Saturday 18 August 2012

Insect inspiration

Fairlawn Road was amazing this morning - the stretch of verge producing a variety of great invertebrates. There were at least half a dozen Dark Bush Crickets basking on leaves - the largest number I've ever seen plus a single Speckled Bush Cricket.

Dark Bush Cricket
Speckled Bush Cricket
Three species of spider were represented - a Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis, a couple of Garden Spiders and a Crab Spider Misumena vatia. Hoverflies included a Myathropa florea, several Helophilus pendulus, an Xanthogramma sp. and lots of Eristalis spp.

Myathropa florea
Helophilus pendulus

Xanthogramma sp.
Bugs included a Green Shieldbug and a couple of Dock Leaf Bugs. At least one Bombus hypnorum was among the bumble bees. Not to be outdone, the beetles offered a Common Red Soldier Beetle and some tiny black Pollen Beetles Meligethes - attractive little things.
Meligethes
A Chiffchaff and a Dunnock were calling nearby.

In the garden were a couple of Large White butterflies and a Vollucella zonaria hoverfly.

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