Any bug photos during September 2015

[Geoff F]

Yes it appears that all Tegenaria are now Eratigena although I still tend to use the old name.

So Tegenaria gigantea became T. duellica and now Eratigena duellica.

I think the one we get here, in the south, is T. (E.) domestica which is a little smaller. There are 11 species and many of them are quite similar.

[Geoff F]

Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae) arrived in the UK around 15 years ago, although nobody seems sure of their origin and they have now spread along the south coast. Some seem to be also spreading inland but I only find them close to the sea, or harbour areas etc.



They appear much later than other bees and mostly feed on ivy flowers.

A Centipede was rushing around and examining the nest burrows. Probably one of the Lithobius species.



It wouldn't stay still and pose, so not the best of shots but I thought it might be of general interest.

[Geoff F]

Anybody who isn't into Spider Porn should stop now!

But let's start with some lizards having a lazy day.



Metellina segmenta males lurk at the edge of a female's web until she catches a fly then while she is feeding they sneak up and attempt to mate. This female had just caught a cranefly when . . .





She initially resisted his advances and went to the edge of her web but he stayed beside the cranefly until she returned.

[IzzieK]

Yikes!

Anybody who isn't into Spider Porn should stop now!

But let's start with some lizards having a lazy day.



Metellina segmenta males lurk at the edge of a female's web until she catches a fly then while she is feeding they sneak up and attempt to mate. This female had just caught a cranefly when . . .





She initially resisted his advances and went to the edge of her web but he stayed beside the cranefly until she returned.

[piggsy]

Oof, kind of backed up here, let a huge batch of photos pile up for processing and then forgot to post here while I was doing them over the week, heh. Here's september so far. Apologies for the bandwidth

E-P5 / Tokina AT-X 90mm 2.5 / Raynox 150









E-P5 / Olympus 60mm 2.8 Macro / Raynox DCR250

[piggsy]

E-P5 / Tokina AT-X 90mm 2.5 / Raynox DCR150

[piggsy]

E-P5 / Olympus 60mm 2.8 / Raynox 250




E-P5 / Tokina AT-X 90mm 2.5 / Raynox 150

[Geoff F]

Still finding a few bugs around here on sunny days but I know the remaining days are getting fewer for this year.

Dexia rustica eating a very small fly.



Notostria elongata



Paederus littoralis a small and fast moving Rove Beetle.

[Geoff F]

I struggled to get good angles and exposure on these but I thought they look sufficiently interesting to add.

Coremacera marginata. The larvae are parasites of snails.



And a rather hairy Weevil.



I am wondering if that might be Rhinocyllus conicus but weevils are tricky to identify.

[Cantab]

Geoff, interesting bugs. I hadn't known that snails had predators/parasites but I suppose it shouldn't be a real surprise.

Did you use flash on these or are the shadows caused by sunlight? In any event, they're good images.

[James G]

Have not posted recently, though I have been out and about.

So, here's a few fom the last 3 weeks or so...

#1 The Vapourer Orgyia antiqua_


#2 Sepsis cynipsea?


#3 Fly,Clusiid sp


#4 Black Beetle, Nebria brevicollis

And I found the adult Nigma walckenaeri in a different area of the garden, after it went missing at the end of last month

#6 Nigma walckenaeri


#7 Nigma walckenaeri


#8 Nigma walckenaeri


#9 and this caterpillar so far has evaded identification

[marlunn]

Have spent the last week rebuilding the pc - ssd, upped the ram and built it as wiun7 64bit - lets see if the picture upload works !

loads of great images, will take a long slow look later

Ah ha - yep - worth the effort then

in the garden, Helophilus pendulus

[Geoff F]

Firstly, yes Bruce, a bit of flash but actually used to reduce the strong shadows a little.

James. I agree with Sepsis sp for #2. You could be correct with cynipsea but it is really a microscopic job to be absolutely certain with these tiny flies.

Your caterpillar is a Drinker Moth. I've just started seeing the first of the autumn here.

Just wondering if that Clusid might actually be a Sciomyzidae?

Mark, do you ever see any Helophilus other than pendulus? I occasionally find a trivittatus, but not this year. I keep searching for hybridus or one of the two rarer species but have never been successful. They seem to be more common north and east of the far south west so it might just be a location thing.

[zkogut]

You've opened pandoras box as far as bug pictures go. I'm gonna post all my best ones since it looks like that is welcome. 12 of them to be exact.

Desert Blond Tarantula


Payson Blond Tarantula


Arizona Bark Scorpion


Arizona Grasshopper


Jumping Spider




Lady Bug


Arizona Wolf Spider




NY Grass Spider

[piggsy]

This is without a doubt the most bothersome subject I have ever had to shoot, fortunately I was able to find him over multiple nights in the sameish spots in the garden. I swear mantises can actually tell when your flash is overheating and will pick that exact time to do something more interesting than standing completely still with their back to you.

E-P5 / Tokina AT-X 90mm F/2.5 / Raynox 150 & 250

http://abload.de/img/p92700405zsmh.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9270084c8s0v.jpg

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http://abload.de/img/p9270166aistg.jpg

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http://abload.de/img/p9270228mjsod.jpg

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http://abload.de/img/p9280053owsar.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9280067pespa.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9280101h3sxc.jpg


Have always found these a complete bugger to photograph - finally found one who I think got a bit deer in the headlights of the ring LED and allowed me to pick and choose how to shoot him.

http://abload.de/img/p9280214uwupl.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p92802230dulg.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9280230hfuqx.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9280232o7udd.jpg

And some odds and ends from the last couple days..

http://abload.de/img/p9280028mdu6f.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9280184vduwg.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p92901320xu7u.jpg

http://abload.de/img/p9300016huuan.jpg

[Dave A]

Amazing shots everyone! I only hope that some day I can get close to the kind of quality seen here.

Dave

[marlunn]

Geoff, Nope they seem to be more northern - all I get down in south wales is pendulus, maybe I am not looking hard enought in the righ places but I think you are right about the location aspect - although yesterday I did get a Sphegina, a first for me, terrible photo but Roger Morris was happy to ID at that level on it.

[marlunn]

One from yesterday, I was out photographing the waterfalls, Ystradfellte, 4 waterfall walk, but cant do a shoot without a bug or two
Melanostoma probably scalare but its nip and tuck on the full ID, not the best of photos, but given the circumstances I will put it up

[Geoff F]

Yes, I would agree with M. scalare. Can't quite see the frons to definitely rule out mellinum but from what I can see there appears to be sufficient dusting on the frons and the abdominal spots certainly look more like scalare.

Some people claim that there is a difference in haltre colour between them but I have never found it to be reliable.

A pity about the slight over exposure on what would otherwise be a perfect shot. But that is insect photography for you; and most of the time I would prefer to have a slightly imperfect shot where the subject can be identified.

[marlunn]

hmm, just realised, that should have been the October bug shot not September