Insects and Spiders

Brill, thank you.

In the garden today

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Extra protein in last nights dinner!

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Nice!! I think that this is an immature male or female Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope), see https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/lesser-emperor/. It's a scarce annual migrant from Europe, first recorded in the mid-1990s. I've never seen one and I think most would consider them as still quite rare, so lucky you! If you were so inclined, you could consider entering the sighting on iRecord or iNaturalist as it all helps to build a picture of the changing status of UK fauna.

Ooo la la

I have already added to iNaturalist, just checked and someone has agreed it is a Lesser Emperor. We tend to get a lot of dragonflies due to being near the Burgess Park fishing lake.

That's great - I'd be interested to know if it get's signed-off by the iNaturalist 'hive-mind'. I'm pretty sure of the ID but it's always good to get it confirmed. Currently not too many records on iNaturalist from the UK.

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I am at work and had this mahoosive beast try and invade the office. I took some crap photos and consulted my entomologist BIL who said it is a Purple Emperor (female). Fucking humongous

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Is the office decor a nod to your previous profession? Purple Emperors are pretty damned scarce, whereabouts are you?

The clink? 🤔

The Royal Lodge, WGP, Windsor, home of the ex-royal formally known as prince.
Edit: Apparently these butterflies are very partial to dog poo, rotting prawns and rotting bananas (who knew?). They're probably also quite happy with deer poo too as I'm right next to the deer pen.

They've come back in large numbers at Knepp.

I thought you'd dumped the not-German-at-all family years back, or did you keep your pass to come back and nick their silver?

The Vanessid butterflies love anything rotting and vile, deadfall fruit in autumn is always covered in them. It begs the question of why something beautiful enjoys slumming, but then again, many LFGSS forumengers are married.

Actually, much of the populace 'loves' the accidents of birth, so perhaps butterflies enjoying corrupt piles of rotting ordure is understandable.

I retired from the specialist search team housed in a building there in 2015, after 33 years total service, then got invited back due to my "skills" for another year. I retired again in 2016 and did various jobs then when he lost his police protection I was suggested to the security company and employed there again. From '04 to '16 I was fully immersed in search jobs including the rowing venue for the 2012 Olympics.

Its nice to be wanted

Grub found when I was planting a rose. He's sitting on my spade hence the silvery background.

I rehoused him in a woody section of the compost bin.

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Stag beetle larvae?

🐓chafer larva

Lots of flying things out there today. Mrs Hawker was v busy laying eggs.

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Some ladybird larvae on (slightly belated) hop protection duty

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Got to love the way my namesake realised anodising was the coolest look even before it was cool.

Don't be silly, it's an ancient order pre-dating the dinosaurs by millions of years, they have a traditional cromovelato finish. Now, write down 'Odonata' 100 times...

Actually I believe it is closer to the chemical staining process on bespoke Titanium Dentist chariots...

Only the truest of aching 'fly' (See blue / green bottle) hipsters can tell.

#justsayin

Who knew Astana were such hipsters? You must have been flattered by their tribute bikes in the Tour.

A Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) snacking on a Scabius flower this evening

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A couple of pond skaters and a couple of Black tailed skimmers

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