Insects and Spiders

Tiger Moth seeking shelter in our kitchen...

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Spotted yesterday on the ivy that probably fed it as a caterpillar

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https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/moths/jersey-tiger

Caterpillar time today in my carpet. A mad looking sycamore moth and a cinnabar moth (of which there were 10 on one plant although I only got a close up of one).

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That sycamore one is ace!

Yeah, never seen one before. It looked quite artificial tbh.

Shite photo as these guys haven’t chosen this spot for getting decent light it would seem, but couple of French wasps building themselves a little pied-à-terre

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Red-legged shield bug, carefully removed from Mrs Bearlegged's jumper before being released back into the moorland flora.

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Black Rustic (?), demonstrating the incredible camouflage capabilities of moths.

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Thought I’d caught a little grasshopper earlier, so was astounded when this little thing crawled out of fist.

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Had it eaten the grasshopper?

Also, a fairly magnificent wasp that we rescued from the swimming pool

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Mini praying mantis?

Yep. About 2cm long, tops. A teeny tiny killing machine.

From yesterday, a tired southern white admiral

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Not sure I’ve seen a damselfly in this pale / orange configuration before

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That reminds me, saw what I think must have been a golden-ringed dragonfly at the weekend. Very impressive markings.

Awesome Mantis.

UK? Not seen one here yet.

I didn't realise there were so many different types of mantis (over 2000 apparently) until someone at work started getting into them.

Some of them are pretty gruesome looking!

No, I’m on holiday in the south of France. Lots of cool bugs around. Never seen a mantis before, has been on my ‘would love to see’ list for a long time.

Ha. Yes I remember catching one as a child in France on holiday. Attacked the bottle it was contained in with those amazing arms. I was reading they are expected to populate the UK if not already...

Violet carpenter bee - one of my favourite common sightings when in France. This fellow was large enough that I could easily follow it around a massive garden, sometimes just by listening out for the direction the outrageous buzzing was coming from.

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Parasitic wasp mebbe?

I think it’s a mud dauber? Sceliphron Spirifex, maybe? Technically I think not parasitic. They just have a cool habit of sealing spiders in the egg chambers of their nests, so they are trapped in there to serve as breakfast, lunch and dinner when the little ones arrive.

Missed this 2 yrs ago....ah, good times. One of my.most physically uncomfortable moments was 3 (three) stings on the bridge of nose/eyebrow from a wasp stuck in my sunglasses. Proper swollen and snot filled physical reaction which really wasn't the best at a kids' theme park. Obviously recovered now, well, not psychologically