This photo is probably my favourite photo EVER...!
I have had a lot of hoverflies in my garden this year - many more than ever before. Hardly any butterflies though (mostly the white ones that lays eggs on our brassicas).
There have been quite a few bees around too. This one is drinking nectar from a tiny flower on my Asparagus.
This mother spider ran to the rescue of her clutch of eggs when I began harvesting the cabbages.
If the spider had been bigger, I would have been scared of those bulging eyes and hairy legs, but fortunately it was very small.
It has been a good year for Ladybirds, which is good news, since there have been lots of Blackfly too, and Ladybirds are a major predator of Blackfly. This is a Ladybird larva, not an adult. This particular one stayed on the same leaf for several days, and I was able to watch its metamorphosis into its adult form - fascinating!
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| Ladybird larva |
This is an adult Ladybird. They seem to come in an ever-increasing range of colours these days.
This next photo is of a type of Shield Bug (Stink Bug). Apparently they are enemies rather than friends of the gardener, and they smell horrible too. They emit an obnoxious-smelling secretion when threatened. Fortunately they are quite rare in my garden and I have not identified any plant damage that I can attribute to them.
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| Green Shield Bug |
This one is another variation on the Shield Bug theme.
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| Brown Shield Bug! |
Here he is on a pane of glass. It looks as if he is swimming!
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| Same bug as previous photo |
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| Hoverfly on Pea leaf |
The aphids have appeared in many different guises this year. These ones on a Rose bud are pink
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| Aphids on a Rose bud |
These ones on a Broad Bean plant are black.
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| Blackfly on a Broad Bean plant |
And you must also believe me when I say that there have been plenty of the more common Greenfly aphids too. I just don't have a suitable photo.
I love your photos Mark! That first one of the
ReplyDeletehoverfly on the bloom is really stunning. The stink bug (Shield--brown one) is what I get on tomatoes sometimes and they can really do damage.
Yep that first photos is beautiful. You must frame it. But the aphid and spider shots made my skin crawl.
ReplyDeleteFascinating insect photos, Mark! Especially the first one. The flower petals look so delicate. Good job on catching the spider saving her eggs. I didn't know thats what spider eggs look like.
ReplyDeleteThose stink bugs are a nuisance. They infested our bean plants 2 years ago. Urgh, I can still smell them.
My favourite was the second one of the mamma spider and her egg sac. Just shows what a good camera can do. I have trouble with my little automatic getting good macro shots. Thanks for sharing Mark. i really enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteTime to give up your day job! These photo's are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteMark, you are very good with your camera. It's not easy to get such good shots of the flitty insects. All the pictures are so good.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, great shot of the spider..creepy looking with it's red back!! I've only seen green aphids here. I'm quite thankful!
ReplyDeleteWow Mark, that is one fabulous photo - the hoverfly is crystal clear and the yellow of the flower is just spectacular... I like the spider one too... chicken :p
ReplyDeleteGreat photos Mark.
ReplyDeleteBy the way that ladybird larva is a Harlequin ladybird - ours are less spiky.
I find spiders fascinating and have even dared to stroke a tarantula. I hadn't seen a red and white one before so I Googled it and reckon it's Enoplognatha ovata
Spot on, Sue. I agree. I don't need Google, I've got you!
ReplyDeleteThey are fantastic photos Mark. Reminds me of James and the Giant Peach, also gives you a fresh appreciation for the tiny creatures we live alongside.
ReplyDeleteGreat Macroshots!
ReplyDeleteDo you know about iSpot? It's an off-shoot of the Open University. By uploading photos like these you can find out the precise ID of the insects in your picture while contributing to the creation of a national nature archive.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ispot.org.uk/
Esther
I love all the photographs here but, my favourite is the spider.
ReplyDeleteStunning images Mark, the detail on them is wonderful, and I can see why the first is a favourite, the hoverfly glows.
ReplyDeleteI agree with veggigobbler, you should frame that first picture, amazing shot...their all amazing.
ReplyDeleteYuck! Hate spiders and bugs... although they do look ok in photos! The red on the spider is great, would make a good animiated character!
ReplyDelete