All about Insects 2019

My great niece sent me a photos of a bug, "What is it?". It turned out to be a type of Oil Beetle & I found that there is a survey going on  https://www.buglife.org.uk/activities-for-you/wildlife-surveys/oil-beetle-hunt so come on all you beetle lovers. There is also a useful identification guide on the page.

These are some old photos just to remind you what they look like.

Can usually spot these at local reserve, will have to tramp around soon as weather warms up a bit!

I don't recall ever seeing one and at present I'm not seeing much 6-legged stuff at all, despite looking, so I'm not sure I'd be much help at the moment … maybe if it does warm up a touch next week something other than bees and small spiders will venture out!

Not only a bit of sun but a bit of warmth has brought out some of the little beasties and I could get the Macro out. Several butterflies, including Peacocks, Brimstones and my first Orange Tips, but sadly no photos. Quite a few Hoverflies were around like this pollen covered individual.

And I suspect this is a Caddisfly, but there aren't many that can be ID'd from a photo. The odd background is my trouser-leg! 

Unfortunately, it no sooner flew off than a Robin, who had been sitting on the table with me, took it in mid air.

Made Robin's day then, likely be back tomorrow to see if you've caught any more for him/her! Lol
Rescued a Honey Bee from an impromptu swim today, popped it onto a native Cornflower in the sun, it was quite happily flicking off the water! Quite forgot to take any pics!

I spotted another spider sitting on the water surface and was just about to get a nice, low level shot when it ran towards me. Not to be recommended for any arachnophobes, when you've got a spider filling the view finder in the camera and it suddenly runs straight at you

I'll forgive it though because it then posed for me with its catch

That's one reason why I like doing macro … because you just don't see this any other way.

I was expecting it to be a Raft Spider, which do hunt on water, but it actually looks like one of the Wolf Spiders that you normally find running around in the grass. I didn't know Wolf Spiders were at home on water (although I may have mistaken the ID as spiders are tricky from photos)

If a spider that size ran straight at me the camera would not be safely in hand!!!!

Lots of Dark-edged Bee-fly around this weekend. Zippy little blighters so not easy to catch stationary. 

On Primrose

On Cowslip

On ????????? Can't remember the name of this plant

Excellent shots of the Beeflies and I'll even hazard a guess that it is on a Cuckoo flower in the last shot - one of about 3 flowers that I stand a chance of identifying!

Thanks Nigel, I'm sure you are right. I think it's also known as Lady's Smock but I just couldn't recall it.