Insects and Spiders

Fished a similar centipede out of the pool. Little bit smaller than the one from the other day and sadly a lot more dead.

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I don't know if this was similar to me but I was sat on a wooden bench on hols in Dorset and these tiny almost grain like fukers kept trying to take a mg of flesh. Like a splinter of wood in appearance...

An elephant hawk moth caterpillar in our Bucks garden this morning

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First thought was an antlion larvae but think they’re only found around Suffolk in uk. They’re normally only found in their pits though, and think the abdomen is normally a bit more chunky though and this looks quite flattened?

Edit - at a guess id think it’s prob a larvae of a species of lacewing?

I agree, one of the lacewing larvae. There are 66 species of lacewing in the UK so I'm not sure which one it is but most are voracious predators of aphids among other things and you can buy them as organic control for aphids in your garden. Some cover themselves in debris for camouflage and protection.

https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/lacewings-aidgap/

https://www.greengardener.co.uk/product/lacewing-larvae/#:~:text=Lacewing%20larvae%20are%20natural%20predators,the%20garden%20%2F%20under%2Dglass.

https://www.jungledragon.com/image/122897/lacewing_larvae.html

At my crusts over the weekend in Sussex.

These darters? were sunbathing on the fence like little fighter pilots on standby...

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A little Pantilius tunicatus, Helsinki.

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Greeted back to the UK by a Devil's Coach Horse Beetle. Speedy lil' critter!

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And impressive when acting defensively

A couple of false widows (?) and a butterfly.

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A couple from today. A light brown apple moth, and a common garden spider and it's prey. Last pic is cropped from the previous one.

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It is fascinating watching a spider dispatching its prey.

Sadly, I missed that part. I arrived after it had finished wrapping up the fly, which it left on the web when it hid in the hedge.

Common darters at it

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How frightfully common!

Little bee passed out on the kitchen floor. Gave it some sugared water to have a bang on, which it gratefully slurped up. Fully revived, it then flew around the room - eschewing the easy exit via the open doors - banged its head off every window, and then promptly got tangled in a spider’s web. Managed to get it free before it got eaten by a fairly eager looking house spider and it made its way outside, but I don’t feel confident about its long term survival.

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Violet Ground Beetle, Carabus violaceus. Met this lil' beastie as I was laying out my bivvy bag last night. Apparently they like to eat slugs; my wife is keen to set up a breeding colony in our back garden.

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Hah.

Similar tale with a bumble bee caught in a spiders web outside my window. Thought should let nature take its course but the spider (false widow) although a great gladiator was no match for the buzzing bee. So I intervened and chopped a bit of web away. At which point the bee took off and was tethered like a kite at much delight to my youngest son. Got away eventually. #csb

Snap. This pair landed on my hand this morning!

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Who dis?

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The Sycamore (Acronicta aceris) - crazy caterpillar turns into dull adult moth ...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/31/new-walking-leaf-insect-species-discovered-genetic-analysis

Were you fishing or just sitting very quietly?

Having breakfast served in my garden next to one of the ponds.

Been on the East Coast this week and managed convolvulus hawk moth, sea aster mining bee and willow emerald damselfly