# Bug Photos



## pauluspaolo

Hi all - been trying out my new camera (Ricoh R7 - 8mp, 7x zoom) & so far I've been very impressed with it. It has a function where it'll continue taking photos as long as the shutter button's held down - my idea being that if I hold the shutter button down for long enough, & take enough photos, then at least one of them will turn out to be at least half decent (that's my theory anyway!) 

We have a newly established nature area on the college grounds - the intention being to attract bugs etc for the taught minibeasting sessions. We've set up a bird feeding station close to this area. I was hoping to find some blue tits (or somesuch) on the feeder, so that I could try out the aforementioned continuous shooting mode, but all I found was a greedy pigeon ...... & that flew off immediately !

Anyway I did find this little chap who allowed me to take the following photos before flying off. He(?) is a soldier beetle & they're often seen as mating pairs in June/July & are therefore known as "bonking beetles" apparently (you learn something new every day don't you?). They're carnivorous & feed on other small soft-bodied insects.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0073.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0072.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0074.jpg

Here's a cropped image of the soldier beetle - cropped from the first photo using MS Office Picture manager 

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0072A.jpg

After he'd flown away I moved on to a subject less inclined to bu&&er off - in this case a hydrangea - quite like the contrasting colours in this one (the clear blue of the flower against the darker mottled brown background)!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0083.jpg


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## Roger the Dodger

pauluspaolo said:


> http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a88/pauluspaolo/RIMG0073.jpg


 Great pics, Paul...we used to call these beetles 'bloodsuckers'...although they don't, but your 'bonking beetles' name is more apt, because that's all they ever seem to be doing whenever you spot them! I, too, was out in the gardens at work today with my new camera, and spotted these caterpillars...the first one is a Vapourer moth larva on a rose bush, but more impressive were some Eyed Hawk moth larvae that I found on some Willow.

Vapourer moth larva.










Eyed Hawk moth larva.










These are pretty large catepillars and are nearly ready to go underground to pupate. In the previous pic, you can see the larva has oblique stripes on its side...when you look at it from directly above, you can see how the stripes look like the veins of the leaf and give superb camouflage.










As I said , these are pretty impressive beasts...here's one on my little finger to give an idea of size...










Cont in next post...


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## Roger the Dodger

This is what they will ultimately become...The Eyed Hawk moth... this is a set specimen from my collection.


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## pauluspaolo

Wow! Big green caterpillar!! I've not seen one of those before :thumbup: We had quite a congregation of female (flightless) vaporer moths around two particular door frames (wierd) at college a year or two ago - they look like flightless moths (unsurprisingly!) & I was stumped as to what they were until I asked on a wildlife forum! There must have been over a 100 of the things & the odd thing was that they just seemed to like these two doorframes - very odd!

Cool pics - way better than my efforts but I'll keep trying :thumbup:


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## pauluspaolo

Talking of bugs, Gillian spotted these spiders in the hotel grounds while we were on our honeymoon in Kenya last year. The fat bodied one was high up on a wall out of reach (well it was until some kind soul poked it with a stick & it ended up half way down the wall!:blink:!) but the other, slimmer bodied one, was sitting in the middle of its web in a low bush well within easy reach of anyone. I'd put the total length of the abdomen/thorax/head down as being about 3 inches long while the leg span must have been 5 or 6 inches. I'm pretty sure that they're both the same species - no idea which one - presumably the fat bodied one had eaten more recently (a small child maybe!?) They were very impressive & amazing to see so close but I also think they're the most evil/sinster looking things I've ever seen - it's the skull marking (as can be seen on the slimmer, easier to photograph, one) that really gives me the heebie jeebies









This is the one high up on the wall - that's Gillians hand pointing to it & a standard sized light bulb in the light fitting next to it.










Another shot of the fat bodied one.










This is the slimmer bodied one low down in a bush by a path to the pool! Hopefully you can see the skull I mentioned earlier - creepy!










If anyone knows what species they are I'd be very interested to hear


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## Roger the Dodger

Some great arachnid pics...unfortunately, I don't know much about spiders...I studied entomology at college...however, we do have a rather uncommon visitor to these shores with a similar mark, the aptly named Death's Head Hawk moth, which has a spooky skull like marking on its thorax.


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## Roger the Dodger

Out and about in the gardens today...the new camera's getting a real bashing! Red Admiral, and Comma butterflies on Buddleja...



















Next, some insect porn...bonking butterflies (Cabbage Whites) and [email protected]ing Shield Bugs!


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## HappyLad

Some great bug pics on here :thumbsup:

I bought a macro lens the other week and have been trying to get some insect pics. Nothing exotic from me, just a common wasp and and fly.


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## Roger the Dodger

Great shot of the compound eyes in your 2nd pic...reminds me of the the film 'The Fly'...however, I think the protagonist in the 1st shot is a hover fly, not a wasp. Fab pics...the macro lens is a great piece of kit :notworthy: ...on my budget, I'll just have to stick with the point and shoot. :thumbsup:


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## Roger the Dodger

Excellent pics, John...I had a stint working in a place that sold tropical and marine fish at a place called 'The Waterlife Studio' when I was into them in a big way...some nice specimens there. The 710 asked me to get the washing off the line last night, and when I picked up the basket, this little girl was underneath...(yes...it's a girl, and not a bug, but I think this thread is going to have to expand its parameters a little!)

Female common toad (Bufo bufo)


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## Roger the Dodger

I was halfway through an edit to that last post when we had a power cut, so now I'll have to do it in a new one...just noticed in that 2nd pic something I've never seen in in 50 years of interest in insects/reptiles/amphibians...she has nails...or fingertips! Never noticed that before! I wonder if frogs are the same? (Cue loads of frog pics from members...and I don't mean Kermit!)


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## DMP

Spotted this one looking a little unwell:


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## Silver Hawk

Roger the Dodger said:


>


 That toad looks alot like my toad...

http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/other/images/forum/Big%20Toad%204.jpg

Our Hummingbird Hawk Moth from a few years ago:

http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/other/images/forum/Bug%203.jpg

And a garden spider:

http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/other/images/forum/20061001%20Garden%20Spider.jpg

And the 2009 plague of tadpoles....we've never had so many before or since:

http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/other/images/forum/Tadpoles%2020090510%204.jpg


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## Roger the Dodger

Fabulous pics, Paul...your toad was obviously happy to pose...mine kept turning away from the camera...that's why, in the end, I had to hold it!

Spotted a few more interesting insects today while tending the gardens...

A very large (1.5" long...compare to the Buddleja flower) hover fly, mimicking a hornet...









... and an undamaged Peacock butterfly...









Finally, some Willow sawfly larvae...


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## Roger the Dodger

DMP said:


> Spotted this one looking a little unwell:
> 
> http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5973380112_16c40000a8_z.jpg


 Quick tip...to distinguish a wasp from a fly...look DMP's pic above (Great pic BTW!)...it's a queen wasp...it has large antennae. Now look at this pic of a hover fly pretending to be a wasp/hornet...small antennae, plus it has large compound eyes...true wasps/bees do have compound eyes, but they're not so obvious.


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## pauluspaolo

Another occupant of our nature area - it's a moth of some sort but I'm not sure which variety!


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## pauluspaolo

We were away at out holiday home on the east coast (near Filey/Reighton) this weekend  This is a great area for wildlife & we saw these two critters - one small & easy to catch the other could only be seen from a distance.

The first is, I think, a small frog - I say "I think" because it was hopping across a road/path we use to access the beach & I thought only frogs hopped (?); however having examined the photo I'm begining to think that it may be a toad as the skin is wrinky/warty & not smooth. Anyone care to offer an opinion? As you can see it was tiny & smaller than the end of one of my fingers. We went to the house last month & there were 100's of these frog/toads - all the same size. We also saw a newt but, needless to say, I didn't have my camera on me ! This time round we only saw 2 of the frog/toads.



















The other critter wasn't a bug but a bird - a Cormorant I think (it could be a Shag I suppose) sitting quite happily on a post by a small lake/pond. We watched it for about 15mins but didn't see it fishing (unfortunately) & it seemed quite happy to just sit there even though we weren't that far from it


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## Roger the Dodger

Nothing much today...found a female speckled bush cricket while I was pruning some roses. You can always tell a female cricket from a male because she has that sword-like ovipositor at the rear end. She uses this to make a slit in a plant stem to lay her eggs. You can also tell a grasshopper from a cricket by the antennae...crickets have long thin ones, and grasshoppers have short ones.



























Strange fact about crickets...their 'ears' are on their front legs...if you glance at the pic above, look at the 'knee joint' between the antennae...just below the knee joint is a pale dimple...that's its ear!


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## BondandBigM

Roger the Dodger said:


> Quick tip...to *distinguish a wasp from a fly*...look DMP's pic above


 










Surprisingly taken with my phone


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## William_Wilson

I snapped these a couple of years ago, raiding the bird feeders. I imagine there were some bugs hitching a ride. It was near darkness and I didn't have time to fit a flash, so not much detail, and I didn't see the need for macro lens. 



















Later,

William


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## Roger the Dodger

You have the biggest bug(ger)s I've seen yet, Will...reminds me of the old kiddies song...

If you go down to the woods today...you're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down to the woods today...you better go in disguise.

For ev'ry bear that ever there was...will gather there for certain, because,

Today's the day the Teddy bears have their picnic!

I wish we had critters like that in our garden...all we have are foxes, hedgehogs, and next doors bloody cat! (though, happily, not since I got an anti-cat, lazer sighted, ultrasonic sound blaster, which scares the $hit out of it! :lol: :lol: :lol: )


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## Roger the Dodger

Remember this chap...Eyed Hawk moth larva about 60mm (just over 2.5" long)?









Well, I watched them (there were three of them) for another week or so, then one day, one of them started crawling down the tree to pupate. I put it in a pot of soft peat so I could record what happened next. It burrowed down and formed a chamber in the peat and then started to contract.









Over the next few days, it shortened in length and changed colour...









Finally, its larval skin split to reveal the pupa. In this pic, this has only just happened, and the pupa (chrysalis) is still pale and soft. You can see the old skin to the left, at the tail end.









The next morning, the shell of the pupa had darkened and now the entire contents will be broken down and re-arranged into a beautiful moth that will emerge next year. This is quite a large pupa at around 35mm (1.5")


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## Roger the Dodger

Found something else while doing my rounds in the gardens today...a crab spider munching a hover fly. These chaps usually hide in a flower the same colour as their body, so this one was rather conspicuous in a blue cornflower...they're called crab spiders because they move sideways like a crab...


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## Silver Hawk

Just snapped this dragonfly emerging from its nymph case...it was getting ready for its first flight:


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## tixntox

HappyLad said:


> Some great bug pics on here :thumbsup:
> 
> I bought a macro lens the other week and have been trying to get some insect pics. Nothing exotic from me, just a common wasp and and fly.


Looks like you have a bug in your computer! 

Mike


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## Roger the Dodger

Wow!...what great shots of the emerging dragonfly...superb!

Just returned from a week in the Algarve, Portugal and thought I would share some pics of bugs and other creatures with you...

First was a pretty dull looking male Preying Mantis, that landed on the wall one night, attracted to the floodlight...









That is until he got a bit peeved posing on my fingers, and went into a defensive posture whereupon he became quite spectacular...


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## Roger the Dodger

A few days later I found this chameleon walking along the dusty path to the villa...it was quite grey and dusty looking itself, until I picked it up, then it started to change colour to a yellowy green...



















At this point, I put him back on a bush, and he wandered off gradually becoming greener to blend in with the leaves...


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## Roger the Dodger

Finally I took some pics of the usual creatures you find abroad...

Various Geckos...the second one has lost its original tail, and the new one has grown back rather more stumpy and colourless than the original...


















Hiding in a crevice, but showing the unique four pupiled eyed common to most geckos...










A Marsh frog on a lily pad in the carp pool...









An adult Ant Lion...the larvae make conical depressions in sandy soil and wait at the bottom with their jaws sticking up to catch ants that fall into the pit...the adult looks like a damsel fly, but has large antennae that tell the difference.


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## Kutusov

Roger the Dodger said:


> A few days later I found this chameleon walking along the dusty path to the villa...it was quite grey and dusty looking itself, until I picked it up, then it started to change colour to a yellowy green...
> 
> At this point, I put him back on a bush, and he wandered off gradually becoming greener to blend in with the leaves...


That sounds like most of out politicians... grey and dusty looking until they see the green


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## Odo

Some amazing shots in this thread! I love the idea of casually finding a Chameleon wandering down the street, don't get many of those in Manchester!

Anyway thought I'd add this little guy I found on holiday in France, he obligingly sat still on a leaf whilst I tried to keep him in focus 

Not easy with a 70-300mm set to macro, despite the good light!










Look forward to more piccies.


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## Roger the Dodger

WARNING!.....if you're an arachnophobe...don't go any further!

Spotted this bloke (common house spider) in my potting shed on returning to work after my hols....I swear he was wearing Doc. Martins and had 'ACAB' tattooed across his knees when I first saw him...managed to get three shots after cooling him in the fridge for 10 mins (a common photographers ploy to get insects/spiders to stay still long enough to snap them...especially dragon flies) then decided to get a ruler to add a size shot (he was well over 2" long and wide), but when I came back, he'd buggered off!


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## Kutusov

Roger the Dodger said:


> after cooling him in the fridge for 10 mins


...must be great to go watch the match at your place and grabbing beers


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## Roger the Dodger

My missus was quite shocked when she opened a Tupperware box from the fridge that had a grass snake in it I was cooling down for a few shots....can't imagine why! :black eye: :lol: :lol:


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## Kutusov

Well, I've just ordered a couple of macro filter lens so maybe I can contribute later on to this topic. I doubt it though, for the price I've payed for those things they should be rubbish


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## Roger the Dodger

Came across this Dor (dung) beetle today whilst doing the rounds of the grounds...probably flown across from the cattle field next door. Quite large , but not as big as a Stag beetle.

Glossy black on top, but a beautiful iridescent blue underneath. It reminded me of the giant beetles in the Sci-fi film 'Starship Troopers'.


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## Roger the Dodger

While tending to the pond at work today, I noticed that the recent inclement weather has bought the frogs out in force...the long grass along one bank was alive with tiny froglets, that jumped out at every step...took a couple into the greenhouse for some pics...these are only about an inch long...



























And my suspicions were confirmed...like the toad a couple of pages back, these have finger tips too if you look carefully...


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## Roger the Dodger

My ones are OK if you just lick them....bite them, and they're a bit crunchy. Mmmmmmmmmm!


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## Kutusov

Roger the Dodger said:


> My ones are OK if you just lick them....bite them, and they're a bit crunchy. Mmmmmmmmmm!


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## chocko

My Bug shot(taken on phone camera)


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## chocko

How about this (bugs on a bug)


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## pauluspaolo

Hi all - whilst on my hols in Germany recently this little chap/chapess decided to pose long enough for me to take quite a few photos. Normally flies bu99er off as soon as I get anywhere near them but this one seemed content enough to sit there while I got within a cm or so of it with the camera. It was only when I looked at the photos on the computer later that I noticed the oval blobs under it abdomen - would these be eggs (thought they laid eggs in rotting things - raoadkill etc for the maggots to eat??) or are they more some sort of parasite (lice/ticks etc)?




























Here's another fly I managed to get a photo of before it flew off


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## DMP

Spring has sprung down here and the bees are in the lavender:










Sony A700, Tamron 90mm/f2.8 Macro


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## Silver Hawk

We had quite a good crop of frog and toad spawn earlier in the year...so it's always nice to see the results a few months later. We often see the tiny frogs hopping about in the wet grass, but rarely see the tiny toads...except this morning:



















Must remember not to cut the lawn :butcher:


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## jasonm

Weve got some tiddlers hopping around too....


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## Roger the Dodger

Just back from a week in sunny Menorca with the usual collection of bugs and interesting creatures! First up, remember this chap from Portugal?....









Here's a much larger, green Praying Mantis...










 This is the weirdest centipede I've ever seen! It reminded me of one of the creatures from the sci fi comedy 'Evolution'...almost as though a spider has had a dubious relationship with a centipede...


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## Roger the Dodger

Humming bird hawk moth at rest...










...and in flight. There were hundreds of these flying around, and it took ages to get a shot after messing around with shutter speeds to try and capture the wings...this was at 1/1500 sec. I'm going to start another thread discussing this, and hopefully pick up some tips from better photographers than me!


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## Roger the Dodger

Finally, some lizards...first up a gecko...









A shot showing how the iris of the eye in geckos closes to four pupils in bright light...









The underside of the foot, showing the venetian blind like pads that help the gecko cling to walls, and even glass...









A small lizard with an electric blue tail...









And a common wall lizard.









Hope you enjoyed! :thumbsup:


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## TONY M

Nice bugs Roger! Looks like it would have been bug heaven for me, really cool to see the pads of the Gecko up close. It must be difficult to be able to handle them like that.

Tony


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## SPEEDI

Great pics Roger..

Thanks for the heads up i love my Reptiles :thumbup:

What does Mrs dodger do while your taking pics , your on holiday remember :grin:


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## Roger the Dodger

TONY M said:


> Nice bugs Roger! Looks like it would have been bug heaven for me, really cool to see the pads of the Gecko up close. It must be difficult to be able to handle them like that.
> 
> Tony


Luckily, my son caught the gecko from under a rock he turned over, and it was very docile and easy to catch. I have been handling reptiles and insects for pics for over 40 years and you just need to be very gentle. Some larger lizards and geckos may give you a nip, but nothing serious. Mind you...you won't see me holding a scorpion or a hornet anytime soon. I feel it is a privilege to be able to cherish something that most people will never see, let alone hold, and it also serves to give a sense of scale to the pic. ie. you can see how big/small a creature is compared to my hand. Also, there is no better, or gentler way to be able to offer the subject up to the lens. At the end of all pic sessions, all creatures are gently released back where they came from. Except the mole...he went into a neighbouring field! :lookaround:


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## Roger the Dodger

SPEEDI said:


> Great pics Roger..
> 
> What does Mrs dodger do while your taking pics , your on holiday remember :grin:


 She's normally to be found on a sunbed, covered in factor 30 and with a large glass of white wine by her side! :beach:


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## Kutusov

Roger the Dodger said:


> they're all released unharmed after a shoot! :thumbsup:


That's why I haven't posted anything yet... just the other day I was trying to photograph a moth but the damn thing would fly away just to settle down again half a meter away. I was really starting to get pi*# off and thinking that if I wacked it with a rolled magazine it would stay put for a picture. But then I would be upsetting you and Mach... and maybe the picture wouldn't be of a full moth after that


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## TONY M

Roger the Dodger said:


> ...only for a few minutes to calm them down...they're all released unharmed after a shoot! :thumbsup:


I wonder if that works for kids?

Tony


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## Roger the Dodger

Now that Spring is on the way, it heralds a new year of bug pics! Found today when the lady of the house asked me to get the patio furniture out...opened the parasol to give it an airing and found this hibernating colony of ladybirds isde one of the folds. Goodness knows why they all congregated in that particular fold! It looks as though there are several different species here, including some that look similar to the rogue Harlequin strain that's been inundating the countryside, but as I'm not 100% sure, I'll let them be.....


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## dapper

Snapped a few years ago in our garden in Kingston...........


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## Adz

Having been out in cypress late last year i came accross a couple of insects , the moth i saved from the pool and was happy to sit while he was drying out....










He then moved on to some grass...










Then later , when i was tryin to take a pic of a flower , i held a stem to stop the wind moving the flower head around, i must of disturbed the 4 inch praying mantis that was sheltering there. Believe me, i got the bigger fright !!!!


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## pauluspaolo

We were at Bempton Cliffs this weekend & there were loads of these wooly bears sunbathing on the fence at the edge of the cloths - anyone know what butterfly/moth they transform into?


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## Roger the Dodger

Does anyone remember this chap from last year? It's a caterpillar of the Eyed Hawk moth, and if you do remember, I kept a couple in order to watch them metamorphosize to adulthood.









eventually, they changed to pupae, and I put them away to overwinter in some damp peat.









Two moths emerged...one was male, the other female. This is the female...she has a slightly fatter abdomen, thin antennae, and is slightly bigger than the male. In the second pic, you can see that she's already laid a couple of eggs on the stick that was provided to give them somewhere to expand their wings. The male, slimmer, and with feathered antennae is below.


















Cont.....


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## Roger the Dodger

In the following pics, you can see why they are called Eyed Hawk moths....when disturbed, they lift the fore wings to reveal a pair of staring 'eyes'. This has the effect of scaring off any predators...especially birds.

This is the female again....









She's quite large compared to my fingers...about 4" across the wings...


















This is the male, again. Hopefully you can make out the feathered antennae, which are much more sensitive than the females. They can detect the pheromone smell of the female from over a mile downwind!









Well...that little project has taken a year to come to fruition...both moths have been released back to the wild.

Hope you enjoyed.


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## Kutusov

Roger the Dodger said:


> This is the male, again. Hopefully you can make out the feathered antennae, which are much more sensitive than the females. They can detect the pheromone smell of the female from over a mile downwind!


That would come handy on Saturday nights! A lot less wasted time! :lol:


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## Roger the Dodger

pauluspaolo said:


> We were at Bempton Cliffs this weekend & there were loads of these wooly bears sunbathing on the fence at the edge of the cloths - anyone know what butterfly/moth they transform into?


I'm pretty sure that's the caterpillar of the Drinker moth...have a look here


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## William_Wilson

I noticed some brightly coloured weeds the other day beneath the bird feeder, so I snapped some close-ups, though it was a bit breezy. Anyway, after downloading, I noticed this scary looking thing in a few of the pictures.



















Later,

William


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## Roger the Dodger

Looks like a Hover Fly, William....designed/evolved to look like a bee or a wasp, but perfectly harmless. The large fly-like compound eyes give the game away...bees and wasps don't have such large eyes.

Here's a pic of a very large hover fly that I took last year...this ones over an inch long...pretending to be a hornet...but still harmless.


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## William_Wilson

Insects certainly are not an area of expertise for me. :lol: At very most, I'd say it was 15mm long. Here is a clearer picture of it;s... uhhh... abdomen:










Later,

William


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## Kutusov

William_Wilson said:


> Insects certainly are not an area of expertise for me. :lol: At very most, I'd say it was 15mm long. Here is a clearer picture of it;s... uhhh... abdomen:


I had to google that one as I though abdomen was the belly... apparently you're right, they call it that to that last segment on a insect... Is that so, Roger?


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## William_Wilson

Kutusov said:


> William_Wilson said:
> 
> 
> 
> Insects certainly are not an area of expertise for me. :lol: At very most, I'd say it was 15mm long. Here is a clearer picture of it;s... uhhh... abdomen:
> 
> 
> 
> I had to google that one as I though abdomen was the belly... apparently you're right, they call it that to that last segment on a insect... Is that so, Roger?
Click to expand...

I had to harken back to my childhood teachers to remember. :lol:

Later,

William


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## Kutusov

Good memory!! I can't even remember half my childhood teachers, let alone insects anatomy... I do remember that the reproduction cycles of plants was an absolute nightmare...


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## Roger the Dodger

Kutusov said:


> William_Wilson said:
> 
> 
> 
> Insects certainly are not an area of expertise for me. :lol: At very most, I'd say it was 15mm long. Here is a clearer picture of it;s... uhhh... abdomen:
> 
> 
> 
> I had to google that one as I though abdomen was the belly... apparently you're right, they call it that to that last segment on a insect... Is that so, Roger?
Click to expand...

 Yep...Insect's bodies are divided into three separate divisions...head, thorax and abdomen. Obviously, the head consists of the main sensory centres...eyes, mouth and mandibles, and one of the most important parts of the anatomy, the antennae. The thorax is the power house of an insect. It is filled with powerful muscles which control the 2 pairs of wings, and 3 pairs of legs. Some insects only have one true pair of wings...crane flies (or daddy longlegs) have the hind pair reduced to a pair of rotating 'clubs' called 'Halterers'...which act like gyroscopic stabilisers...remove them, and the insect can't fly. The abdomen , like ours, contains the digestive system, and the reproductive organs, but it also has another function. The body is divided into segments...usually 13. Each segment is equipped with two 'spiracles', one on each side...openings which connect to the respiratory system which enable the insect to breathe. You may have seen an insect at rest with its abdomen rapidly expanding and contracting...it's actually breathing.

In this pic of a caterpillar about to pupate, you can clearly see the spiracle openings along its body outlined in red.









Hope this answers your question, Renato.


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## Kutusov

Oh yeah, that's a very comprehensive answer! Thanks Roger! :thumbup:


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## William_Wilson

Roger the Dodger said:


> Yep...Insect's bodies are divided into three separate divisions...head, thorax and abdomen. Obviously, the head consists of the main sensory centres...eyes, mouth and mandibles, and one of the most important parts of the anatomy, the antennae. The thorax is the power house of an insect. It is filled with powerful muscles which control the 2 pairs of wings, and 6 pairs of legs. Some insects only have one true pair of wings...crane flies (or daddy longlegs) have the hind pair reduced to a pair of rotating 'clubs' called 'Halterers'...which act like gyroscopic stabilisers...remove them, and the insect can't fly. The abdomen , like ours, contains the digestive system, and the reproductive organs, but it also has another function. The body is divided into segments...usually 13. Each segment is equipped with two 'spiracles', one one on each side...openings which connect to the respiratory system which enable the insect to breathe. You may have seen an insect at rest with its abdomen rapidly expanding and contracting...it's actually breathing.
> 
> In this pic of a caterpillar about to pupate, you can clearly see the spiracle openings along its body outlined in red.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hope this answers your question, Renato.


 Roger, the film "Starship Troopers" must have drove you crazy. monthly_2015_05/wink.gif.b796042e43620d6f1245da8a397462d8.gif

Later,

William


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Loved it!...though they should have known about CO2...it will immobilize any insect in seconds. In a previous life before carpentry and gardening, I used to work for ICI in their entomology department, breeding insects for insecticide testing. Every insect, from the smallest fruit fly to the biggest dragonfly, will succumb to unconsciousness in a few seconds with a whiff of pure carbon dioxide...though I suppose that's not great film making...Denise Richards with a big gun..mmmmm.....Sorry...got a bit pervy then... :lol:


----------



## Neillp

Here is my stink beetle!



Insect comp by Neill Pearson, on Flickr


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Just back from a week in Portugal...early in the season, so not much about. Starting with a jumping spider....with very white, and eye-like pedipalps....









An immature Preying Mantis (I reckon about 2nd instar..so three to go before adulthood) about an inch long (25mm). You can tell it's a juvenile, because it has no wings.....only adults have wings.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Had a large Emperor Dragon Fly come in through the greenhouse window at work today...so took a few shots of it....


















Safely released after the pics were taken.


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## Draygo

I'm new to this thread - don't know how it passed me by. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting. And thanks especially to Roger for the pics and more so for the informative extras that make me wish I'd paid more attention in biology lessons. Keep em coming.


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## Roger the Dodger

Just back from another week in the Algarve...not many bugs this time...too hot, but the Cicadas loved the heat and sang loudly every day. They are very well camouflaged against the tree trunks and stop singing as soon as they hear/see you approach. However a bit of patient searching eventually found a few specimens to photograph. 
Hard to spot!...









Quite a large insect...


----------



## langtoftlad

Roger the Dodger said:


> Hard to spot!...


 Truly brilliant pics - especially ^^^

Hard to spot, you're not kidding.

Over the years, I've heard them many times, never seen one, always assumed they were on the ground [presumably that accounts for never spotting one!].


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Remember this chap who paid me a visit at work few weeks ago....?









Well...a couple more popped in today...a big brown on, and a small red one...so a few more pics had to be taken...

Brown Hawker.


















Wing veining detail...









Small red Common Darter.


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## pugster

some cracking photos roger, esp like the preying mantis as i used to keep/breed different varieties of them yrs ago , being almost white it must have not long moulted , facinating insects to watch /keep (and vicious little buggers) .


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## Roger the Dodger

Nice Bumble bee, Matt....snapped this lovely undamaged small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Buddleja today....


















It's only when you study these pics closely, that you start to notice things you never saw before....those blue scallops around the wing edges are awesome.....sorry...I'm raving a bit...


----------



## jasonm

Caught this caterpillar on the roses this evening, there were two.... Very colourful ....

Any ideas what it is ?


----------



## Roger the Dodger

It's a Vapourer moth caterpillar, Jason....newly changed into it's final skin...that's why it's so bright. In a couple of days, the colours will have darkened, like this one that I shot back at the beginning of this thread...also on a rose bush.









This is an unusual moth in that only the males have wings...the females have no wings and can't fly. They emerge from their cocoon, attract a male with pheromone scent, mate, lay their eggs on the empty cocoon case and die. See here for more details.

Hope that helps.


----------



## jasonm

Very interesting Roger..! Thank you.... ( And it shows I should read topics from the beginning lol )


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## Roger the Dodger

No probs Jason...I've always thought this was one of the more interesting off topic threads...but then I like insects and reptiles!!! :lol:


----------



## artistmike

To our antipodean members, this won't seem much of a worry.  To us in the UK though, this little madam of the genus Steatoda Nobilis is our most venomous spider that has become well ensconced in our gardens and homes after moving in from the Canary Islands and unfortunately I am one of the few people known to have been bitten by one of them in this country and believe me it hurts ! It also makes you pretty ill as I found out soon after.

This particular photo is of one I found in the house and sent to the Natural History Museum to get confirmation as to the identity and as you can see, the classic skull on the back of the carapace is a big give-away. ... Now, if you see one of these around, and it's quite likely you will, especially in the South of England, be scared ... be very, very scared ! :shocking:


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## Roger the Dodger

Found an example of the largest beetle we have in the UK today...the male Stag Beetle. The female is smaller and has much shorter, but more powerful jaws.


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## Silver Hawk

You're lucky to have one of those Roger....lovely beetle and not often seen these days.


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## pugster

some fantastic photos with great detail , you wouldnt want to upset that stag beetle  , i ve never seen one in the wild as paul said you are very lucky to have one as a guest.


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## Roger the Dodger

Silver Hawk said:


> You're lucky to have one of those Roger....lovely beetle and not often seen these days.





pugster said:


> some fantastic photos with great detail , you wouldnt want to upset that stag beetle  , i ve never seen one in the wild as paul said you are very lucky to have one as a guest.


Funnily enough, we get them quite a lot here in the countryside (Berkshire). I remember one warm summers evening at a parents meeting at my son's school...we were waiting to go in and the air was filled with them flying around...I don't know if there had been a mass emergence, but there were hundreds of them, and the droning noise their wings made was awesome. The ladies weren't too keen though! . We once had a pair of little owls nesting on the estate where I work, and the stag beetles were obviously a staple of their diet in the summer months, because it was not uncommon to find up to 20 or 30 beetle bodies discarded on the ground in their favourite feeding place. The owls would just eat the soft underside of the body, leaving the rest intact. Thanks for the comments!


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## Roger the Dodger

Found two more today, and took a couple of shots to show how the sizes can differ. The one on the right is about the same size as the one in the last thread I posted, and is fairly small...the one on the left is more typical and a bit bigger. Notice that the bigger one has an extra point to his mandibles below the forked tips.....but if you compare all three, you'll see that they are all different in one way or another. Still haven't found a female yet...when I do, I'll post a pic or two so you can see the difference between the sexes.


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## Silver Hawk

Love the stag beetles Roger.

Was doing some strimming in the garden this morning. Most of our lawns are infested with moss and we've finally got round to treating it, purchasing a scarifier etc but at the edge of one lawn where it is more moss than grass, the strimmer disturbed a small nest of bubble bees and exposed their eggs. The bees were not aggressive and immediately started gathering moss to cover the nest, so by the time I got my camera, it was already mostly covered. I hope I haven't disturbed them too much

Having Googled them, we think they are Bombus pascuorum, but maybe you could confirm Roger. My wife is very protective of bees in general, so I have strict instructions not to strimmer in this area until further notice.


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## Silver Hawk

Good to see bubble bees doing so well. We had used the same site as your link to identify our species of bubble bee, so nice to know we came to the same conclusion! Overnight, they have built a very nice "mossy dome cap" over their nest, so maybe all is well.

Our pond is full of life this year. Yesterday evening, we saw a newt with a small dead fish / fry in its mouth! Never seen that before...I had always assumed they were vegetarian. There is no way a newt could catch a live fish or tadpole, so I assume it was just scavenging for dead meat.

Here is a better photo of one of our bees.


----------



## pugster

hehe you could use one of those stag beetles as a guard dog - most ppl wouldnt go near one , fantastic photos as usual folks, keep them coming.


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## Roger the Dodger

Remember these chaps....









...well here's the object of their desire...the female of the species. Equipped with much shorter mandibles, these are, however much more powerful than the male's, due to fact that she can apply a lot more leverage to them. The male might give a painful pinch if you put you finger between his jaws, but if you were stupid enough to do the same with a female, her jaws will meet through your skin!


----------



## Roger the Dodger

What I'm going to post next is probably one of the best examples of insect camouflage there is. Like the Eyed Hawk moths a few pages back, this started as a long term project last year when I found a caterpillar of the Buff Tip moth. These are usually gregarious, and feed on willow and sallow. They are quite large, and a distinctive yellow and black in colour.








This caterpillar was allowed to pupate, and kept overwinter.









Today, it emerged from the pupal case, to display its true mastery in the art of camouflage. The effect is so perfect that you really do believe that it is a piece of broken silver birch twig. At rest, the moth tucks its head under its thorax, producing the illusion of a snapped twig, while the silvery mottled wings are folded into a tube shape to complete the effect. It's absolutely stunning!



























...more pics to follow...


----------



## Roger the Dodger




----------



## Silver Hawk

This one nearly landed in someone's Accutron this afternoon! And I need to clean my windows... :wallbash:


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Silver Hawk said:


> This one nearly landed in someone's Accutron this afternoon! And I need to clean my windows... :wallbash:


Nice example of a Wasp Beetle.....named for obvious reasons, and perfectly harmless. Here.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Here's another oddity for you...the White Plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla)...so called because its wings resemble feathers.


----------



## pugster

great pics as always folks, keep them coming, the above insect looks like some sort of assasin bug with those mouthparts , if it is the little buggers can give you a pretty nasty bite.


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## Roger the Dodger

This is a Puss Moth larva that I found on some Willow... it's newly hatched and very small.









Here he is 2 days later, and doubled in size...look at his size in relation to the (similar) sized leaf, compared to the last set of pics. Puss moth larvae are unusual that they have two tail like appendages at the rear end. When threatened, they lift them up, and two, red, whip like threads emerge which the larva vigorously waves over its body. It has been suggested that this may be a defence against parasitic wasp or flies.









... and here, after another 2 days, he's ready to moult into a bigger skin.









Here, he's spun a pad of silk to anchor the old skin to, in order that he can crawl out of it when it splits.









...finally, he contracts his body (note how the head is protruding due to internal pressure) in order to split the skin, which will start at the head. By tomorrow, he should have completed this.


----------



## BlueKnight

Roger the Dodger said:


> Here he is 2 days later, and doubled in size...look at his size in relation to the (similar) sized leaf, compared to the last set of pics.


 This is better than National Geographic...! :kewlpics:


----------



## pauluspaolo

Sorry to interrupt Rogers great thread but I found this on the path outside our house this morning. It was very much alive & would have been trodden on I'm sure so I transferred him(?) to a nearby wall. Apparently it's an Elephant Hawk Moth - quite a common species though I've never seen one before & the colours (green & pink) were absolutely stunning - it's not the best photo but I was running a bit late so it was taken in haste.



No photos unfortunately but I was down at the campus pond yesterday & there was a Broad Bodied Chaser dragonfly zooming about - again a beautiful colour (bluey violet) - I tried to take a photo but it wouldn't let me get anywhere near it  It did a few flypasts though & it made a deep drone as it went by.

Why aren't all summers like this?


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Great pic of one of our prettiest hawk moths, Paul. The name actually comes from the larva, which bears a fanciful resemblance to an elephants trunk. Here are a few more details....


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Just to recap...last night before I left work, the Puss moth larva was preparing to shed its skin into its final instar before pupation. As mentioned before, the head is pushed forward by internal pressure, and will split to reveal the final stage.










This morning, this had taken place, and the final stage revealed. Note how much bigger the head is now...it looks disproportionally large at then moment, but in a few days, the larva will have increased in size, and will look normal.


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## Roger the Dodger

Two more days on, and he's doubled in size again...


















I love the 'cartoon like' smiley face...though the eyespots are just markings, and the 'mouth' is actually a gland that squirts formic acid at predators.


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## Roger the Dodger

OK...so 12 days ago, this little chap looked like this...









....now, he's as big as my little finger....



























I don't think it'll be long before pupation. Keep you posted.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

You're obviously into your entomology as am I, Snapper...look forward to some more of your pics...check out some of my earlier posts in this thread.


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## Roger the Dodger

Yep...the male moths antennae are always more highly developed than the females...to detect the pheromones that the females release to attract a mate...here's a pair of Eyed Hawk moths that have just emerged from a couple of overwintered pupae that I kept...you can see the male (bottom right) and his feathered antennae. In this pic, the female has already laid a couple of eggs on the twigs provided for wing expansion.


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## coachwhip

Some old pics,


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## Roger the Dodger

coachwhip said:


> Some old pics,
> 
> http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/masticophis/IMG_0578sm.jpghttp://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/masticophis/shop034.jpg
> 
> http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/masticophis/DSC01064.jpg


 Whoa.....those are are some seriously nasty bugs...reminds me of the time I spent in Iraq.........some seriously nasty bugs there...Solifugids, or Sand spiders as they're known, are pretty savage....preferring to run their prey down...one similar to this (that I had captive in Iraq) completley shredded a mole cricket in about 30 seconds.


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## Roger the Dodger

Back to the Puss moth, and after the weekend, there're big changes. The colour has changed over the last two days, and he's now searching for a place to pupate. Normally, Puss moth larvae incorporate chewed bark from the food plant into the cocoon in order to camouflage it. Hopefully, this will be the next stage.

This was last Friday...









The colour has changed dramatically, to a deep purple shade, and the larva has contracted and become shorter and tighter, sure sign that pupation is imminent. However, I think something is amiss, because it should have constructed a very hard (and camouflaged) cocoon before reaching this stage.









Unfortunately, as I thought, something wasn't quite right, and the larva died during the night.


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## Snapper

Hi

mine made this cocoon before pupating out of chewed bits of wood an silk. It was rock hard and very camouflaged.

Neil


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## Silver Hawk

I know these aren't bugs...but they eat bugs and I can't be arsed to start a new topic!

We were wondering around Saddlescombe Farm yesterday which is only 2-3 miles from where we live and there were house martins flying in and out of an old barn. Only had my mobile phone but managed to take a photo of where all the noise was coming from


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## Snapper

Hi I would say that is a Swallows nest and it is typical Swalliw nesting area

Neil


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## Silver Hawk

Snapper said:


> Hi I would say that is a Swallows nest and it is typical Swalliw nesting area
> 
> Neil


My wife, who is a bit of a ornithologist, says the parents were definitely *not* swallows. I'm not about to disagree with her :no:


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## Roger the Dodger

I know I've posted pics of the Eyed Hawk Moth larva before, but when I spotted one today on a Willow bush at work, I just had to take some more.


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## Roger the Dodger

Whilst digging the new border at work, I unearthed this Cockchafer larva...not a very pleasant looking beastie, but still worth a look, as they're not often seen.










For more info and a look at the familiar adult Cockchafer (or Maybug) have a look here.


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## luckywatch

Landed on my Poljot just as I was taking a photo. What are the chances of that happening?


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## Roger the Dodger

Out in the lovely sunshine today, I came across one of our scarcer, but beautiful beetles, the Rose Chafer. This is a fairly large beetle, with gorgeous iridescent green and bronze colouring.










For a bit more info, have a look here


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## Roger the Dodger

While cutting the Box bushes to day, I came across several batches of common Garden Spider spiderlings which had just hatched out. These always fascinate me as when you touch them, the spiderlings all run off in different directions, only to re-congregate a few minutes later....must be the old 'safety in numbers' trick.


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## Roger the Dodger

Just back frrom a week in Menorca, and a couple of things I spotted. Firstly, a Rhinoceros beetle that was under a Fig tree..


















...and secondly, an Italian Wall lizard...very common on walls and rocks in Menorca. Sorry for the quality, these were taken at full 18x zoom, as these lizards won't let you get within about 10 feet (3m) of them.


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## Always"watching"

Wow, what a thread!

I do apologise for not getting quite the way through it all but I did my best. I do want to thank Roger the Dodger specially for not only providing masses of wonderful photographs but also for giving snippets of useful and fascinating information. How you do it Rog, with your busy job on the estate, I don't know


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## Roger the Dodger

A couple captured today in the hot sunshine....firstly the 'Comma' butterfly. Some time ago, I took this pic of a Comma.










At the time, I wanted to show why this butterfly is named so. Today, I got the chance, and shot this pic of the insect with its wings closed....a very rare opportunity, as the Comma usually rests with its wings open...all is revealed....









Did you spot the white comma shaped mark on the underside of the hind wing which gives it its name.....?

Secondly, and even stranger still, a few shots of a male Brimstone butterfly. Strange, because these butterflies are the harbingers of Spring, and usually only appear in March/April. When you first see a yellow Brimstone, you know that Spring has arrived! It's only the males that are yellow (the females are a very pale green or even white, but the distinctive, pointed wing shape quickly leads to the correct identification) The common name of Brimstone refers to the bright yellow colour of Sulphur (Brimstone is the old fashioned name for the aforementioned element). The distinguishing features are the colour, the uniquely pointed wingtips, the four dots on the wings, and the red antennae. These should be long gone by now. I can only assume that due to the warm weather, this is a product of a second brood.....anyway....for the bug lovers amongst us, enjoy....


















More here....http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=rhamni


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## Roger the Dodger

> Wow, what a thread!
> 
> I do apologise for not getting quite the way through it all but I did my best. I do want to thank Roger the Dodger specially for not only providing masses of wonderful photographs but also for giving snippets of useful and fascinating information. How you do it Rog, with your busy job on the estate, I don't know


No thanks needed, Honour, just one of the perks of the job....being able to see and record all of nature when ever it occurs. My camera never leaves my side ( or pocket! :lol: )


----------



## Roger the Dodger

I don't know if regular readers will remember this moth...the Buff Tip...(it's back on page 4), one of the best camouflaged moths there is.









At the time, I mentioned that the larvae were gregarious, and always stay together. Today, I found a newly hatched batch of larvae on Willow, (probably about a week old...each one is about a centimetre long) and took a shot to show how they congregate together.


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## Iceblue

I went to london zoo last week and got a few shots in the butterfly section


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## artistmike

I saw this one in the garden this morning, has anyone any ideas what this one is ?


----------



## KevG

A few of my neighbours









Kev


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## dapper

Hanging under the window sill in my garage....


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## Silver Hawk

Had this little critter crawling over my arm today:


----------



## pauluspaolo

My wife & I managed to get a bit of gardeneing done today - whilst mowing the lawn I spotted this little chap crawling long at the base of the wall next to the lawn. *I think* it's a Great Crested Newt but I'm hoping that someone can confirm this for me? I've never seen one of these before & never knew they lived up north in Yorkshire. I'm pretty sure it's a protected species but thought is was more of a southern species? I've no idea if this one is fully grown or not but you can just make out a crest beginning to form along its back. It was mainly black in colour with a black/white throat but its belly was a seriously bright fiery orange. It was getting a bit pee'd off with me taking photos (hence the open mouth) so I left it alone & it crawled under our garden tool store - could it be hibernating under there, looking for some grub or just looking for a bit of shelter?

Apologies for the last photo - I was trying to take a photo of its belly but I didn't like to hold it too long & it wasn't happy about being held at all.

I'm looking forward to someone more knowledgeable than me commenting on this one


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Yep...it's a Great Crested newt...looks like a juvenille...the adults are about 4-5" long. Only the male has the crest, and only in the breeding season (mid spring-early summer). He also develops a pale electric blue stripe along his tail. The female has no crest.

More info here Take note of the bit in red at the bottom of the piece.

...and lots more pics here....

https://www.google.c...UoAQ&gws_rd=ssl


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## pauluspaolo

Thanks Roger you've confirmed what I thought, I didn't handle him for any longer than it took to take the photo & as far as I know he's still happily resting/kipping/hibernating under my garden shed. I've no idea where he came from though as we've no deep still water near us that I'm aware of :huh: There is a beck close by but I wouldn't have thought this suitable for egg laying (too fast moving) & I wonder just how far he'd crawled before I saw him?


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## Roger the Dodger

They will quite happily breed in a garden pond if the conditions are favourable....we had Great Crested and Smooth newts in our garden pond for years. And we have them in the pond at work too.


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## rhino2k

Great pictures guys!

I am fairly new to photography and watches so plenty to look at here!


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## Roger the Dodger

Found hibernating at work.....a sleepy Peacock with a bit of damage to its right front and hind wings.


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## William_Wilson

A quick snap of a Horrendum Volantis Insecta.










Later,
William


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## Roger the Dodger

William_Wilson said:


> A quick snap of a Horrendum Volantis Insecta.
> 
> 
> 
> Later,
> William


 That looks like one of the 'Skipper' butterflies....more pics here...
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=skipper+butterfly&rlz=1C1CHIK_en-GBGB536GB536&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=979&tbm=isch&imgil=AnLzgjaMGw7dcM%3A%3Bv2apbkFNqAf-QM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fellenmichaelsphotos.com%252Fv%252Fcentral_park_butterflies%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=AnLzgjaMGw7dcM%3A%2Cv2apbkFNqAf-QM%2C_&usg=__jE52ByRTWfH-jDnPq5FycUEejYc%3D&ved=0CDgQyjc&ei=yhB0VYCuN6Sr7Aa1z4CYAg#imgrc=AnLzgjaMGw7dcM%3A%3Bv2apbkFNqAf-QM%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ellenmichaelsphotos.com%2Fd%2F198-10%2Fzabulon_skipper_butterfly_72_9713.jpg%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fellenmichaelsphotos.com%2Fv%2Fcentral_park_butterflies%2F%3B600%3B400


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## Roger the Dodger

...continuing William.s idea of making up plausible Latin names, here's a specimen of 'Spectabilis horribilus'......









It's actually a Dragon Fly nymph. I was doing a bit of pond dipping to see what was about, and along with the usual newts and other beetles, this was in the net. Safely returned to emerge as a beautiful insect in a few weeks time.


----------



## chocko

My latest bug photo


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Caught basking in the sun today....a Comma butterfly...


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## William_Wilson

Roger the Dodger said:


> Caught basking in the sun today....a Comma butterfly...


 No, that's a butterfly, period. I just get worse and worse. :laugh:

Later,
William


----------



## Roger the Dodger

This Maybug or Cockchafer as it's also known flew in the window the other night...this is a male with his characteristic venetian blind like antennae. This is the third largest beetle we have in the UK after the Stag beetle and the Great Diving beetle.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Heard a buzzing in the greenhouse at work, and discovered an embryonic wasp's nest being built under a shelf. Thankfully, I was able to get rid of it before it developed any bigger, but before it was completely removed, a few pics were taken.

This was the nest under the shelf...Although undesirable as a wasp's nest is, you cannot help but marvel at the way they use different coloured woods to make the pulp that is their building material...this gives the outside a unique 'marbled' effect.This was suspended by a single stalk.









The entry hole...









These next pics were taken using the 'magnifyer' on my phone, and are much more close up. These show the start of the comb, which is similar to a bee's honeycomb in that it is composed of hexagonal cells. Here, you can see the capped cells that contain the next adults, which are pupating at the moment, and the fully grown wasp grubs that will shortly have their cells capped to do the same. (sorry for the long, thin phone pics...I should have taken them in landscape mode not portrait)









Here it is again, from the top. You can see the first four cells are empty in the middle, which was where the first workers developed..these would have been fed by the queen. In fact, there were only those four plus the queen in the nest when I disturbed it. You can see how quickly a colony builds up as more and more workers are produced...it must be like an exponential curve. There's 17 capped cells which will be the next workers, followed by the next 17 grubs that can be seen. As the nest increases in size, so do the combs. In a well developed nest, there can be several of these combs, each a foot or so across, separated from each other by tiny pillars of pulp, and contain many thousands of individuals.









Here's a grub and a pupating adult from the comb.....anglers love wasp grub as bait, and I've dug loads of nests up and used them for fishing...chub love 'em!









If you look closely at this pic again, you can see an egg that the queen has laid in the outermost cell at the bottom right.


----------



## bridgeman

Fascinating stuff and great photos,thanks for taking the time.


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## it'salivejim

Good thread :thumbsup:

I snapped these two sabre wasps hard at it last Bank Holiday weekend :laugh:


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## Roger the Dodger

From the shape of its body, ie. long and thin, it's a 'Hawker'. Unfortunately, excellent as your pics are, no colours are apparent, apart from a dull yellowish in the second shot. We tend to have three types here in the UK...Hawkers, which are the usual ones you see in beautiful colours, usually blue, emerald green, or brown,....Chasers, which are short and squat...the males being bright electric blue, and the females yellowish, and the Darters, much smaller and usually red in colour.

The Damsel and Damoiselle flies belong to a different order.

This site will help with ID....
http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/uk-species

You guessed it...these days, there's a site for everything.....!


----------



## Krispy

Thanks Rog :notworthy:

I'd say you're right, he was definitely brown and quite a big fella. Here's a couple of shots with a little more light on him..

















It seems to be a good match with a Norfolk Hawker from your site. He had bright green eyes and no blue on him. Interestingly, their description is:

"Endangered. In South-east England. Brown with a yellow triangle on S2 and bright green eyes. Wings clear other than a small orange suffusion at base."

http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/hawkers-and-similar-species

If it is one of them, they are thriving in south west Essex!


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Usually, as in nature, the drab coloured specimens are females....the brightly coloured ones being males (think 'Peacock') so I reckon that's a female hawker youv'e pictured. The pic in your post above is a male, I think, because of the clasper appendages at the base of the tail. These are used to hold the female in position during the mating ritual.


----------



## Krispy

Dirty buggers.

It seemed to match the description of a Norfolk Hawker from your site (brown, green eyes, orange hue at the base of the wings) and didn't seem to match the Brown Hawkers here: http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/brown-hawker Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of it's back so don't know if it had the green triangle on it's back.

It was interesting to read that the Norfolk Hawker is endangered and their map suggests they are at least a little more widespread than they think. Or am I reading it wrong?

http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/norfolk-hawker


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Krispy said:


> Dirty buggers.
> 
> It seemed to match the description of a Norfolk Hawker from your site (brown, green eyes, orange hue at the base of the wings) and didn't seem to match the Brown Hawkers here: http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/brown-hawker Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of it's back so don't know if it had the green triangle on it's back.
> 
> It was interesting to read that the Norfolk Hawker is endangered and their map suggests they are at least a little more widespread than they think. Or am I reading it wrong?
> 
> http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/norfolk-hawker


 Now you see why I love my job out in the open countryside and not sat in an office looking at a PC screen all day! Yeah! :thumbsup:


----------



## Always"watching"

I have just come upon this marvellous thread and I am fascinated by all the pictures. If this thread was a photo competition, I would find it hard to anounce my favourite pic, but I think the award might go that fantastic ultra closeup of the Maybug/Cockchafer by Roger. The detail is staggering. Thanks for all the pleasure folks. :teethsmile:


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Krispy said:


> That's a mean looking bit of kit - do you know what it is?


 Hugh's right, Dave ...it's the cast skin of a dragonfly nymph. The dragonfly spends several years underwater as a 'nymph', shedding it's skin as it grows bigger. When the last stage is reached, the nymph climbs up a reed stem and the adult emerges from a split down the nymph's back. At first, the wings are all crumpled and soft, but after a couple of hours of having blood pumped into them, they are expanded and dry, and the adult dragonfly is able to fly off.


----------



## Mal52

Just trying to get back into macro photography found this from a couple of years back was taken with Canon 60mm macro lens.


----------



## ajdh

I have a few insect pictures, some from the UK and others from the Middle East.










Hover fly (UK)










Hover fly (Bahrain)










Huge wasp, surrounded by bees. (Bahrain)










Clouded yellow (Bahrain)


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## Roger the Dodger

Our pond at work is drying up again (this happens every year, because the pond level is the water table level) and I was netting out some of the 200 odd crucian carp to transfer to a holding tank, when a Southern Hawker Dragonfly put in an appearance. I actually caught him in the fish net, and took a quick couple of pics on my phone before releasing safely. I was standing knee deep in the pond and with wet hands, so couldn't access the phone camera controls very easily, hence the awfully blurred pics, but you get the idea. What you can see, though, is the way a Dragonfly's legs all point forward with spines along them. When in flight, these act like a 'basket' which the dragonfly uses to catch its prey, usually smaller flies and insects, midges etc. which it eats on the wing.


----------



## KevG

In the garden today no idea can't find it in my very basic book, about the size of a pinhead



Also got this happy chappie sorting out packed lunch



Kev


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## Karrusel

Apply nematodes during September/October to larvae (leatherjacket), no chemical available for homeowners at present.

A friendly licensed horticulturist may help with chemical treatment....nudge, nudge?

Hope this helps

Alan


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## Roger the Dodger

Regulars will know how I keep banging on about how clever insects are at camouflage, and somewhere in the back pages are some pics of Cicadas that are masters of disguise.

But this chap must really take the prize at camouflage/evolution whatever you want to call it. This diguise is awesome, and before you ask me if it's photoshopped.....no it isn't. This is a real 'Leaf insect' complete with shape, veining and brown bits round the edges to complete the illusion.To put it into context, how many millenia and generations have passed for this insect to have developed this level of superb camo....? Remember what Charles Darwin said....only the fittest survive...........


----------



## Galimbe

Roger the Dodger said:


> Very scarce in the UK...we call it the 'Swallowtail'. I saw one in Portugal once, but I've never seen one in the UK.
> 
> More here...
> 
> http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=machaon


 yes yes yes), this is in Ukraine)) come!)


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## Roger the Dodger

In the past, I have shown pics of various beetles found in the UK, and today I found one of our largest, the Great Diving beetle, Dytiscus marginalis. Only the Stag beetle, and the Great Silver Diving beetle (very rare) are bigger. This is a ferocious predator in ponds, both the adult and the larva. The adults are about 11/2 inches ( 4cm) long. Below are some pics of a male ( the males have suckers on their front pair of legs), and a vid showing the larva attacking a dragonfly nymph.





































This is the truly ferocious larva with its vicious scimitar like jaws. Many a tadpole, newt eft and fish fry fall victim to these. You will note the feathered fork at the tail end... like a lot of water insects, including mosquito larvae, water boatmen, beetles, etc. they cannot breathe underwater and must rise to the surface occasionally in order take on more air, in this case via that forked rear end. If they are present in your garden pond, the only time you are usually aware they are there is when they rise to the surface to breathe.


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## Roger the Dodger

Just back from Portugal again, and was beginning to think it was too late in the year to see any interesting insects, but on the very last day, just as we were leaving the villa to go to the airport at 6.00 am, I spotted this small, brownish green Praying mantis on the wall, and quickly took some shots before leaving.


----------



## Cyclops930

A shame PB has deleted a lot of shots in this thread.

Heres a couple of mine to bring the standard down. 
















Sent from my LG-H440n using Tapatalk


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## NOTSHARP

A few garden beasties.











Steve.

A few more.













Steve.


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## Cyclops930

Some very nice shots added to this thread here's a few more from me.
















































































Sent from my LG-H440n using Tapatalk


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## Roger the Dodger

Great shots everyone! Keep 'em coming. :thumbsup:


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## NOTSHARP

Steve.


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## Roger the Dodger

NOTSHARP said:


> Steve.


 Great shots! I especially like the pics of the 'Silver Y' moth....named after the characteristic mark on the forewings.


----------



## NOTSHARP

A lot of Small Tortoiseshell about today.





Small White.



A few Hover Flies were on the go, as well.



Steve.


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## JoT

@NOTSHARP great photos, what lens are you using?


----------



## NOTSHARP

JoT said:


> @NOTSHARP great photos, what lens are you using?


 My camera is a pointy/shooty thing. :laugh:

https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/product/discontinued/digital-cameras/coolpix/2017/coolpix-s9900

Set on macro, and click away.

Steve.


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## JoT

@NOTSHARP well its a very good pointy shooty thing!!


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## Roger the Dodger

Hummingbird Hawk Moth at rest.


----------



## NOTSHARP

A few more this morning. I have no idea what most of them are. 











These, I know. The dreaded greenfly.



Another Small Tortoiseshell.



Lastly, certainly not a bug. A Dunnock.



Steve.


----------



## NOTSHARP

Out with the dog this morning, and spotted this wee beastie, also out for a walk.

February :crazy5vh:



Managed to sneak a watch in.



Steve.


----------



## Cassie-O

Great picture! :yes:


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## stdape

Anything for a Watch shot! lol


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## Roger the Dodger

Out in the garden today, and saw several Bee flies. These very furry flies have a darting flight, then they hover in front of a flower and take nectar with their long proboscis. Called a Bee fly presumably because they look like a bee, they are a fly and harmless.




























Then saw a Wolf spider...these are the ones you often see running about on the ground. Very small, maybe 1cm across, later on in the year, the females are often seen with a bluish egg sac attached to their rear end.


----------



## champ

NOTSHARP said:


> A few more this morning. I have no idea what most of them are.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then saw a Wolf spider...these are the ones you often see running about on the ground. Very small, maybe 1cm across, later on in the year, the females are often seen with a bluish egg sac attached to their rear end.


 Weve had a couple of Bee flies in the garden for the last couple of days.Watched one sunning itself on a warm patch of soil this afternoon.Quite theraputic.


----------



## JoT

I cleaned up the thread as so many of the posts had dead links / pictures

We need more bugs!


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Roger the Dodger said:


> Then saw a Wolf spider...these are the ones you often see running about on the ground. Very small, maybe 1cm across, later on in the year, the females are often seen with a bluish egg sac attached to their rear end.


 A few weeks later and here are the very protective females with their egg sacs attached by a thread to the end of their abdomen. They are incredibly fast across the ground when it's hot, so difficult to photograph...the modern phone is the photographer's friend.



















At only 1cm across, even @Cassie-O wouldn't be scared of these...there are thousands in my garden! :yes:


----------



## Cassie-O

Roger the Dodger said:


> At only 1cm across, even @Cassie-O wouldn't be scared of these...there are thousands in my garden! :yes:


 I'm holding you personally responsible if I have a heart attack one of these days! :tongue: :king:


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## Biker

Caught this wee bugger on the bedroom window shutters with my phone camera.
















Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


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## Roger the Dodger

Biker said:


> Caught this wee bugger on the bedroom window shutters with my phone camera.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


 Looks like a jumping spider...these ones can jump quite surprising distances...and often land on you...@Cassie-O beware...but they are only the size of a small fly.


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## Biker

The house is crawling with spider pals at the moment, probably something to do with the woodland just behind us, on the plus side, we often get Blue Tits scurrying around the windows picking them off.

You should see some of the ones I have evicted, nearly half the size of my hand!

















My size 9 big toe for reference and we regularly get bigger ones. I just pick them up and throw them out of the door.

Tried that in Norway last year, picked a spider out my daughter's bath and it bit me!

Got these fellers in the loft too.


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## Roger the Dodger

Nice house guests, Buster...the common house spider would be quite welcome in my house, especially with all the flies around. And I'd love a colony of brown long eared bats in my loft. I used to come across them quite often when I worked in the building trade (damp proofing) and we always had to get the local licenced 'batman' to remove them, as they are protected, before we could start work.


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## Biker

Those house spiders build webs at a phenomenal rate!

The bats come and go, sometimes we have a colony other times they just disappear for months and months on end, they don't bother me in the least. 'Erself isn't too keen on any of the house guests. The only ones I don't like are the mice, of which we get very few and very far between, Dave usually deals with those for us, she is quite a good mouser.


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## Roger the Dodger

Out for a walk during the week and spotted lots of damsel and dragonflies. Got a few pics.

This is a female Black Tailed Skimmer, the male is blue.




































..and some Damsel flies, the second pic is a mating pair...dirty buggers! :laughing2dw: 


















Some ladybird larvae...


















And a Peacock butterfly larva.


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## rolexgirl

Brilliant pictures @Roger the Dodger

Here are some urban greenfly :laugh: from the park


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## sabailand

Roger the Dodger said:


> Nice house guests, Buster...the common house spider would be quite welcome in my house, especially with all the flies around. And I'd love a colony of brown long eared bats in my loft. I used to come across them quite often when I worked in the building trade (damp proofing) and we always had to get the local licenced 'batman' to remove them, as they are protected, before we could start work.


 Similar here, many people are scared stiff of spiders but i dont mind them, much rather have them in my house rather than filthy flies, they kill flies and thats good enough for me, i hate them things (flies) and wont rest until its squashed or flown out again, i wont kill a spider, if its somewhere i wish it wasnt i`ll give it some gentle persuasion or move it without killing it.


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## Biker

Yep me too, I don't like killing them, I just scoop them up and cart them elsewhere. I tried that in Norway and the bugger bit me! Did no harm but it was a nasty wee sting. I Nearly gave birth to kittens!


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## Roger the Dodger

Out for a long walk today...plenty of wildlife about!

Remember the pics of the female Black Tailed Skimmer Dragonfly from a few days ago?









I mentioned at the time that the male was blue, and today got some pics. The males will alight and bask in the sun, but are very hard to approach as they fly off as soon as they spot you...a metre is about the closest you'll get. So these pics are taken using zoom and then enlarging and cropping...

The original pic...









After cropping and enlarging...(and a bonus Greenbottle, Top L)



















The Damselflies were also out in numbers today...this is a male...



















...and they're still at 'it'...The male clasps the female by the neck and encourages her to bend her abdomen under so that her sex organs contact his. This is known as the mating 'wheel' or 'heart' and the pair fly in tandem. After mating, the female lays her eggs in the stems of aquatic plants, often still attached to the male.










Next, remember this Ladybird larva?









A few days later, after gorging on aphids until full (one of our garden friends and should be encouraged as a biological defence against greenfly) the larva does a penultimate moult and becomes a pupa. Now, its internal organs will be rearranged to form the familiar Ladybird beetle we are all familiar with.


















A few weeks later, the final mould reveals the adult beetle...









A not very good pic of a Marbled White butterfly...it wouldn't open its wings...









A foraging leaf cutter bee...


----------



## Biker

some more great pictures and relevant information


----------



## Biker

Another big (Blurry) bugger.


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## Roger the Dodger

My son's baby pink toed tarantula on my hand...


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## Biker

Roger the Dodger said:


> My son's baby pink toed tarantula on my hand...


 Summat else that got me a slap round the head and a big f**koff fatty, no chance!


----------



## Biker

Not exactly a bug but I had to rescue this wee fella at 1am.
Think it's a wee baby one. It was tiny
















Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk


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## Roger the Dodger

Biker said:


> Summat else that got me a slap round the head and a big f**koff fatty, no chance!


 He has a couple of others...
Great Brazilian Blue...


















and another Pink Toe...










Plus, of course, my Praying Mantis, at level 7... one more moult to go before becoming adults.




























Note the wing buds... these will be full sized wings at the final moult.


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## Biker

Had a wee pet for 10 mins or so today









Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk


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## Roger the Dodger

A while has passed since the last Mantis pics. The Orchid mantis has just completed its final moult, has its wings and is now adult. She will last about another month, then slip away to the great forest in the sky. When I first got her, she was a L5 (level 5) nymph and around an inch long. Now, at L8 she is around 3.5 inches.




































This is the cast skin from her final moult.










The Giant Asian mantis also moulted at the same time...it's now at L7 with one more to go. When I first got this one it was tiny...just 1 inch long at L4...








Bit of a difference now at 4 inches long and will be even bigger after its final moult in a few weeks time.



























The wing buds are clearly visible on its thorax...at the next moult they will be fully developed and it will be around 6 inches long.









Cast skin.


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## Biker

Found this odd wee chap scouting around the kitchen on Sunday


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## Roger the Dodger

Biker said:


> Found this odd wee chap scouting around the kitchen on Sunday
> 
> View attachment 23780
> 
> 
> View attachment 23781


 Apparently, that's a wasp nest beetle and not very common in the UK.
https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/wasp-nest-beetle#:~:text=Wasp Nest Beetle - Metoecus paradoxus&text=It has feathery antennae and,emerge during the summer months.


----------



## Biker

Roger the Dodger said:


> Apparently, that's a wasp nest beetle and not very common in the UK.
> https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/wasp-nest-beetle#:~:text=Wasp Nest Beetle - Metoecus paradoxus&text=It has feathery antennae and,emerge during the summer months.


 That would make sense as we always seem to end up with at least one wasps nest per year.

Thanks for that. :thumbsup:


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## Biker

Had to evict this bugger from the bathroom sink this morning.

I was lying in bed minding my own business then suddenly...

"Hoy, fatso, you left your pet spider in the bathroom sink last night!!"

In to the bathroom toddle I, scooped him up and this bugger entirely filled the palm of my hand! Fortunately he didn't bite.

I then had to go back and chuck his suitcases out too.









Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk


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## Alpha550t

Biker said:


> Had to evict this bugger from the bathroom sink this morning.
> 
> I was lying in bed minding my own business then suddenly...
> 
> "Hoy, fatso, you left your pet spider in the bathroom sink last night!!"
> 
> In to the bathroom toddle I, scooped him up and this bugger entirely filled the palm of my hand! Fortunately he didn't bite.
> 
> I then had to go back and chuck his suitcases out too.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk


 You're a better man than I am, Biker !


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## Roger the Dodger

Biker said:


> Had to evict this bugger from the bathroom sink this morning.


 You realise poor @Cassie-O will have a nervous breakdown when she sees that pic....I better send the nurse round with a sedative... :doctor:

:laughing2dw:


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## Roger the Dodger

The final chapter in the story of the Giant Asian mantis. It has now undergone its final moult to L8 and is now an adult with fully developed wings. Like its counterpart the Orchid mantis (who is still with us at the moment) its days are now numbered.

There's a bit of a difference from when I first got it at L4 and about an inch long....









...to the monster it's become now at around 5 inches...


----------



## Roger the Dodger

A friend of my son gave us some exotic butterfly pupae to watch hatching into adults. The large brown one is cleverly camouflaged to blend in with dead leaves while the transformation takes place...similarly, the green ones would be well hidden amongst foliage. The brown one is very big...nearly two inches long (50mm)...the butterfly that emerges will probably look like a 70's bow tie! :laughing2dw: Apparently, the two green ones will give rise to blue butterflies. Will update when they hatch.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

You may remember this pic from the post above...









Today, the adult butterfly emerged. I don't know what species it is yet, I need to do some research, but it's certainly not a UK butterfly.



























On doing a bit of research, I've found that this butterfly is an Asian species, Parthenos sylvia, 'The Clipper'
More here...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenos_sylvia

We are hoping that the large brown pupa pictured above is a giant owl butterfly...will update when it hatches...
[IMG alt="Spotlight: the owl butterfly | Natural History Museum" data-ratio="57.77"]https://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/discover/owl-butterflies/owl-butterfly-two-column.jpg.thumb.768.768.jpg[/IMG]


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## Biker

So no more 'leafy-bug' then... :biggrin:


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Biker said:


> So no more 'leafy-bug' then... :biggrin:


 Yep...it's still with us...


----------



## Biker

Roger the Dodger said:


> Yep...it's still with us...


 That's bigger than my cat that is...


----------



## Roger the Dodger

The large brown butterfly pupa hatched today....









I give you the World's largest butterfly species, the Owl butterfly. Fully 6" (150mm) across its opened wings. It's quite obvious where it gets its name.





































Once the wings open, the beautiful blue colour is revealed. Unfortunately, although in a very large hatching cage, this one still managed to tear its right hind wing.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Out for a walk along the River Loddon t'other day, and there were loads of Banded Demoiselle flies about.

The male is bright metallic blue with a dark blue band on his wings.










The female is bright metallic green, with green tinged wings.










Male and female together.










The Bandeds appear earlier than the Beautiful Demoiselle, the male of which (below) has fully dark wings. The female of this species is also green.


----------



## Biker

^ Crackin' pics


----------



## Roger the Dodger

A new variety of butterfly that I've not seen before was flying round a Myrtle bush here in Portugal. This is the Pea Blue, Lampides boeticus (not normally found in the UK, though there have been some sightings of migrants in the South in recent years) and is the female form. She has brown wings with a touch of blue towards their bases. The male is all blue, but not seen a specimen yet. A small butterfly, around the size of one of the British blues. It has a small tail to the bottom edge of the hind wings.




























This is the male, (pic from the 'net, not mine.)

[IMG alt="Long-tailed Blue (male) - Iain Leach" data-ratio="75.00"]https://butterfly-conservation.org/sites/default/files/styles/srcset_medium/public/2018-12/9984010214-long-tailed-blue-lampides-boeticus.jpg[/IMG]


----------



## Biker

Oh I forgot, I saw these two beauties a few weeks ago in Dumbarton..


----------



## Roger the Dodger

I have just spent nearly two hours tidying this thread up, removing more dead links (As @JoT did a few months ago) and removing Photobucket's stupid logo from a lot of my old pics. It's quite interesting to see the difference in the quality of the pics since the thread started in 2011, as newer versions of phones have had better spec'd cameras built into them. Keep the pics coming! :thumbsup:


----------



## it'salivejim

I took this on holiday recently. I believe it's a common carder on some verbena.


----------



## Always"watching"

I have been browsing this thread today, enjoying the marvellous contributions and the helpul posts identifying the various bugs and beasties. Thanks everyone, and may the roll call of these wierd and/or wonderful animals continue. :thumbsup:


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Here are a few more from the last few months, some of which may have been posted previously in the WRYDT thread. From earlier on in the year, this is a Hummingbird hawk moth that put in an appearance. Not often seen in the UK, they are all migrants from Europe as they don't breed here.










https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6G1U2TQhpxU?feature=oembed

A bit later in the year, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Painted Lady butterfly, another migrant from Europe.


















This next one was a real treat to see. This is a Purple Hairstreak and they usually spend most of their time flying around the tops of Oak trees, whose leaves are the foodplant of their larvae. They rarely come down, except to drink and I think the drought conditions had probably bought this one down. In over 50 years of insect interest, it's the first one I've seen.


















This Golden Ringed Dragonfly made a brief visit. More usually seen further north and into Scotland, they are rare in the south.


















Finally, a few pics of a Large Elephant hawk moth lava that we had in the garden last year... not sure if I've posted this before. The moth is named after the shape of the rather large caterpillar, which when extended resembles an elephant's trunk. When alarmed, it withdraws its head into its body, swelling the front part and the eye spots make it look like a snake.

Lava extended.









When alarmed it withdraws its head.


















This rather ugly creature gives rise to one of out prettiest moths... a real ugly duckling to swan scenario. Witness the beautiful pink and green Large Elephant hawk moth. (There is also a Small Elephant hawk moth, but it's not as vibrantly coloured)


----------



## chas g

Roger the Dodger said:


> A while has passed since the last Mantis pics. The Orchid mantis has just completed its final moult, has its wings and is now adult. She will last about another month, then slip away to the great forest in the sky. When I first got her, she was a L5 (level 5) nymph and around an inch long. Now, at L8 she is around 3.5 inches.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the cast skin from her final moult.
> 
> 
> 
> The Giant Asian mantis also moulted at the same time...it's now at L7 with one more to go. When I first got this one it was tiny...just 1 inch long at L4...
> 
> Bit of a difference now at 4 inches long and will be even bigger after its final moult in a few weeks time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The wing buds are clearly visible on its thorax...at the next moult they will be fully developed and it will be around 6 inches long.
> 
> 
> Cast skin.


 They are like works of art and beautiful indeed.

Just got to the end of the thread and I have to say the photos from all of you are brilliant. There are some insects I wouldnt want to touch but they are nonetheless fascinating.

My experience of getting bitten by some sort of bot fly wasn't pleasant when I realised the black boil on my leg was moving.


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Just appeared in the garden, a female Common Darter dragonfly. Quite small as dragonflies go, about half the size of the larger types, they love to rest and bask in the sun. The male is red, but the female is a yellowy brown. The first pic below is of a male that I took many years ago while at work.









The pics of the female taken today. This lady had a slightly deformed right rear wing, which may have happened when she hatched from the nymph and was still soft. It didn't seem to affect her flying ability, though.


----------



## tall_tim

Roger the Dodger said:


> Just appeared in the garden, a female Common Darter dragonfly. Quite small as dragonflies go, about half the size of the larger types, they love to rest and bask in the sun. The male is red, but the female is a yellowy brown. The first pic below is of a male that I took many years ago while at work.


 We've had a few dragon and damselflies around our pond this year, more so than any other year I think. However, other insects have been in decline - only seen a handful of 7-spot ladybirds for instance.


----------



## bridgeman

To Bee or not to Bee……in my #English Country Garden #


----------



## Roger the Dodger

Another visitor today... a Migrant Hawker dragonfly, one of a group of three that were patrolling the garden looking for small flying food insects. Very common in the south, they are a small dragonfly and often fly in groups quite a way from their breeding ponds. In summer, large numbers from the continent swell the resident population, hence the name. Identification is by the yellow, golf tee shaped mark on the 2nd segment at the top of the abdomen. This a male, the female is brownish yellow and lacks the blue markings.


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## Roger the Dodger

Before I start this thread, I must apologise for the quality of the pictures. I recently upgraded my phone to a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, courtesy of my son who went back to crApple. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to me at the time, the Note 20 Ultra suffers from a known problem... the middle lens (the most used one) has such a large fixed aperture (F1.8) that it can't focus properly on macro subjects as the depth of field is too shallow, so images tend to come out blurry. This wasn't a problem on earlier models like my S10+, which had a variable aperture (F1.5-F2.4) or indeed later models (Note 21 onwards) where the problem has been rectified... so a bit annoyed. Anyway, I digress... what I wanted to show in this thread is a little known insect, probably only read about, or seen on TV. This is the Ant Lion, whose adult resembles a damsel fly, but the larva is quite unique and where the name comes from. (Pics from the boat trip I went on yesterday) The larva is a small, squat creature with an incredible set of jaws for its size. It creates a conical burrow in dry sand as found at beach edges by moving round in ever decresing circles and flinging the sand out with it's flat head until it lies buried at the bottom with just it's jaws protruding. The angle of the sides of the pit are just on the point of stability so that they don't constantly slip down.



















However, as soon as an ant (or other small invertebrate) walks near the edge of the conical pit and causes a few grains of sand to cascade to the bottom, the ant lion larva immediately fires a shower of sand at the victim with repeated jerks of it's flattened head until the hapless creature slips to the bottom of the pit where it is skewered by the vicious jaws. The antlion then injects the victim with a lethal coctail of venom and digestive enzymes which paralize it and start to liquefy it's internal organs.Still just alive, it is dragged, struggling feebly below the surface where it's bodily contents are ravenously sucked out... a particularly gruesome and unpleasant death. The empty shell is then tossed clear of the pit.

This is the antlion larva removed from it's pit... you can see how abnormally long the jaws are. These were young larvae, and quite small, but they get bigger than this... these were about 6mm (1/4") long, and were released umharmed after filming.



















In case you were wondering what the adult looks like, this is a pic of one taken several years ago here in Portugal. As I mentioned at the start, they look similar to a damsel fly, but have a large pair of antennae which damsel flies don't.


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## Q.Lotte

Roger the Dodger said:


> Before I start this thread, I must apologise for the quality of the pictures. I recently upgraded my phone to a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, courtesy of my son who went back to crApple. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to me at the time, the Note 20 Ultra suffers from a known problem... the middle lens (the most used one) has such a large fixed aperture (F1.8) that it can't focus properly on macro subjects as the depth of field is too shallow, so images tend to come out blurry. This wasn't a problem on earlier models like my S10+, which had a variable aperture (F1.5-F2.4) or indeed later models (Note 21 onwards) where the problem has been rectified... so a bit annoyed. Anyway, I digress... what I wanted to show in this thread is a little known insect, probably only read about, or seen on TV. This is the Ant Lion, whose adult resembles a damsel fly, but the larva is quite unique and where the name comes from. The larva is a small, squat creature with an incredible set of jaws for its size. It creates a conical burrow in dry sand as found at beach edges by moving round in ever decresing circles and flinging the sand out with it's flat head until it lies buried at the bottom with just it's jaws protruding. The angle of the sides of the pit are just on the point of stability so that they don't constantly slip down.
> 
> 
> 
> However, as soon as an ant (or other small invertebrate) walks near the edge of the conical pit and causes a few grains of sand to cascade to the bottom, the ant lion larva immediately fires a shower of sand at the victim with repeated jerks of it's flattened head until the hapless creature slips to the bottom of the pit where it is skewered by the vicious jaws. The antlion then injects the victim with a lethal coctail of venom and digestive enzymes which paralize it and start to liquefy it's internal organs.Still struggling, it is dragged below the surface and it's bodily contents sucked out. The empty shell is then tossed clear of the pit. This is the antlion larva removed from it's pit... you can see how abnormally long the jaws are. These were young larvae, and quite small, but they get bigger than this... these were about 6mm (1/4") long, and were released umharmed after filming.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In case you were wondering what the adult looks like, this is a pic of one taken several years ago here in Portugal. As I mentioned at the start, they look similar to a damsel fly, but have a large pair of antennae which damsel flies don't.
> 
> 
> 
> More in this short clip...
> 
> https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/q2K3v29zeOM?feature=oembed


 Very well know to readers of Tove Jansson as the Antlion is a villain in the Moomintroll stories, who lives in a pit on Moomin valley beach

[IMG alt="Twitter 上的Minovsky："Got curious about what an Ant Lion looks like inside the hole everyone associates with it, and was surprised to learn that the larval form looks exactly how you'd expect," data-ratio="44.17"]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DzjqQtoXgAAhu1s.jpg[/IMG]


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## Q.Lotte

Roger the Dodger said:


> the Ant Lion


 Crikey, on one page we've had hymenoptera, orthoptera and now neuroptera ... straying a bit from the hemiptera, or 'bugs' as the thread supposes :laughing2dw:


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