Pale legs and a prickly pair...

Many years ago now my sister went through a stage of growing cacti and succulents. Things like Aloe Vera, Ball Cactus, Bunny Cactus and Strawberry Hedgehog, plus the ever present Prickly Pear. Prickly Pear looks like this... 

Or perhaps like this if you are a realist...

If you are wondering what the letter top right is all about; I thought I'd have a go at making my own PPE (think about it - but not for too long).

What in the name of Adam does this have to do with anything JJ? 

Erm, well only that this is exactly what I thought of when I first saw the creature I am about to share with you. So come with me now, back to Saturday June 20, when, on one of the blisteringly hot recent days, I spotted an egg on a wild rose plant in local woodland.

Using the available information: that being the food-plant and shape of the egg, I had some idea what it might be, but having never previously seen one for myself, decided to observe it and record its development. The next eight pictures do just that.

I'm sharing them here in a style  I am calling my 'Full Montage'...

 As you can see it changed considerably over the next week, with most of the significant changes all happening on June 26th...

It darkened considerably and by the morning of June 27 it had a definite craqueleur affect going on.

This (above) was when I first checked at around 6am. It seemed about to reveal what exactly was inside, and so I kept a close eye on it and at just after 9am, this fabulous little creature made its entrance into the big bad world...

Yes, as I suspected, this is a Dock Bug nymph (Coreus marginatus) and this next photo clearly shows those 'Prickly Pair' antennae!

Eggs take around 3 to 4 weeks to hatch and so I guess this one must have already been at least 2 weeks plus when I found it. But what a rare treat to get to see the egg and a nymph right after eclosure (emergence). Those pale, banded legs and disproportionate antennae! They are also amazingly hairy and spiky at this stage.

By the next day it looked somewhat darker...

By the way, before we move on, did you know there is a Prickly Pear Island? No, me either. Yes, it's off the coast of Antigua West Indies and is uninhabited.

Here's another egg that I discovered in the same woodland. This one was about the same size, but a very pale green colour. 

This egg became a beautiful Poplar Hawk-moth larva: the transformation from finding the egg to adult larva took 19 days...

At the time of the final moult we had more very hot weather here in Kent and I could no longer keep up fresh supplies of willow. Even by standing the twigs in water, it would wilt within a few hours. And so I released the caterpillar onto a nice big willow tree, where it can continue its life cycle.

A phone grab of the released caterpillar

That image won't mean a thing to you unless you know about cricket (who does?). I'll give you a clue, should you be even remotely interested; his name is David Lloyd.

'Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I heard a young maid sing in....' ♫ ♫ Not quite: but I did see this sleeping Bumble Bee. I suppose it was some time after 5.30am and as you may be able to see from the photograph, still a bit of dew around. 

I think this is Bombus lucorum - The White-tailed Bumble Bee, but I could equally be wrong.

Take a look at these two images below...

Remarkably similar huh?

And yet, two photographs of two completely different species of moth larvae. You'd be forgiven for thinking that maybe the only difference is the colour, and it could be just that one has had an extra moult to the other?

But no, not the case Sherlock! The first picture is a Puss Moth larva (Cerura vinula) and the lower photo is of a Sallow Kitten Moth larva (Furcula furcula).

What to end on then? How about this...

I don't often get to photograph flies and so my knowledge is pretty lacking, but I think this may be a type of Snipe Fly? It looked kinda attractive sitting on the Crocosmia  montbretia after rain the other day. 

'One for the road?'

What a ridiculous saying that is by the way; one drink is what is meant by it? 

Witness this exchange in Parliament 1939: 

Lady Astor asked if the Prime Minister would bear mind the fact that even a moderate quantity of alcohol was dangerous.

Captain Wallace [The Minister of Transport] replied: I have read the report and know very well that the noble lady is not favour of what is known as "one for the road".

However, I do believe it harks back to the days when people would be travelling by foot, not by car.

Oh my giddy aunt! (From 'The journal of a disappointed man')
Time to go...

So now you are probably thinking that I have forgotten to enlighten you as to what the mystery object was in my last update eh? Well, no, it's just that I am unsure myself. It appears to be the remains of an insect or bug; but what caused its demise, I cannot fathom as yet.

I'm off to suck on a strawberry hedgehog!

That's what happens in spring...

Shall we buck the trend and begin with a graph (of kinds)

...so this really demonstrates cell division; but for my purposes, it is going to represent proliferation!

Why? Yes, good point: why?

Erm, well, because...because...that's what happens in spring. Take the Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes for instance. Their growth cycle seems to be at the final instar nymph stage right now, and I am finding lots of them on many kinds of trees and bushes...

I just hope that the proliferation of these instars translates to lots of adult insects.

Moving right along then. Don't want to get...

If like me you get out early in the morning, you might well come across lots of these too: Ladybird pupae are becoming numerous and varied. This one is actually a Harlequin, but there are plenty of natives to be found also.

I guess you could imagine how the pupa would eventually turn into an adult Harlequin Ladybird that looks like this one...

Harder to believe though that it could look like this. But that's what happened; it became a red and black one that looks like this photo...

Get out even earlier and you might find something like this...

Of course, if you were on the ball, which I am sure you are, you would spot that this is nothing more than a photo of a caterpillar I took in which the flash failed and I added a moon image to try and fool...well nobody really, let's be honest!

Here's another Shieldbug, that has already made it to adulthood: Troilus luridus, the Bronze Shieldbug. I don't think that Sawfly larva had any idea just how dangerous it was sitting there next to this bug. It soon found out though, as the second image shows. Bronze Shieldbugs are a woodland species and are highly predatory!

Something I found on thistle in mixed woodland: but what?

Instead, let's return to the 28th word of this update: Proliferation!

Now would you believe me if I said there are 28 larvae here to illustrate my point in a symetrical manner? No? good, because there are a few more than that actually. 

It occured to me when I spotted these that I am seeing larger than usual (or what has become usual) numbers of larvae - instars, and even eggs this year. Could it be connected to the improved conditions I wondered? 

Then again, I am always wondering about something; things like:

Why do placebos work?

Why are some humans left-handed, and do some apes favour the left?

Why is yawning contagious?

Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?

I think perhaps I had better 'beetle' off. Before I do though, you may already know that I am not generally a fan of dark backgrounds to my images. However, recently I have been experimenting a little with just that, to see how it changes the feel and ambience of a photo. Here are a couple of examples, starting with a plant bug 'Grypocoris styis'...

A couple of almost transparent Psyllids...

And a Horsefly...

Just a quick note to alert you to the fact that my Wealden articles have resumed following the enforced covid break. You can find the latest one by clicking on the 'My articles for the Wealden' link at the top of this post.