I reveal just how hoverflies keep fit...

I recently had to search through some older images that I have stored on the P.C. for a particular few shots and happened upon a couple of unused photos from earlier in the year.

And so now, they are at last seeing the light of day, as I'll start this update by adding them here...

A Weevil (possibly Stophosoma?)

This large weevil was one that I remember finding in mixed woodland on one of my many walks.

   

The varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)

The little beetle pictured above was one that I found in the garden on a white daisy and photographed using a broken lens that had no front glass!

A couple of days ago, my other half said that she'd saved a large beetle that had somehow got itself in an argument with the hoover and lost. Rather than bin it, she had thoughtfully wrapped it in a sheet of kitchen towel, in case I might like to photograph it first?

On unwrapping the towel, I found the beetle you see pictured below-as you can see, it sustained several injuries but I decided it would make an ideal subject for focus stacking....

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A LARGE VIEW

Lesser Stag Beetle (Dorcus parallelopipedus)

After much consideration, I went for the lesser stag beetle as an identity. Based on the shape of the pronotum and the spine on the tibiae. The other choice would have been a female stag beetle.

I recently posted a photo on flickr of some Sawfly Larvae that were still inside the eggs. It was a shot taken using flash to get as much detail as possible- but I also took a few more natural light photos that give a better overall impression of how they looked in relation to the leaf I found them on...

 Click on photos for a larger view

You can see just how destructive these can be to the host plant, in this case willow. They have only just emerged and yet are demolishing the leaf already.

On the same day I discovered these little things, I also came across some more eggs. This time bug eggs:or at least, bug eggshells, as I think the occupants of these had long gone..

I love those little hinges (or are they catches?) on the eggs. Whichever they are, I am sure they're purpose is to allow an easy exit when the time comes.

I had a second chance to create a focus stack of an insect when I happened upon a lacewing that had somehow managed to fall into a cattle-water trough. At least, I assume it fell in? I certainly didn't push it! In fact, I scooped out several deceased bugs and insects that I may also use for the same purpose.

I photographed these two at x10 mag.

I really will have to try and update the microscope objective from my £1 edition at some stage-it really doesn't have much going for it apart from it is useful to practice with and I suppose, to even get these results is O.K.

Now that most of the summer wild-flowers have finished for this year, it's left to the flea-bane to attract the insects and it does seem to be doing just that. I found a good number of hoverflies on flea-bane in local woodland and even managed to photograph one doing press-ups...

I have included a couple of focus stacked images in this blog entry and this next photo is a good example of how things can go wrong when attempting a hand-held stack in the field.

There's not doubt in my mind that this photo is sharper than a single image would have been, without using a tripod- but there are only two shots that comprise this stack:the third that would have completed it as intended and would have resulted in both wings being in focus, unfortunately was just a little too far out of line to use.

The only other thing to report in this entry is the return of the harvestmen. As you would expect at this time of year, they are emerging in numbers and a variety of shapes, sizes and colours right now...

Dicranopalus ramosus

Until the next time then...

Part two....

As I mentioned in my last post, I had too much for one entry and so here goes with part 2...

I'm at last starting to see a good variety of hoverflies here in Kent. 

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER VIEW

Helophilus pendulas-female

This one was a nice, clean example and my guess is that it had not long emerged.I've read that it's scientific name means 'dangling sun lover' 

A close-up shot shows the facial strip nicely that can be used to help identify the species.As this fly seemed oblivious to my presence, I decided to try a natural light shot as well...

It didn't occur to me at the time, but later wondered if there was something wrong with this one because when I walked the same route early the next morning, it was still in the same place.

It even allowed me to lift it on to my finger for a photo...

It sat there quite happily whilst I wondered what I should do when it suddenly lifted-off and was gone:possibly it was as simple as it being late in the day when I first saw it (hence, coldish) and by the time it had recovered from emerging and its wings were ready for flight, it was too late and so rested there overnight.

As you'd expect in springtime, there are  things emerging all the time and so I have another freshly emerged fly photo to show you next. This one was very fresh, as witnessed by it's teneral colouration...

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A LARGER VIEW

Tachina fera

I'm fairly sure the identity is right.It belongs to the Tachinidae family of flies and is quite a large thing at 12-15mm. They are all parasitoids, with larvae that grow up inside other insects. This particular one is know to parasitise caterpillars.

Here's another shot of it from a little later one when it has coloured up.....

And another view, a dorsal shot ...

Enough with the flies already! 

Rhopalus subrufus

The rhopalid bugs are back in the garden at last. There are four species of these in the U.K. and all are rather hairy with wings that are reddish in colour.

This profile view (above) shows just how hairy they are. I've only found two species in the garden thus far, this one and the striking, red and black Corizus  hyoscyami.

What next? Oh yes-I wanted to show you a photo I'd forgotten about until now. It's of Goldfinches on a bird-feeder in a friends garden from a few weeks ago. It's taken with a point and shoot and through the window but still shows just what beauties these little birds are...

From something of beauty that can be appreciated with the naked eye, to something that would be impossible to see with the naked eye but is just as wonderful when viewed through a microscope...

Orange-Tip Butterfly Wing

This is an ultra close shot of an orange-tip butterfly wings seen through a microscope lens that I managed to attach to the camera. I have to say that I've been wanting to try shots like this for a while but wasn't expecting too much from this first attempt. It's a really tricky process and the lens that I used could hardly be described as top quality: in fact, it came from e.bay and cost me just £1.04 plus postage!

 Even so, the result made me smile, it's something unseen without the aid of a microscope and once revealed is stunning-alright, the quality of my photo could be better (and probably will be as I progress) but who would have imagined that a butterfly wing would look like this?

Here's another photograph showing a different area...

The thing that struck me about this is, when we see orange-tips in the wild they appear to have shades of green on their wings for camouflage. What it actually is though is yellow and black and that makes me wonder why mother nature didn't just use green if that's the effect she was looking for?

Sightings of butterflies have been pretty sparse through April but I did manage a shot of a comma a few days ago...

A Comma Butterfly

Well this blog entry is starting to reach epic proportions itself now and so I think it may be time to add a final image and then high-tail it outta here!

A Wood Ant

That's it-quite a variety bag for this edition and I already have some nice and hopefully interesting items for the next one.

Until the next time then...