The 'Active winter invertebrates' thread!

[Bruce Williams]

I have a couple of favourite hunting grounds that I check out most weeks right throughout the year. One in Bedfordshire is a ~200m fence separating a coniferous wood (mainly Scots Pine) from a meadow. I have been there three times in the last two weeks and the most common inverts are harvestmen. Virtually every fence-post has one (sometimes more) stationed near the top - usually head down. There are at least four species along the fence (probably more) although I have only photographed two (I was concentrating on photographing ladybirds) in the last couple of weeks.

I guess my favourite is the strange looking Dicranopalpus ramosus. Males and females are quite different looking. I've been told that in some areas the males have been given the nickname "Zorro" due the dark mask across their eyes - here's a pic of a male I shot last Thursday:



Here's a pic of a female Paroligolophus agrestis photographed on the same day:



Bruce

[Ukwildlifeo]

I saw a common wasp flying a around a leylandli about 1pm today, small enough to be a worker rather than a queen. Probably the latest I've seen one.

Also a harvestman on a wall, very similar to Bruce's one above

[Jason Green]

Today...

A young Steatoda bipunctata building a web on a fence in the garden. Also a sunning Bluebottle Calliphora vicina!

25/11/2009

Sunning on a shed's apex

Just managed a quick shot before I made one advance too many.

[ChrissyMarie]

I took this bumble bee this morning here in Shropshire. Looked quite odd as I think there had been a frost too



Sorry I am unsure what sort of bee, I am not so good at ID

[Jason Green]

Hi Chrissy,

It looks like the Earth Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Thanks for posting!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Hi Chrissy,

It looks like the Earth Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. Thanks for posting!

I've not seen that as a vernacular name before, though obviously translates from the scientific name. More commonly called the Buff-tailed Bumblebee!

I saw one today amongst some Ivy in the cool sunny conditions before flying off.

[Acutipuerilis]

Saw a Common Froghopper today, up a pine tree. That's about two months late, then.

[Jason Green]

Hi Aesh,

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I've not seen that as a vernacular name before, though obviously translates from the scientific name. More commonly called the Buff-tailed Bumblebee!

I saw one today amongst some Ivy in the cool sunny conditions before flying off.

...oops! Probably an old, repealed one. It was apparently said to recall the way it was the first-seen bee each year. Thanks for reporting your sighting!

[Ukwildlifeo]

Had a number of Pardosa sp. wolf spiders in a brief sunny spell in the gfs garden in Kent today. I'll post a photo when I get round to processing it.
Plenty of springtails, woodlice and small flies in the leaves too.

[Africa]

Winter Gnats, several dancing swarms in my garden these days
Buebottles
All the harlequins seem to have gone undercover now
I check the location of hibernating ladybirds in my small Monkey Puzzle, and they are, actually, hibernating.
Male wasp? (could somebody confirm?)



I am envious of the Red Admirals!