Life on Comfrey and Alkanet

The Alkanet and White Comfrey are in full bloom in the garden and provide home and food to a very large variety of species. Here are a few. The Rhingia rostrata has very impressive mouthparts for slurping up nectar!

The Bee and the Ant etc

A few more images from the garden during this week including this amazing head and torso of a Red Ant attached to an Andrena bee antenna. The bee had attempted to remove the ant but the jaws remained locked onto the antenna though part of the abdomen and most of the legs have been rubbed off by the bee. We also have a Hoverfly bee mimic Merodon equisetum and an early Cranefly.

Bugs, Bees, Beetle and Butterfly

As the cooler moist air arrived yesterday afternoon, a lot of insects became active especially various leaf bugs - some new to my list for the garden!!. Still lots of Bees and Wasp species plus a very small beetle, first Comma butterfly and a large number of Hoverflies!

Latest Toft Invertebrates

With warm and relatively still conditions, there were lots of species to photograph in the garden yesterday. My favourite images are of the male Jumping Spider males found wandering across one of the flower beds.