The 'Active winter invertebrates' thread!

[tristanba]

It is very late for Phytocoris now Jason but P. tiliae is a common species in late summer/early autumn - you can find it on many deciduous trees

[JRsbugs]

Here's the Springtails, plenty of Dicyrtomina saundersi under leaves when it's wet. I got one reasonable pic of what looks like Orchesella alticola, the tail pattern looks to match. Also one pic of Entomobrya nicoleti (I think) under fallen leaves.

I have other different springtails including Entomobrya multifasciata, Lepidocyrtus cyaneus, Orchesella cincta, Isotoma viridis along with Entomobrya nivalis which I already knew I had. Found in the last month or so at the bottom of my 'magic' wall and some on the brick at the pond edge which I think I had a name for but I can't have put that on a pic as I can't find a name. Aha, I went back to 28th October and found one I named Isotomurus palustris. Another I have had recently I think is Neanura muscorum but can't be sure. It might be better if I start a thread for all those once I have got them all together.

The Psyllid I have dug up from my folders, one on 8th November, a 1.5mm orange dead one from 27th October which I was going to keep but it was inside and I decided to take it out for better pics, had my hand cupped around it and the gentlest of a breeze wafted it to the neverlands, sorry Joe! The other I took yesterday in high winds when it landed on me and have yet to download so will post those together later.

[tigger]

Spotted a red admiral and a few bumbles today (15/11/09). Pictured below. Bombus terrestris - Buff tailed bumblebees?

[Ukwildlifeo]

I was going to start a 'latest dragonfly thread' but might as well us this thread

I had 3 common darters at Oare in Kent today

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by tigger

Spotted a red admiral and a few bumbles today (15/11/09). Pictured below. Bombus terrestris - Buff tailed bumblebees?

Hmmm... something looks a little odd about it for B. terrestris; Too much orange before the buff tail IMO. However, it's too late for my other suspects. I suppose it is the BT though...

Maybe post it up as another thread, in case you get bee specialists not looking for ID/confirmation requests here?

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hmmm... something looks a little odd about it for B. terrestris; Too much orange before the buff tail IMO. However, it's too late for my other suspects. I suppose it is the BT though...

Maybe post it up as another thread, in case you get bee specialists not looking for ID/confirmation requests here?

I think the first pic is showing it a little more brightly for some reason, on the second pic you can see it's not as deep. The native form of B. terrestris does have a much more orange tail anyway.

[tigger]

I had to take these with flash... hence the "blasted" colours. So I'm sure you are right with your B. terrestris ID.

Many thanks. Jane

[JRsbugs]

As promised, at this early hour. Pine Ladybird.

[Paul mabbott]

I suppose one query is, 'What is Winter? Dec/Jan/Feb ... else?'. The other is 'What is 'active'?'.
Look under bark, stones, logs and you will find many insects and other invertebrates active throughout the coldest spells. Flying beasts less often (unless there is an unusual bright spell and they are disturbed) because the environmental heat gain is much less than the metabolic heat expenditure plus heat lost to the environment. Epigeal fauna on the other hand are well protected from the wider atmosphere and don't need high body temperatures to get around.
As I've said many times (), I found active ground beetles on snow-covered moors on 1/1/1! You just have to look .....

[tigger]

Here's a Amblyteles armatorius - Ichneumon wasp. Found in the house the other day - climbing up the stairs and onto the warm radiator. Surprised to see it at 10pm at night!