Oh well, no sooner said than done. All you budding entomologists or photographers or anyone who likes nature, you can put your insect photos here!
I'll kick off with a few that I've had lately. This first is called a Mantis Fly & is a cross between a Fly & Mantis (funnily enough) & is in the Neuroptera family, which is a mixed bunch anyway, my first & I had 3 of them around the moth trap
& a Rhinocerus Beetle which was also attracted to the light & are quite rare now around here, he really was fabulous, very impressive,
& this Frelon was also in the moth trap, but seemed quite docile as long as I kept my distance!
& some Damsel flies, an Azure Damselfly (thanks for the ID Aiki)
a Large Red Damsel
& from early may a proper fly from the Dipteras, anyone know the English name, I think it's latin name is Otites lamed,
I usually only take photos of flies with interesting wings as I am hopeless at identiying them!
Thanks for looking & maybe you can post some of yours!!
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
I'm amazed to see your Buddleia still in bloom and the Red Admiral enjoying the last of the summer nectar.
What is the Buddleia variety - I want one if it keeps blooming like that? My standard violet colour variety finished blooming in September I think.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
It is Globosa TJ, the 'golfball' one!
It is extremely prolific & I have let it attain great size over past three years, always full of birds, they love foraging for insects & jumping into waterfall from it ... Also great magnet for all varieties of Bees, many Butterflies & Hummingbird Hawkmoth!
My bog-standard very tall one next to it is still producing blooms though not as many as yellow one, but do still dead-head both!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Do you remember me posting this on 2nd November?
WendyBartter said: Found this rather handsome looking creature in my porch earlier this evening After the photo-shoot I decided to let it go ... it was extremely reluctant to leave the jam jar so I laid it on its side on the back steps by the Hydrangeas! Took me an age to discover it is a Western Conifer Seed Bug which had apparently been attracted by the light & probably come into the warm to hibernate (see this site http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Coreidae/leptoglossus_occidentalis.html) ... back out to check jar & he was still tucked inside ... brought it in & tucked jar & bug at back of gardening shelf in porch!! As I said to it 'you can stay overwinter in my porch if you like!" ... I'm quite harmless really! ha ha
Found this rather handsome looking creature in my porch earlier this evening
After the photo-shoot I decided to let it go ... it was extremely reluctant to leave the jam jar so I laid it on its side on the back steps by the Hydrangeas!
Took me an age to discover it is a Western Conifer Seed Bug which had apparently been attracted by the light & probably come into the warm to hibernate (see this site http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Coreidae/leptoglossus_occidentalis.html) ... back out to check jar & he was still tucked inside ... brought it in & tucked jar & bug at back of gardening shelf in porch!! As I said to it 'you can stay overwinter in my porch if you like!" ... I'm quite harmless really! ha ha
It was my little friend from the porch ...
I do recall saying that I hoped he wouldn't come to give me a goodnight kiss! Lol
I guess the recent mild weather interrupted it's expected hibernation so, as it was blowing half a gale & lashing with rain, he was despatched to the shed where he can find himself a corner to settle down in (& eat some of my seedlings too!)
Here's a little vid of his actions (under cover of see through pot), he's very feisty!
lol Wendy, looks like you can't invite just anyone into your porch as it takes advantage of your kindness and then wants a place on the sofa and its own mini television !! I feel sorry for the seedlings in your shed rofl !!!
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Regards, Hazel
We had a pet shield beetle our first winter in France, we called him Wolfie after the TV character at the time, he spent the whole winter on the net curtain over the kitchen door.
I've just found this great site for identifying allsorts (I was looking for a moth) but I'm sure you all know it. If not it's worth a look. It's www.naturespot.org.uk/home & based in Leicestershire. So if anyone lives there you can contribute too!
Another of these amazing Mole crickets turned up a couple of weeks ago when I was doing a moth trap at a reserve. It kept running around the outside & after several failed attempts to pick it up (I didn't have gloves & didn't fancy it's claws much) I left it alone & it crept under an eggbox & settled down. I hope it didn't eat my moths when my back was turned!
I think it's the common one but they are all very similar so I'm not really sure!
Looks like something out of Star Wars!
what an amazing looking Cricket, lovely colour and markings
Formidable. I've never seen one of those.
IWOOT, never heard of them before H!! Have you heard one sing?