Red in Proboscis and Claw, Insects and Spiders May 15th Alonissos Greece

We saw and photographed quite a variety of insect and spider life on Monday in Alonissos, much of it intent on killing and eating the rest. The Assassin bug, Rhynocoris iracundus, was everywhere on the bushes - here sucking the body content of a fly larger than itself. The Robber Fly has picked on the same fly species to kill and devour (one 50mm macro shot, other 560mm distant shot). Even the Beeflies are not that innocent as they parasitize Cuckoo Wasps laying their eggs in the nests of the wasps.
I was pleased to see two spectacular day flying moths the Fiery Clearwing (Pyropteron chrysidformis) and Hummingbird Hawkmoth - very difficult to photograph.
Lots of different Crab spiders and other spiders - not yet identified.
The other commonest group were Beetles - the last image the attactive Purpuricenus budensis

Insects Enjoying the 36 Degrees in Alonnissos Greece

The heat of 13th May certainly brought out the various spiders and insects. My favourites were the Jumping spider, Philaeus chrysops, the Robber fly with prey, Bee Fly in flight  and the Clearwing Moth (ID to follow)

 

First Damselfly and a Few More Insects Present At Last

Yesterday saw the first Large Red Damselfly this year in our garden. We have had a succession of days with cold northerly winds so the insects have been absent. Today saw a selection of Hoverflies and still plenty of Bee flies

Bee flies, Bees and Fly

I spent a considerable time yesterday in my spinach patch practising insect photography with the 100-400mm +1.4 converter Fuji system (my lighterweight replace for the stolen canon gear). Certainly it can produce as good results in terms of focus and has the advantage of much less noise than the 7Dii. It is much slower to focus but possible with lots of practice. The first four images, one of my favourite dipteran species, the Bee fly, followed by several of the many Hymenoptera (bees) species visiting the leaves to warm up. Lastly two predators awaiting a meal - my constant Robin companion and a Hoverfly species that predates other insects.