In which I lose a screw...

I thought I would begin this latest update by sharing some of the smaller bugs I have found over the past few days.

Which reminds me, last week I crashed into the back of a car at the lights. This really short guy got out and was quite irate; he shouted "I'm not happy..."

I said, "Well which one are you then?"

Heigh ho, Heigh ho, it's off to blog we go...

This teeny spider is Araniella cucurbitina. Or is it? There is another very similar species called Araniella opisthorapha. The problem is that they are almost impossible to tell apart in the field; even worse, I didn't find this one in the field, it was in the garden! Let's settle for Araniella species shall we.

Then there was this amazingly Lilliputian, cuter than a Putto, weevil...

You can get an idea of just how small this was by looking at the thumbnail of....my thumbnail. S-M-A-L-L eh? So small was it, that I had to get the macro lens on it to even be sure it was a weevil. I doubt I will get to fully identify this one, although I am sure there will be somebody who can do so, I just doubt it will be me!

Back to spiders now 'cos I know how popular they are with you all 🤞🏻You can't beat a good spider is what I always say: well, you could with a length of willow I guess, but I don't advise it...

I mean, c'mon...even you cannot be frightened of this little bugger? That is the head of a screw behind it and be honest, it's dwarfing it. I found this Salticid (jumping spider) in the house, although I cannot for the life of me remember exactly where that screw is now; well, you've seen one screw, you've seen 'em all? 

I suspect it may be Evarcha species, but then, I suspected George Warleggan was a nice person. 

Enough of the minutia, although, I like to think they are important. Here's a short video I took on my phone in the garden. It features a solitary bee being seen off by a bumblebee.

The usual reminder that this video may not show in the email version of my blog, you will need to view the online version...

         

I know what you're thinking, these updates are so dour that time seems to slow right down? No, no, no, that was in slow-motion! Did you see the bumblebee waving its leg at the solitary bee to warn it off? 

Not the same one I hasten to add (I didn't really hasten, I took my time) but here is a different bumblebee, that was finding pollen aplenty on the Gaillardia flowers in the garden...

With all of this hot, sunny weather we are having just now in the UK, the photos from the garden, are full of bright colours and so I thought I'd mess around with the next one and try to give it a colder/wintry feel. I am not sure how well I did, I'll leave you to be the judge.  It was only a bit of fum anyway, so don't be too hard on me. A bit of fum? What the bejeezus is fum? Is it having a jolly time with a maternal relative perhaps? OK, OK...the picture!

Know what it is? Correct, a Woundwort Shieldbug: Eysarcoris venustissimus from the Pentatomidae family, for the pedants (sorry Maria). 😂

One more garden find? A Hairy Shieldbug this time; well, a nymph of same anyhow...

Dolycoris baccarum nymph

Having started this update with the tiny bugs, this now looks positively gargantuan by comparison right? Actually this is just a fairly late instar (although I am not sure what it was late for) and the adults are only around 10mm or so in length. This one seems to have antennae damage. 

By the way, the eagle-eyed amongst you will have seen that small, pinkish area just above my copyright 'thing', which I have included to try and prevent theft of my pictures (you and I both know it's a futile exercise, but I always knew exercise was futile so why not) and that pinkish splodge, is actually my thumb again. Yes, even though it was hotter than hell when Beelzebub is having a barbecue, it was also windy and I was attempting to hold the plant leaf steady. 

I think I might wind this blog up here, well why not, I have wound everyone else up with my metaphorical...

Before I go though, I will leave you with two things; the first is this thought, I have lots, and I mean lots, of strange dreams, but never, not once, have I been asleep in my dream, why is that I wonder? 

Secondly, what the heck the first thing has to do with my blog I have no idea, but anyway, secondly, these final pictures are of one of my very favourite plant-hoppers. It's one of the first I ever found, and I seem to come across the nymphs and adults quite regularly...

Issus coleoptratus

That's all - don't bang the door on your way out please...