Your insects so far in 2009

[Jason Green]

Hi all,

Feel free to record the invertebrates you've seen so far in 2009... my tally to date:

• Possible crab spider
• A micro-moth
• Plenty of aphids (green + red)
• Springtail E. cincta
• Springtail D. saundersi
• Cicada Ribautiana tenerrima
• Whitefly

I think the smaller things like cicadas and aphids are active first as they are smaller and take less time to warm-up and so respond quicker to slighter increases in temperature than bigger inverts like butterflies, which in general become active later on when average temperatures rise more.

Insects that live in leaf-litter are often in the shade and damp even in the summer and so may not be all that affected by lower December temperatures. In fact, the shady conditions probably offer insulation.

Would these points be right?

Anyway, what have you seen this year??

Take care,

Jason

[Wild-Woman]

Well not all insects here.

Wood lice.
Blue Bottle
Several species of gnats and midges.
Garden Spider ( Araneus sp)
Daddy-long-legs Spider (Pholcus phalangioides)
Silver fish.

[Acutipuerilis]

Well, here are the leafhoppers (cicadas are something a bit different! ) and psyllids I've had so far:

Agallia consobrina
Balclutha punctata
Empoasca vitis
Eupteryx decemnotata
Zyginella pulchra

Bactericera sp.
Cacopyslla melanoneura
Trioza urticae
Trioza remota

Loads of other things, of course, including Juniper Shieldbug.
I've not realy been looking yet, though, so I'm surprised at the diversity already. Let's hope for a spectacular summer this time round!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hi all,

Feel free to record the invertebrates you've seen so far in 2009... my tally to date:

• Possible crab spider
• A micro-moth
• Plenty of aphids (green + red)
• Springtail E. cincta
• Springtail D. saundersi
• Cicada Ribautiana tenerrima
• Whitefly

I think the smaller things like cicadas and aphids are active first as they are smaller and take less time to warm-up and so respond quicker to slighter increases in temperature than bigger inverts like butterflies, which in general become active later on when average temperatures rise more.

Insects that live in leaf-litter are often in the shade and damp even in the summer and so may not be all that affected by lower December temperatures. In fact, the shady conditions probably offer insulation.

Would these points be right?

Anyway, what have you seen this year??

Take care,

Jason

Isn't Ribautiana tenerrima a leafhopper rather than a cicada? To my knowledge we only have 1 UK species of cicacada which is a rare bug in the New forest area?

[sebastianbawn]

Where to start? After clearing up the builders yard in work (3 month period) I had plenty of chances to snap.

Flat-backed Milipede (Myriapods not insects)
3 types of snake-type millipede (Myriapods not insects)
Green and Birch Shieldbugs
Forest Bug
Brimstone Caterpillar
Knots Grass Caterpillar
mating hoverflies - Myathropa florea
Chrysalis of Cabbage White Butterfly
Hoverfly - Melanostoma scalare
Rove beetle - possibly Quedius mesomelinus
Ground beetle - Nebria brevicollis
Ichneumon Fly/Wasp - Ichneumon xanthorius cf.quadrifasciatus
Ichneumon Fly/Wasp - possible Amblyteles armatorius
Lesne's Earwig - Forficula lesnei
Yellow Meadow Ants
Black Ants - Lasius niger
Orange Swift Moth
3 types of Plume Moth

And many, many more. Too many to list! It's been a very eventful year for me!