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...

Bug porn at Brakey Bank...

When I unexpectedly had to buy a replacement mobile phone recently, this place came to mind. Purchasing the phone didn't exactly break the bank, but it was a bit of a trial (yes, I know the sign says trail - it's called word-play ☺)

And so...early one morning, just as the sun was rising,

 I fell out of my bed and into the car; drove for about 35 minutes and when I arrived at Brakey Bank, my phone (Grrr!) still only said...

That's a.m. by the way. Way too early in my day for bug porn: but that's what I was faced with soon after I arrived. I call it porn, but it may have been nothing of the kind; they may have been in a loving, long-term Coleoptera relationship for all I know...

Bonking beetles

And then, no sooner had I left these two, wet as an otter's pocket, and still 'apud tantra', than I came across (no pun intended) these two wired up weevils...I tell you, Brakey Bank is a den of iniquity early mornings...

I suspect those are Figwort weevils. They look very much like it to me, and after all, that is Figwort they are perched on; not that it is conclusive proof because as I am always saying, bugs can't read (that we know of) and so they don't understand the reason why they are sometimes named after a particular plant.

Take this mullein moth larva for instance...

Was it Mullein that I found this on? Nope..t'was...Figwort again. UK Moths has this species of caterpillar feeding on Figwort and Buddleia. Still, I did notice that the internet signal was almost non existent at Brakey Bank and so I doubt this larva has even seen their terrific website. 

At the far side of the meadow, there is a wooden seat. I sat down for a while, and I guess my eyes must have relaxed for a few seconds, possibly from lack of sleep! I found myself staring into the middle distance almost cross-eyed, I must have looked like somebody trying to focus on one of those magic eye pictures. Anyhow, I noticed a tiny circle on a grass stem that looked like a chocolate button. 

Should I investigate? Yes, I should...

I stood up, took just one pace towards the chocolate button, and...fell over my camera bag! Thankfully, at that time of day, there was nobody else around to witness my blasphemous outburst. I know, because I checked; it's the first thing you do when you fall over right? Check to see if anybody saw you. And what was this chocolate button in reality? 

Not sure? Maybe a closer look will help...

It's actually an early instar nymph of the Scutelleridae family: Eurygaster testudinaria, the Tortoise Bug. Although at this stage they are no larger than a gnat's nipple, the adults are sizable shieldbugs.

As I sit here writing (Tuesday 26th June), the clock on the wall says 11:33 pm and so I think I will leave you to contemplate this next picture whilst I get some much needed shut-eye. No rush: I shan't return until morning. By which time you will be confident that you know what creature features in this...magic eye picture, won't you? A clue? OK, there is more than one critter in the image. Good luck, see you in the morning...

Not sure if this'll work if you are viewing via your phone?

Bugger! A full moon: will I be able to sleep I wonder. Oh! You don't care huh? 

Anyhow, I 'Googled' it and it isn't actually a full moon until Thursday, so I reckon I will be alright. Of course it could be Thursday by the time you read this, I'm not sure if that will be more confusing for you, or for me. 

Yes, a new day has dawned and it's already 65 deg in the garden at 8.50 am. I did sleep well, despite what did look like a full moon, I think you will agree... 

Back to my adventure at Brakey Bank then. BTW, if you are wondering exactly where this place is, here's a little map...

Yes, it's part of those green areas on the map, which are Tudely Woods. Anyway, let's crack on; my next find was a first for me. I have never seen these particular dragonflies locally...

Cordulegaster boltonii  A Golden-ringed Dragonfly

This is the only member of the Cordulegaster family in the country, and one of our largest dragonflies; I think the female (this is a female) may be the longest.  BDS (The British Dragonfly Society) describes the habitat thus 'Breeds in acidic rivers and streams of all sizes. May be found away from its breeding habitat over heathland.' Probably why I have never seen them at home then, no acidic rivers, streams, or heathland. 

After finding so many parasitised bug eggs this year, it was nice to see these looking okay (at this stage)...

And these must have been successful I guess...

Of course empty eggs doesn't mean that bugs emerged rather than parasitic wasps, but I think the previous ones I have observed where it has been wasps, haven't had the little hinged lids open like this.

I also discovered this lovely pair........of Puss moth eggs...

This poor little cricket had met its end at the hands of a female Misumena vatia crab spider. It was only a young spider and similar in size to its prey, but I guess the cricket had no defense? I did find an even smaller spiderling in the garden at home; same species too...

Not sure of actual size, but at a guess I would say about 3-4mm.

Another top spot in my garden was this recently moulted Woundwort shieldbug nymph...

I struggle with recalling the scientific names for these bugs and it doesn't help when they seem to be constantly changing. For instance, these used to be known as 'Eysarcoris fabricii'. But then the people who have the power to rename bugs decided that something more snappy was required I guess, and came up with 'Eysarcoris venustissimus' 

And finally, don't try (as I did) to take a series of shots with the intention of making an image stack, when your subject is constantly moving its antennae...

Frogs hop and Cuckoos spit?

Could I just take a moment to explain about commenting on my blog updates. In recent days I have become the target of spammers. I have been getting around 20+ spam comments each and every day. It takes time and effort to check, mark as spam and delete all of these and so I have been forced to change the blog settings until this is resolved.

And so...I have temporarily set commenting to 'Blog members only' I apologise for any inconvenience and hope it will be short-lived as I very much value your comments and don't want to discourage anyone from doing so. 

Many thanks, 'JJ'
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10/05/2015 I have been told that some people are experiencing difficulties with commenting and so I have re-set the comment option to how it was originally. 

Sorry for any inconvenience caused...

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As we steam into May full speed ahead, things are certainly accelerating on the bug-front. There has been an enormous increase in all kinds of invertebrates locally over the past few weeks, helped I am sure by a record amount of sunshine through April. Where then, shall I begin this latest update? How about choosing something unusual? Yet again it was one of my favourite places Comfort's Wood that would provide me with this find...

This tiny (2mm) creature taxed my equally tiny brain quite a bit, trying to find an identity for it. My initial suspicions were that it might be a bark-louse, or bark-fly as they now seem to be called. The 'neck' looked about right and as that was about all I could make out on such a small thing at the time, knew I would have to do some research once I could get a better view on the PC. 

There followed a protracted spell of internet searching as my books yielded a little less than nothing at all. It did seem as though it was a bark-fly but I just couldn't find any reference to any that appeared to cover themselves in this debris.

Finally, as I was about to admit defeat, I came across an article published by Cambridge Journals Online and written by A,Henderson and D.J.Hackett of 'The Lichenologist'. It seems to describe, if not the exact same species, a most similar one with the same behaviour. As there is a link provided to share the article within a blog, I am assuming there is no copyright breach involved. There is certainly none intended and it seems to be the best way to share the information:

Lichen and Algal Camouflage and Dispersal in the Psocid Nymph Trichadenotecnum Fasciatum

A. Henderson and D. J. Hackett (1986).

The Lichenologist, Volume 18, Issue02, April 1986, pp 199-200

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=771720

Please return to this update after reading the article though, or even better come back to it at the end of the update? ;-) 

I have been finding a few weevils recently...

Phyllobius pomaceus

I think this colourful one is the Green Nettle Weevil but separating the Phyllobius species can be really difficult and so I am partly relying on the fact that I found it on nettle. Even that isn't conclusive though as there are probably half a dozen more species that are also to be found on nettle.

Phyllobius pyri (?)

What I just said above! Phyllobius are tricky and so I can only say that this might be the Common Leaf Weevil...

I think I know what the next species is and I am certain that I know what they are doing...

Perapion hyrdrolapathi

Dock Weevils would be what these two are. I haven't added a question mark to the end of that statement because I am sure this time....well, almost...kind of...relatively...

Deporaus betulae

Similar to the Hazel Leaf-roller that I posted last time and utilising the same behaviour of rolling a leaf around the egg, this one however uses birch and so is called the Birch Leaf-roller. Oh! You may have noticed another small difference in that this one is black, rather than red.

A couple from the garden now. A Woundwort Shieldbug and a Green Tortoise Beetle...

Eysarcoris venustissimus

(I note that this bug (above) is another that has undergone a name change, previously known as Eysarcoris fabricii...)  

Cassida viridis

There are a few Damselflies to be sighted locally now as well. Although, still only 'Reds'...

The grass bugs are back too, nymphs and adults...

Leptopterna dolbrata (Nymph)

Leptopterna dolbrata is one of the common grass bugs and is widespread throughout the U.K. The other species this nymph could be is L.ferrugata but I plumped for dolbrata given the habitat was damp.

Stenodema laevigata

Again this is a species attracted by damper conditions and I actually found this one in the same spot as the previous bug. Best distinguished from other grass bugs by the coarse and densely pitted pronotum, according to the marvelous British Bugs website and overwintering as an adult, then mating in the spring with a new generation of adults appearing from July.

I've noticed a few Orange-tip butterfly eggs on the cuckoo-flower now...

Yet another thing that is beginning to show up in the long grasses is what we used to call  cuckoo spit. The term cuckoo spit refers to a foamy substance found on grass and all manner of plants actually in spring and summer. As you might expect, it doesn't come from cuckoos, or any other birds for that matter. It's an insect called a froghopper. 

The name seems to originate from the fact that it appears around the same time as the return of the cuckoo. The foam is created by the froghopper nymph as a protection from predators; it's generated by excreting the plant sap they feed on and mixing it with air...a kind of wet flatulence if you like!

The adults don't need to do this as they have a different strategy that involves camouflage and warning colours.

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I think that will probably do for this update, particularly as I have already started on the next. I will share one last picture. I began with a minute creature and so will end with another. I believe this to be a minute wasp. It was just 2mm long...

Until the next time...