The 'Active Winter Invertebrates' thread 2010/11!

[Jason Green]

Morning all,

Well, I thought I should start a new thread for this year! Last year's one ran from 15th Nov 2009 to late Feb 2010 effectively - The 'Active winter invertebrates' thread!

So... feel free to post here when you see something! It should be particularly interesting in the usual December/January period.

Take care,

Jason

[poschiavanus]

I'll kick off with a not very active caterpillar of a hawk moth, seen yesterday and today on Creeping Thistle.



I'm presuming it's parasitised given the late date, but might just be a very late second brood.

[southlonder]

I saw some common/germanic wasps on Sunday 7th November, in Bromley, Kent.
They were feeding on ivy flowers.

[Dillybythesea]

Good idea Jason! Will keep us cheerful won't it. Sunshine and calm today produced lots of wasps on the ivy here on the south coast (pic posted separately for id), drone flies and dung flies. (Sadly though no more Ivy Mining Bees (Colletes hederae) - last seen on Tuesday (Nov 16) before the last two days' wind and rain.) But on the plus side, several Bombus terrestris enjoying the elaeagnus. ATB, Dill

[Jason Green]

Today - the barkflies Trichopsocus clarus and T. brincki. Also a Pine Ladybird, a good chance to improve on my poor single image of the beetle!

[Africa]

Great idea Jason! Today in Hull, dozens of male and queen wasps on ivy flowers, bluebottles on Fatsia japonica, Ivy and Mahonia, winter gnats, a harlequin and a lone Bombus terrestris worker on Mahonia.

[Andestine]

Hello Jason

Deb tipped tipped me the wink that I'd like this thread and she was so right, but everything's gone so quiet that I'm wondering if all your invertebrates up there in the frozen northern isles have been rendered inactive ?

Down here in Guernsey quite a few things are still moving in spite of the snow, and I've been taking photos as proof. So I'll post them tomorrow when I've picked out the best, and hope to hear that something spineless is still rummaging around in old Albion and beyond

Cheers,

Andestine

[Geoff F]

Saw a Harvestman on my house wall this morning; so I quickly fetched my camera and macro lens plus tripod and flash. And, of course, while I was setting up the tripod it vanished!

Looked all around the area but it had simply disappeared into thin air within a couple of minutes.

Small, greyish but with a darker saddle which appeared to have a pale thin centre line. Relatively short legs.

So considering all that and the time of year, I suspect a rather plain coloured Paroligolophus agrestis which is a fairly common species in my garden.

[pressld2]

My first contribution this winter is a green lacewing in my house last night...



I think it's Chrysoperla carnea although if so I don't know why it hasn't changed colour.

Also, collecting my son from his student digs today there was a small brown moth on his front door. No idea what species and didn't have a camera with me.

Dave P.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Also, collecting my son from his student digs today there was a small brown moth on his front door. No idea what species and didn't have a camera with me.

Dave P.

Ah yes - this would have been the Small Student Frontdoor Moth -Studenticus lostmedoorkeyscosiwashammeredii