenia and also N. flava
Sunday, April 14, 2024
First Damselflies and Other Garden Inverts
First Large Red Damselflies of the year (April 13th same early date as 2020) plus a host of other insects and spiders active in yesterday warm temperatures. The buttercups are just coming out in the meadow area so lots of photographic opportunities, including favourite hoverflies (Melanostoma mellinum, Platycheirus manicatus, Mythropa florea and Pipiza noctiluca) and lots of bug, bee and spider species!
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