Insect Of The Day

[Gaina]

Thanks Paul I got out my insect ID book and my ruler and I'm no 99.99% certain it was a Rose Chafer. I like the Chafer family, they remind me of bungling little fat men.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Gaina

Thanks Paul I got out my insect ID book and my ruler and I'm no 99.99% certain it was a Rose Chafer. I like the Chafer family, they remind me of bungling little fat men.

Know what you mean - them and dor beetles: they can fly but they don't have a lot of control over direction and altitude, or other little things like that .... I've been hit by a dor beetle at speed and they can make a bruise: my advice is to duck or stand aside because if they're heading towards you they won't be able to change direction!

[oxycera]

Bishop's Mitre Shield Bug, Aelia acuminata, from Manvers, S.Yorks, today.
Wow, top find, I hadn't even this one in mind as a possibility.

[aeshna5]

My first ever Bombus hypnorum today in a garden near Wandsworth Common.

[oxycera]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

My first ever Bombus hypnorum today in a garden near Wandsworth Common.

nice one

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

My first ever Bombus hypnorum today in a garden near Wandsworth Common.

I just googled that - they're cute! Mind you, I do find bees incredibly soothing

[glsammy]

My insect of the day was going to be a Spider, but in the end I settled on Bees which were busy feeding all day on our plants.

I managed to get a shot of one about to land on a flower, showing its proboscis, not much else though!



Here's another shot of it:

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by glsammy

My insect of the day was going to be a Spider, but in the end I settled on Bees which were busy feeding all day on our plants.

I managed to get a shot of one about to land on a flower, showing its proboscis, not much else though!



Here's another shot of it:

Incredible images! What kit did you use to take that?

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Gaina

Incredible images! What kit did you use to take that?

Thanks Gaina.

My Canon 40D plus MP-E65. Shot using Live View mode with a flash gun mounted on an extension bracket, fitted with a soften diffuser. Shot in manual mode which I do for 90% of my macro shots. Hand held.
Trying to get these Bees in the shot was extremely hard work, they never stay still, the MP-E65 doesn't have auto focus, so it's all down to good luck!

[aeshna5]

Time spent watching a large garden pond with several large Koi Carp + many small Goldfish, but still teeming with damselflies- probably c100 with many pairs of Azure + Blue-tailed as well as at least 6 pairs of ovipositing Small Red-eyed Damsels. The Large Reds seem to have gone over here now. Also a female Emperor spent time hunting + then ovipositing into pondweed + waterlily leaves. Many teneral damsels that had recently emerged were taking to the breeze.

A juvenile Grey Wagtail seemed interested too!