Bugs Galore

Yesterday's warm moist air brought a lot of the insects to surface including a very large number of different species of plant-sucking bugs. This Mullein seed head turned out to be the equivalent of a high-rise building in a densely populated city area with at least eight Nereis bugs in the frame with the Corizus bug. Using a macro lens or a hand-held magnifying lens, it is possible to distinguish some of the very similar looking species as in image 3 and 4. The Lacewing larva and Stenocranus plant hopper are two of my favourites of the session along with the last image - a Hornet taking a wasp from ivy flowers. 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.

An Umbel Life

For the last three days, a large Hogweed flower in the garden has been providing food for a very large population of hoverflies, wasps and beetles, some very small like this Eumerus hoverfly treading on an even smaller Carpet beetle. (IDs on final image).