Insect of the Day

[Paul mabbott]

Size is what counts here - the dock beetles are small (6mm ?) whereas chafers are > 1cm - also they fly readily whereas I'v never seen a dock beetle do that!

I know what you mean - they're a bit like bumble bees: look much to large and heavy to be able to fly.

Originally Posted by Gaina

I was going to make this a new thread but I was so impressed with this critter I've decided it was my 'Insect of the Day' ....

I was in a local park with my friends on Wednesday when I saw the most beautiful beetle flying around. It was shiny, green and about the size of a Bumble bee. I couldn't get to where it landed so my friend went to investigate and gave me the best description she could (green, round and BIG). When it flew it looked like it couldn't possibly get off the ground with those little wings.

I have had a look in the Gallery and the closest I can get to it for shape and colour is Green Dock Beetle, or Rose Chafer.

I live in North Somerset and the park was near the coast, if that helps pin it down.

[Broclach]

My insect of the day, although not strictly an insect, turned up in a plastic bag delivered by a neighbour from her potato patch. Never seen one in my Puff. A worm which was yellow at both ends and otherwise black. Its was all curled up and reminded me of a piece of discarded thin cotton thread and I expect had I taken the time to unravel it it would have been about 4 inches long but I did not want to harm it. It seemed quite happy and was gaily waving one yellow end about as if it were trying to attract attention. Any ideas what it could be? Too small for a photo I'm afraid.

[shirl]

My insect(s) of the day are damselflies, taken by the canal this morning in Derbyshire, large red, demoiselle (banded I think) and azure








Shirl

[aeshna5]

Shirl it is a male Banded Demoiselle + you're spot on with the others too- nice photos. I could watch damsels all day!

[Paul mabbott]

Sounds like one of the Nematomorpha - we had a couple of threads about them a few weeks back.

Originally Posted by Broclach

My insect of the day, although not strictly an insect, turned up in a plastic bag delivered by a neighbour from her potato patch. Never seen one in my Puff. A worm which was yellow at both ends and otherwise black. Its was all curled up and reminded me of a piece of discarded thin cotton thread and I expect had I taken the time to unravel it it would have been about 4 inches long but I did not want to harm it. It seemed quite happy and was gaily waving one yellow end about as if it were trying to attract attention. Any ideas what it could be? Too small for a photo I'm afraid.

[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!

[punk entomologist]

My insect of the day altho it is a day late has to be the fairy wasp that was in one of my sample traps, it is of the Myrmaridae family, fantastic and so small (being about the size of two grains of sand) they are parasatoids of other insects eggs and i had never seen one (other than books), it is fantastic from the unusual hairy paddle-shaped wings to the odd clubbed antena (which would lead me to it being a female) sorry there are no pictures as it was under the microscope and my pictures were all too blurry to do it justice,

altho this isnt the species i saw you get a good idea of what it looks like

Fairy Wasp, Anaphes iole (Mymaridae)

also here is some good info

Family MYMARIDAE

[aeshna5]

Having had an intense week on a jury case + the forecast not brilliant I decided to do stuff around home- garden, some work on computer + a walk in the country park.

Not brimming with insects, though I was pleased to see my first 2 Gatekeepers of the year. Plenty of Small Whites + Meadow Browns as well as singletons of Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Comma + Holly Blue.

It was windy + turned fairly overcast so I didn't have great expectations. Otherwise a couple of male Black-tailed Skimmers, a pair of Oedemera nobilis + a Rhagonycha fulva soldier beetle.

[Ian Gray]

mine has to be a High Brown Fritillary.




I was just out for a walk along the river Teign south Dartmoor, unaware that there is a colony of these here. When I first spotted them I had feeling they were Dark Greens, I was chuffed to discover later they were High Browns which I had never seen.

Ian

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Ian Gray

mine has to be a High Brown Fritillary.




I was just out for a walk along the river Teign south Dartmoor, unaware that there is a colony of these here. When I first spotted them I had feeling they were Dark Greens, I was chuffed to discover later they were High Browns which I had never seen.

Ian

Lovely photo- a butterfly I've seen several times overseas, but not in UK. I believe areas of Dartmoor + Cumbria are the main localities for it. You live in a smashing area!

[zail]

My insects of the day were these two mating blue tailed damselflies covered in rain drops



and my first sighting of a four spotted chaser!



both at Priddy Mineries on the Mendips

[Ian Gray]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Lovely photo- a butterfly I've seen several times overseas, but not in UK. I believe areas of Dartmoor + Cumbria are the main localities for it. You live in a smashing area!

thanks for the kind comment. I think I should of labeled this as "Insect of my holiday" which unfortunatly I returned from on saturday, but your right it is a smashing area.

Ian

[naturegirl]

Cracking photo Dave!! Well done you !!!!!

Were those reed beds on Romney Marsh by any chance? I saw Bearded tits there a couple of years ago, delightful things!!

I saw a Hoopoe at Dungeness about the same time too, lucky me!!

Naturegirl

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

Cracking photo Dave!! Well done you !!!!!

Were those reed beds on Romney Marsh by any chance?

Thank-you!

Not Romney, other side of Kent at Oare Marshes. It's a great place for reedbed birds and waders. And insects too of course!



Dave P.

[mrs fish]

Insect of the day yesterday was a Emperor Dragonfly, it was school sports day and he/she was going up and down the field like it was in the races

It was in the blue team

[GuyF]

Today I saw my first Essex Skipper of the year and because of the dull weather it allowed me to get lots of shots of it showing the main id features that can be used to distinguish it from the Small Skipper.

The most important feature are the antennae, the Essex Skipper has completely black antennae tips whereas the Small Skipper has brown or orange markings on the underside of the tip. Here are a couple of shots, the first showing the black tips of the Essex Skipper, the second showing the orange of the Small Skipper.



Another feature, although not as reliable, is that the male Essex Skipper has a much less pronounced black scent scale marking on the forewing than the Small Skipper, here are a couple of shots demonstrating this feature, the first is the Essex Skipper, the second a Small Skipper.



Insect of the day though was probably this beautiful female Golden-ringed Dragonfly

Others nice insects were Marbled Whites, my first Gatekeepers of the year, Long-winged Coneheads and a buzzing Roesel's Bush-cricket.

Guy

[aeshna5]

Yesterday i was leading an insect walk at Bookham Common, Surrey. The previous evening had been very wet + the day loomed fairly cool + mainly cloudy. Initially few insects to be seen but soon a colony of Dark Bush-crickets where found + the odd Speckled BC swept up.

A while before any butterflies were seen, but then small numbers of Meadow Brown + Ringlet. At lunch by the hut the sun came out, so afterwards we headed for the "master tree" + after a few nervous minutes a male Purple Emperor deigned us with his presence, doing a few brief circuits between 2 Oaks, but most of the time was spent perching on a particular twig at the top, which gave good views through bins. About 3 Purple Hairstreaks were also near the tops of these trees.

After a satisfactory 30 minutes watching this stunner we walked back through a glade + on 1 particular large bramble we watched + photographed 8 Silver-washed Fritillaries + 4 White Admirals.

As we left the common rain started to fall, but other butterflies we also recored in ones + twos were Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Large + GV Whites, Red Admiral + Comma.