Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Marbled Whites, Privet Hawkmoth and Smaller Species

 For the first time, we had a couple of Marbled Whites on our Lavender bush and an impressive Privet Hawkmoth on the pear tree. Apart from these, there were lots of smaller insects to add to the garden list including this exquisite Ruby-tailed Wasp, which is a parasitoid on small stem and wood-nesting wasps, and very strange Hemipteran that feeds on small insects as well as plant buds and unripe fruits. 


Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Wild Flower Species in My Garden

It seemed a simple task on a free day to record what wild flowers are in bloom in my garden at the moment but I had underestimated how many species I would find and, even after over 60 years practising (yes it was a childhood obsession too), I still find getting attractive images of flowers in situ really difficult. Here are the species from my front garden which has herbaceous beds that are a mix of cultivated and wild species; I find these do really well together in maintaining a good ground cover and height  - essential in these dry conditions for invertebrate life.


Wednesday, June 18, 2025

More Garden Species

Lots of insects in the garden at the moment as you would expect with the hot dry weather. Here are some species from 2 days ago including very fine Long-horned beetle, three species of ladybird (Harlequins are spotless when they emerge I think). IDs are on the final image sheet. 

Monday, June 16, 2025

Heat-Loving Garden Species

 It has been very warm and mostly sunny for the last few days and the insects seem to be 'enjoying' it though they sensibly shelter under leaves etc at the hottest times. Here are a variety of residents and visitors, including a brief morning call from a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Red Admiral and Meadow Browns , which are present in large numbers, two moth species, and various flies, beetles etc