Insect of the Day

[Geoff F]

I will remember 'duck billed hoverfly' for future reference, very apt name. Photographed one last week. Today, nice and warm if you dodge the wind, there was a crab spider (Misumena vatia) in my garden with a hoverfly it had caught. Probably a Melanostoma, there are a lot around here.

It is amazing how these tiny spiders manage to catch prey that is larger than themselves.

[Fourwings]

Had my first Odonata sighting of 2008 this morning.
I found 3 teneral Large Red Damselflies at my local reserve and they were reasonably co-operative for the camera.
A good day and a sure sign that Summer is not that far away.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

I will remember 'duck billed hoverfly' for future reference, very apt name. Photographed one last week. Today, nice and warm if you dodge the wind, there was a crab spider (Misumena vatia) in my garden with a hoverfly it had caught. Probably a Melanostoma, there are a lot around here.

It is amazing how these tiny spiders manage to catch prey that is larger than themselves.

Hmm, If your teeth delivered toxins like M vatia does, you could dine on elephant if you could find one (you would probably have to cook it where you found it).

They can stop a bumble bee on the flower, which must almost be a definition of instantaneous.

[nutmeg]

I went to a local bluebell wood this evening and thought I'd see if there were any Scarce Fungus Weevils (Platyrhinus resinosus) on King Alfred's Cakes - I'd seen them there last year. Sure enough, there was one, which pleased me no end

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

Had my first Odonata sighting of 2008 this morning.
I found 3 teneral Large Red Damselflies at my local reserve and they were reasonably co-operative for the camera.
A good day and a sure sign that Summer is not that far away.

They ve been out for a week in my local park but its either been raining, too windy when I was there or sunny and I havent been able to get there

[Kayleigh]

I saw a Holly Blue fluttering around the pond today..It didn't settle..So frustrating.

[Wild-Woman]

1st Dragonfly-possibly Hairy Dragonfly
Peacock Butterfly
Orange-tip
Holly Blue
Green-veined White
St Mark's Fly
Several caterpillars
Abundant hoverflies

[aeshna5]

Lots of bugs today:Peacocks, Orange Tips, small + G.v Whites, Speckled Woods + Holly Blues for butterflies.

Also dozens of Harlequins at 1 reserve where I led a walk as well as 7, 10 + 22-spot Ladybirds, Beefly- Bombylius sp, many hoverflies including Syrphus sp, Epistrophe eligans, Helophilus pendulus + Episyrphus balteatus.

Also Dark Bush-cricket nymphs, Common Green + Woundwort Shieldbugs.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I saw a Holly Blue fluttering around the pond today..It didn't settle..So frustrating.

Oh! forgot the peacock walking the dog (me not the butterfly)

[mrs fish]

My Insect of the day was a male Orange tip and one of my better photos (maybe Graham can make it even better )




I also saw more Scarlet lilly beetles than Ladybirds yesterday

[aeshna5]

Many goodies at Stodmarsh yesterday including Green Hairstreak, Hairy Dragonflies, 2 Broad-bodied Chasers, Variable, Axure, Large Red + Blue-tailed Damsels, Pyrrochroa serraticornis (a cardinal beetle) + some Dark Bush-cricket nymphs.

[nightshade]

I had a large two-tone green beetle land near me today it folded its wings and raced off very rapidly,as far as I can make out(Collins Complete British Insects) it was a Tiger Beetle,beautiful beast big jaws, is this possible here in the west country??

[nightshade]

Holly Blues and Buff Tips along with a large dark coloured butterfly which stays just too far away to be identified

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I had a large two-tone green beetle land near me today it folded its wings and raced off very rapidly,as far as I can make out(Collins Complete British Insects) it was a Tiger Beetle,beautiful beast big jaws, is this possible here in the west country??

The're certainly about now + quite possible, especially if you were in heathland type habitat.

[Paul mabbott]

Like the dog that didn't bark in the night, I've been impressed by the insects I've not seen this weekend on North Tyneside. Holly Blues, lots of Orange-tips; many syrphids despite there not being too many aphids, plenty of spiders but, until this morning, no ladybirds; when I found a group of trees (mostly sycamore) in Jesmond with seven Adalia bipunctata, 2-spots, (admittedly one of them was dead). Still, that's the most I've ever seen in Newcastle .....

[Deer Stalker]

Out on the Forest until lunch time today so I saw a few more insects than I usually do first thing in the mornings. These included my first Dragonflies of the year - a Braod-bodied Chaser & a female Beautiful Demoiselle.
Loads of Rose Chafers on a Hawthorn, Brown Silver-line, Cream Wave & Brimstone moths & some Green Tiger Beetles.

[pressld2]

There have been lots of beautiful damselfly pics added to the gallery recently so I decided to get out early this morning with my macro lens and see if I could find any for myself. Didn't see a single one but my local reserve was alive with crane flies. Didn't think they were around this early in the year. Also saw Green-veined White and peacock butterflies, sloe bugs, a hoverfly that I think is Melanostoma scalare, a huge bumble bee and some other flies that I'm nowhere near to identifying.

Then in my garden this afternoon some lovely Holly Blues.

Dave P.

[Kayleigh]

This spider lives near my pond. But he didn't want his photo taken as he kept running off.

[Wild-Woman]

The Variable Damseflies, Hairy Dragonflies and Dark-bush Cricket nymphs were a welcome sight at Stodmarsh yesterday.

[GuyF]

Had a very nice day out for insects at the weekend, although unfortunately it was quite dull weather, there probably would've been more around on a sunnier day. Anyway, had a few very fresh Marsh Fritillaries around, also Grizzled and Dingy Skippers, Small Heaths, Green Hairstreaks, Small Coppers, Orange-tips, Green-veined Whites, a Holly Blue and a Small Tortoiseshell. Also saw a couple of Mother Shipton moths, lots of 24-spot Ladybirds and one Orange Ladybird. Hopefully I'll have some photos soon but my computer is playing up at the moment.
Guy

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by GuyF

Had a very nice day out for insects at the weekend, although unfortunately it was quite dull weather, there probably would've been more around on a sunnier day. Anyway, had a few very fresh Marsh Fritillaries around, also Grizzled and Dingy Skippers, Small Heaths, Green Hairstreaks, Small Coppers, Orange-tips, Green-veined Whites, a Holly Blue and a Small Tortoiseshell. Also saw a couple of Mother Shipton moths, lots of 24-spot Ladybirds and one Orange Ladybird. Hopefully I'll have some photos soon but my computer is playing up at the moment.
Guy

Here's a Marsh Fritillary, such stunning butterflies!


A Grizzled Skipper (looks like it's emerged very recently)

And finally a Dingy Skipper


Guy

[rlchew]

Sunday .... loads of Small Coppers amongst the bluebell fields of Skomer in west Wales .... but no macro lens with me .

Richard

[pressld2]

Found this little chap in my photinia this evening...



I think he's probably a speckled bush cricket nymph but I'm basing that purely on the length of his antenae and the fact that I get a lot of SBCs in my garden. I'm probably wrong as there is a distinct lack of speckles, but if I'm right then I guess he must be a second or third instar as the first instars are very stripey like this one...



Dave P.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Found this little chap in my photinia this evening...



I think he's probably a speckled bush cricket nymph but I'm basing that purely on the length of his antenae and the fact that I get a lot of SBCs in my garden. I'm probably wrong as there is a distinct lack of speckles, but if I'm right then I guess he must be a second or third instar as the first instars are very stripey like this one...



Dave P.

Dave you have 2 species here! The second is indeed a Speckled Bush-cricket nymph, but the first is not- it's an Oak Bush-cricket nymph, a species usually found on a variety of shrubs + trees. I occasionally see these 2 species in my garden.

I suspect it is our native Oak BC, Meconema thalassinum, but in recent years a second species, the Southern Oak BC, M. meridionale, has arrived + has mainly been found in the Surrey/ London area. At this stage they would be difficult to distinguish but easy as adults as the native species is fully winged, whereas the newcomer is flightless + the sexual appendages are subtly different in shape. If you're elsewhere in country then almost definitely the native, though there was at least 1 record from the Midlands last year.

[pressld2]

Thanks Aeshna. That's another new species for my garden. Must look out for adults later in the year. I'm right on the Kent/London border so it could be the southern variety.

Dave P.