Insect of the Day

[tigger]

My insect of the day was actually yesterday... a southern hawker (female) that I managed to film in my garden by my newly dug pond. Apparently it's quite rare to have them in this colouration.

Southern Hawker (female) Dragonfly

Jane

[mrs fish]

She is beautiful

My insect of the recent days are the Brown Hawkers, I love watching them

[RobinP]

Just seen from office window, a pale yellow butterfly - Brimstone or possibly Clouded Yellow? Haven't checked flying times yet.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by RobinP

Just seen from office window, a pale yellow butterfly - Brimstone or possibly Clouded Yellow? Haven't checked flying times yet.

If it was pale yellow then I would say a male Brimstone- the new generation are appearing now.

Clouded Yellows can be seen in good numbers at this time of year when there has been a good immigration. This year has been one of the worst on record for many insect migrants + they are very thin on the ground generally; this will be my second year of not seeing one in the UK.

[GuyF]

My insect of the day would've been the very impressive hoverfly, Volucella zonaria, which I saw feeding on the buddleia in the garden, a first for me. However in the afternoon I got out to one of the local heaths and there were loads of interesting insects around!

Highlights were two red data book species, the Heath Grasshopper and Large Marsh Grasshopper. There were a few Heath Grasshoppers around, this was a new species for me, I only found a couple of Large Marsh Grasshoppers and I didn't manage any particularly good shots of them, but they are such impressive insects! Now I know where to find them I will go back and try for some better shots.
Also a few Bog Bush-crickets around and one huge Hornet Robberfly, there were still some Silver-studded Blues about although most looked quite faded and quite a few fresh looking Graylings. Quite a lot of dragonflies and damselflies about as well, Small Red Damselflies were nice to see but it was perhaps more interesting to see a couple of Large Red Damselflies, I really thought that they would've been finished by now. Other odonates were Emerald, Common Blue and Azure Damselflies, Black and Common Darters, Black-tailed and Keeled Skimmers and a couple of Four-spotted Chasers. Although I know they're not insects but a few Raft Spiders in the ditches and pools, I only saw small ones today - no adults, but still great to see them.

All in all an excellent day with plenty of nice insects, I should be able to put up some photos tomorrow.
Guy

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by GuyF

My insect of the day would've been the very impressive hoverfly, Volucella zonaria, which I saw feeding on the buddleia in the garden, a first for me. However in the afternoon I got out to one of the local heaths and there were loads of interesting insects around!

Highlights were two red data book species, the Heath Grasshopper and Large Marsh Grasshopper. There were a few Heath Grasshoppers around, this was a new species for me, I only found a couple of Large Marsh Grasshoppers and I didn't manage any particularly good shots of them, but they are such impressive insects! Now I know where to find them I will go back and try for some better shots.
Also a few Bog Bush-crickets around and one huge Hornet Robberfly, there were still some Silver-studded Blues about although most looked quite faded and quite a few fresh looking Graylings. Quite a lot of dragonflies and damselflies about as well, Small Red Damselflies were nice to see but it was perhaps more interesting to see a couple of Large Red Damselflies, I really thought that they would've been finished by now. Other odonates were Emerald, Common Blue and Azure Damselflies, Black and Common Darters, Black-tailed and Keeled Skimmers and a couple of Four-spotted Chasers. Although I know they're not insects but a few Raft Spiders in the ditches and pools, I only saw small ones today - no adults, but still great to see them.

All in all an excellent day with plenty of nice insects, I should be able to put up some photos tomorrow.
Guy

Some really excellent stuff there Guy! The nearest I've come to seeing a Large Marsh Grasshopper was finding a hind-leg of one in a spider's web on one of the Dorset heaths where Bob Gibbons was trying to find one for me.

[Wild-Woman]

Yesterday we were studying grasshoppers. We netted a Field grasshopper and noticed it had very long, strong wings. When we took the lid off the bug pot, it launched itself into the air and flew strongly upwards and away like a bird! I've never seen one fly as strongly as that before. Obviously a great way of dispersing the genes!

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Some really excellent stuff there Guy! The nearest I've come to seeing a Large Marsh Grasshopper was finding a hind-leg of one in a spider's web on one of the Dorset heaths where Bob Gibbons was trying to find one for me.

Thanks, I was really pleased with my sightings, particularly the 2 grasshoppers. I'd been searching for both of them many times last year and a few times this year but mostly on a different site to the place I found them yesterday, so I'm delighted to have found both at this spot which is a lot closer to my house than the area I was searching previously!

Here are a few shots from yesterday,
Heath Grasshopper

Large Marsh Grasshopper

Hornet Robberfly

Black Darter


I'll definetely be visiting again soon looking for more grasshoppers!
Guy

[mrs fish]

The Large Marsh is a lovely looking Grasshopper

[leifus]

Purple emperor!!

[mrs fish]

A Roesels Bush Cricket was my Insect of the Day



It is the first cricket I have photographed and it has gone in the Gallery , I even ID it myself

The Rabble of white butterflies was exciting too

[leifus]

peacocks and gatekeepers in the garden

[aeshna5]

Watching a fine male Ruddy Darter perched in the "obelisk position" on a marginal. Not many days this summer there's been a need for that!

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Watching a fine male Ruddy Darter perched in the "obelisk position" on a marginal. Not many days this summer there's been a need for that!

I saw my first ever Ruddy Darters today on the Dorset heathland, I was really pleased as it's a species I'd wanted to see for a while, the bright red really makes them stand out from the Common Darters!

Insect of the day though was the Heath Bee-fly, a very rare insect found at only a few sites in Britain, it's another one I'd been searching for for a while so I was delighted to come across a couple today.
Other interesting insects were: Emperors, Golden-ringed Dragonflies, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue, Emerald and Azure Damselflies. This new site that I visited today also had the highest numbers of Keeled Skimmers and Small Red Damselflies that I've ever seen, there were hundreds of them all over the heathland and around the pools and streams! There were a few butterflies, mostly browns including Gatekeepers, Graylings, Small Heaths and Speckled Woods, but also a couple of Common Blues and a Peacock.

Also, not insects, but it was nice to see loads of Raft Spiders, all quite small still, and a few Wasp Spiders.
Guy

Edit: Here's a shot of one of the Raft Spiders, it was sat right at the very top of a fairly small pine tree which seemed an unusual place for it!

[aeshna5]

Another good day Guy. Ruddy Darters are quite common here in SE, but less widespread than Common.

The only Heath Beefly I've seen was on Chobham Common.

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Another good day Guy. Ruddy Darters are quite common here in SE, but less widespread than Common.

The only Heath Beefly I've seen was on Chobham Common.

Thanks Aeshna, Ruddy Darters don't seem to be quite as common around here although I think it's probably because I haven't been looking in the right habitats. This particular heath had lots of large, well vegetated pools which I don't see very often elsewhere and I suspect that this is why the Ruddy Darters were there.
Here's a shot I managed of a Heath Bee-fly

I was quite surprised to see them yesterday as I hadn't realised they were present at that site, hopefully soon I will visit one of the heaths where they are more abundant and get some better shots!
Guy

[wint]

My insect(s) of yesterday (apologies - didn't get the pic loaded properly until today) were 4+ Red-veined Darters at Keyhaven (Hants). I'd not seen a female RV in Britain so was pleased to come across one obliging one.



Regards

Paul

[LJB]

My insect of the day from a couple of days ago actually (just got home from a visit to Dartmoor). This huge Tanner / Sawyer beetle. Picture not great (under side shown) as its from a mobile phone but it was about 7cm long and dark brown/black on the top. Not in our books at home so I've had to id it via internet. Confirmation from someone would be great!!!!

[mrs fish]

That is enormous

Are they native ? I have never seen anything like it

[LJB]

Yes it was huge - we thought it was a toy one until it moved!! Native apparently but how common I don't know - not common enough to be in any of our standard insect books at home. Would be great to get more info from a beetle expert!!

[Jason Green]

Hi LJB,

See the NBN site: NBN Gateway: Prionus coriarius grid map

[Malcolm Banks]

My insect of the day is a handsome lady but I am not sure what she is. I have seen her around the garden in the last couple of weeks but today she conveniently began ovipositing in the cracks of an oak log near where I was sitting. From my books and the net I can only come up with wasp beetle, but at ca 24 mm she is too big for clytus arietus. Anyway rather than add reams of verbeage I will let the picture do the talking.

[Kayleigh]

This is mine one of lots on my lilies..

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

This is mine one of lots on my lilies..

Beautiful

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Beautiful

Thanks Jason..