Your best insect of 2007

[Wightman]

Following on from your favourite insect pics, what was your best/rarest insect encountered in 2007?
Mine is this Bloxworth Snout which is a Red Data Book species(fairly rare), taken at light in August.

[tigger]

Mine wasn't as rare... but I've never seen it before. It was a Painted Lady which I filmed in my garden in September.

[GuyF]

I spent quite a lot of time on the Dorset heaths last summer which allowed me to see lots of interesting insects but I think the rarest one I saw was a Large Marsh Grasshopper which I think is also a red data book species.
Other rare insects last year were Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoths, a Striped Hawkmoth (in the garden!) and Marsh Fritillaries.
Guy

[Lord V]

Two of the oddest shots I took last year both involved flies and dewdrops

Brian V.

[Oscar2006]

Mine was probably the Silver-studded Blue butterfly(s) that "we" photographed at Thursley Common.
There were so many Dragons and Damsels to choose a favourite from.

[Wightman]

Originally Posted by Lord V

Two of the oddest shots I took last year both involved flies and dewdrops

Brian great images, I'm impressed.

[Kayleigh]

I only got my camera at Xmas so I didn't have a photo in 07. But this is my first ever macro. The spider is very small but not bad for a first. I can only get better. The photo was taken in January 08.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I only got my camera at Xmas so I didn't have a photo in 07. But this is my first ever macro. The spider is very small but not bad for a first. I can only get better. The photo was taken in January 08.

ooops I thought you meant insect pics.

Last years best insect for me was a dragonfly with black wings and it sort of fluttered. It was near my pond.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

ooops I thought you meant insect pics.

Last years best insect for me was a dragonfly with black wings and it sort of fluttered. It was near my pond.

Perhaps a male Banded Demoiselle ( I think Beautiful Demoiselle is not so likely where you are)?

[Kayleigh]

Thanks aeshna. Just googled, it does look like a banded demoiselle.

I don't know how I managed to duplicate the thread. Sorry..

[bugbotherer]

Mine was the eyed ladybird (Anatis ocellata)

[Heart-shaped World]

Whilst taking a break, as the clouds rolled over, at Snelsmore Common I spotted a Golden-haired Robberfly (Choerades marginatus), a first record for the sight. More importantly a lovely insect that I hadn't seen before! Aah the memory.

[Paul mabbott]

Nice picture. I note it's on a thistle. Others have noted finding them on a variety of plants. Interesting because according to the books (and my observations) they're seldom seen away from Pinus trees. I wonder if they're changing their habits - found new aphids to eat?

Originally Posted by bugbotherer

Mine was the eyed ladybird (Anatis ocellata)

[jamiewade94]

Spiders!!

[Fourwings]

I'm with Guy on this one, my best insect of 2007 was without a doubt the Large Marsh Grasshopper, it was such a buzz to finally get to see and photograph one.
I found this one by the stream at Crockford Bridge in the New Forest, to get a good contrasting image of him we placed him on top of Nikon Nige's Bigma, not the most natural perch but photographing him moving through the Heather etc.. was proving impossible.


Coming a close second was the Goat Moth that we caught during our mothing session on Thursley Common as part of our WAB weekend. A fantastic looking, very large Moth that is quite rare, its certainly a species that we would never catch up here in the Midlands.


Steve.

[clicka15]

Interesting to read everyone's favourites from last year.

My favourites were:

1. a moth - a Feathered Brindle, which visited my light trap and was the first recording of this Nb nationally scarce species where I live, according to the County Moth Recorder;

2. a butterfly - the Silver-spotted Skipper - which I saw for the first time in 2007;

3. another butterfly - the Grayling, which I also saw for the first time in 2007; and

4. a Hornet Robberfly (Asilus crabroniformis) - a huge fly that was too fast to photograph. This is also a nationally scarce species.

[Dogghound]

The Eyed Ladybird Anatis ocellata.

[nutmeg]

Larch ladybird, Aphidecta obliterata. Not only had I never seen one before, but it was in my garden

[paulchandler6]

My best one was a Ruddy Darter in the garden. As it was a first for me for the garden.

Paul

[Wild-Woman]

The two main ones for me were the Golden-ringed Dragonfly at Thursley and my first encounter with Marsh Fritillaries in Kent when we went out with Butterfly Conservation. I also saw the White Letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, and Silver-studded Blue for the first time.
The Grey Bush-cricket at Samphire was a beaut too.
Cor! I can't wait until all the inverts start emerging.I've got a list of 'to sees' as long as my arm!

[aeshna5]

Always a difficult one. Amongst highlights were seeing a fresh Pine Hawkmoth on a pine on Esher Common, my first Larch + Kidney-spot Ladybirds + finding what is probably the largest population of Southern Oak Bush-cricket in the country (amazing what's out there when you look!).