More Species Emerging in the Garden

Lots of activity in the garden today - with less breeze and warm temperatures lots of species were on the move including a couple of new species for the garden - the Europaean Paper Wasp and Pied Shieldbug plus, possibly, the Speckled Wood. Have found over a dozen Scarlet Tiger caterpillars - they are devouring the Comfrey at quite a rate.

Bees on the Japonica

The Japonica on our fence attracted a lot of bees (here the Common Carder plus Early Bumblebee (last shot)) early this morning in the warm sun. Flight shots were 1/1600 at F10 - obviously need faster to stop the wing movement but I like the movement in the wings.

More Species in the Garden

 A very humid and warm day - fewer insects than I expected but great to see the first Dark Bush Cricket babies as well as a Tortoise Beetle etc

Toft Bees Waking Up

Quite a variety of species of bees were on the wing today in the garden and churchyard. This very smart Orange-tailed Mining Bee was sunning itself in the garden. The most numerous were the Ashy Mining Bee males all flying around and fighting waiting for the slightly later emergence of the female.

Hoverflies on the Move

Four different Hoverfly species were very active in the garden today, along with a new mining bee Andrena nigroaenea (the Buffish Mining Bee), Hairy, Dock and a Rhopalid Bugs, and a rather tatty Peacock butterfly.

New Shieldbug Species in Garden

It has been confirmed that what I thought was a Green Shieldbug coming out of its brown winter state, is the Gorse Shieldbug, Piezodorus lituratus. A couple of Box Bugs were active, along with lots of Bee Flies and a Carder bee, photographed with its proboscis deep in an Alkanet flower - the latter is an excellent insect plant, flowering early and attracting lots of bee species.