Life on the Ivy

Not perfect in focus etc but I was very pleased to capture this Ant collecting excreted sugar droplets from Blackfly feeding on Ivy Flowers. It is definitely one of the best years that I remember for Ivy flowers with Ivy bees, Wasps, Bumble bees, Flies, Late Butterflies like this Painted Lady and Holly Blues and Shieldbugs  are enjoying.

Trumpington Meadows April 6th

First Butterfly Transect of 2026 completed - not a lot about - recorded a few Brimstone, Orange Tips and Peacocks. As my route finishes a distance from the car park, I looked at the various other insects on the wing as I returned to the car. The Rhombic Leatherbug is an attractive 'variation' on our common Dock Bug, the diamond-shaped abdomen is easily overlooked. Several Hairy Shieldbugs waking up from hibernation. Not many bees around considering the temperature 14-15 degrees.

Garden Species August 13th

We have a very large number of Flower Spiders hiding in various types of vegetation - all quite small at the moment but growing fast, along with Nursery Web and Garden Spiders. This first Flower Spider has taken over the prey, a Red Ant, from web of another species I think (pretty sure Misumena does not make webs). The last image, a Garden Spider has an interesting looking prey ?Shieldbug species - will need further investigation. The other photos are some of the garden's really small inhabitants like the Barklouse found on a daisy and the 22-spot Ladybird. ID sheet at end.

New Wasp Species for the Garden

Although  there are a lot of black and yellow wasp species, I am pretty sure this is Ancistrocerus gazella, commonest species in our part of England but new to the garden list. Lots of nymphal Shieldbugs - here the Woundwort Shieldbug and dozens of Flower spiders around the garden - they seem to like the pink flowers or, perhaps, they are more visible there. The Yellow Rod takes over from Knapweed as the most visited flowers in the garden.

Wet Insects at RSPB Sandy

We hoped for a fine sunny day to photograph solitary bees, dragonflies and butterflies in RSPB Sandy's grounds but had light rain most of the day. However, we found plenty of interesting subjects  covered with rain droplets, including this Common Wasp, Hairy Shieldbug and Green-eyed Flowerbee sleeping attached to a twig by its mandible.