Insects and Spiders

marbled white

I think this is a small skipper

& some wacky sort of wasp?

Found this going about its business on my allotment.

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Very nice, a wasp spider:

https://www.britishspiders.org.uk/wasp-spider

Thanks @eskay

Saw some great insects today including a Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), a Downland Villa (Villa cingulata), and a type of Mirid bug (Oncotylus viridiflavus) that might be a first for Oxfordshire. Just for a while at least today, surrounded by all that fantastic life, it briefly felt as if we aren't actually in the Sixth Great Extinction.

Anyway, some photos. First up a Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) with a flexible tongue

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Next, one of my favorite hoverflies, Myathropa florea - this one's a female cupping the flower to drink nectar.

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and last up, a male Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) sunbathing on the banks of the Thames.

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Those pictures belong in a textbook, just amazing

Agreed. @JoePablo you have this down to a fine art.

Thanks both.

Amazing pics Joe. A few more (lower quality) spots from me today

soldier beetle - LOADS of these around at the moment

Speckled Wood butterfly

Finally a hoverfly? or a bee? @JoePablo any ID very welcome ;)

Yes, last one is a Hoverfly. It's one of the Eristalsi species, probably either Eristalis tenax, Eristalis pertinax, or Eristalis nemorum. They're not easy to tell apart unless you get a good look at the markings on their face - although there are other tells such as thickened curved rear legs of E. tenax.
All of them make a droning noise when hovering, hence common name for E. tenax is Common Drone Fly. They provide the soundtrack to lazy summers days in the park or gardens and can be quite approachable see https://www.youtube.com/watch!v=YDM0N8V89zI .

Thanks Joe, a friendly fly! I love it

In the garden, unfortunately.

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These things look so tropical. That looks particularly huge.

That is really not going to be a happy caterpillar in a short while.

Yup.

Some amazing photos.
Caught this little hopper while at work yesterday

Nice! A very cheery shade of green.

Swallow tailed moth in the house last night

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Those are stunning images!

Also, I'm loving the various spider pics.

A couple from Sunday's healthy walk... A white admiral and a red banded sand wasp, just getting started on a burrow for it's egg.

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Lady lesser stag beetle crossing the road. Dropped her off at a tree stump, but not sure where she’d prefer?

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A tree stump with a gentleman lesser stag beetle in residence?

Id have assumed so, or perhaps two even? I’m not sure whereabouts the gentlemen lesser stag beetles prefer to have fisticuffs.

Either way she has wings so can go looking, and this way avoided almost certain peril.