Insects and Spiders

Pheromone fishing for moths - Part 2. I've been having mixed results with the pheromone fishing for moths over the last couple of weeks. I put out a lure for Six Belted Clearwing (Bembecia ichneumoniformis) but with no luck. Then tried a lure for Red-belted Clearwing (Synanthedon myopaeformis) and got 13 over the course of two days. These are apparently associated with old orchards and there are some in the area so that makes sense. Then I put out lures for both Currant Clearwing (Synanthedon tipuliformis) and Raspberry Clearwing (Pennisetia hylaeformis) at the same time. I was unsuccessful with both but did manage to attract a Red-tipped Clearwing (Synanthedon formicaeformis). Which suggests that some male Clearwings aren't too fussy about which pheromones they find attractive.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures, not as good as I'd hoped as the Clearwings are all keen to fly as soon as you open the trap. First up is the Red-tipped Clearwing.

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and next up is a Red-belted Clearwing

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A couple of bugs from last night. The first is a Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

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and the second is a Tree Damsel Bug (Himacerus apterus). Unlike most bugs that are sap suckers, this one uses it's piercing rostrum to feed on mites, aphids and other small insects.

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I do enjoy this thread and everyone's photos. From our garden, a nursery web spider, who was not impressed at the dog rummaging around below it's hedge. It was periodically running round the outside of it's web, with the baby spiders inside following it round.

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On a slightly less photogenic front, I've been playing around trying to get a shot of the fangs of the tube-webs. They're an iridescent green. Problem I have is the camera works best close up, whilst on these beasties I work best at a safe distane.. bargepoles spring to mind. However, found a not-too-big one which didn't mind the flash, and got this.

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Two from this evening s walk. A very green female Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophytes punctatissima)

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and a grumpy looking Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnua elegans)

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A moth

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Apologies, off topic but I spotted this in the stream next to work and was pretty amazed

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Signal crayfish coming over here, using our rivers etc etc

They're delicious.

Various flying things at lunchtime: an obliging banded demoiselle in a willow tree, a clouded yellow in its pale helice form, most of an emperor (I think) and a pellucid fly.

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Really like the Banded Demoiselle and the Clouded Yellow. Yes, I think the last one is a Pellucid Fly aka a Great Pied Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens). Lots of the winged insects are starting to look really tatty now.

A few bad phone pics from the last month or so

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Iridescent beetle is mad cool

Yeahh, it's a shame the camera didn't capture it any better than that. Need a decent cheap camera soon.

Holly blue

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Snapped a couple more this morning
And ideas on the fly?

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Google Lens (which is my favourite flora/fauna ID tool) suggests Rhagio tringarus, the Marsh Snipefly.

Looks like a good call to me. More details here https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/rhagio-tringarius and also see Steve Falk's Flickr page for this species https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/albums/72157631182071538/

Awesome, thanks.
Good tip on Google Lens as well, cheers.

Nearly hoovered up this little fella

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Had a great walk round Otmoor this afternoon. It's a large RSPB marshland reserve to the east of Oxford. This is a Twin-lobed Deerfly (Chrysops relictus) - it bit about 2 seconds after the photo.

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