Insects 2016

[IzzieK]

Thank you, James...I like all of them, especially the blue bells. The first one is very colourful for a fly. I don't believe I have seen them here in Missouri. The rest of them are really excellently presented. The best composition is #13 --that takes the cake!I think your models here are all very cooperative and does what they are told... How much did you pay them? The bee I saw yesterday do not want to stay put. My husband asked me what I was doing following the bee. I think it is time to put out the hummingbird feeder for the bees. Not many yet but it has been hot and humid lately, the insects are beginning to show up.

[James G]

Thanks Izzie, glad you liked the Bluebells..Saw Flies are quite a large group and do not look like House flies and BlowFlies. My favoutite was the Peacock butterfly. Along with a very active White, they are the first I have seen thius year. The colours are absolutely stunning in the sun!

[Geoff F]

#1 is one of the Aglaostigma species but they can be tricky to separate. A. fulvipes tends to have more white underneath; but I'm not totally certain from that angle.

Araniella displicata is rare in the UK and only comes from a couple of southern sites so although a pine tree would be a suitable location I suspect it is probably one of the other very similar Araniella.

The hoverfly is a female Platycheirus albimanus.

Your lacewing could be Chrysoperla carnea but there are a few alternatives and I would need to check the position of wing cell IMC to be absolutely certain; even then it comes down to a difficult choice between C. carnea and C. lucasina.

I would suspect the first bee might end up as a Lasioglossum species.

At the moment, I'm not sure about the Andrena species but those all black legs with white facial hair should considerably narrow down the options.

[marlunn]

A few Hovers from the last few days of sunshine - a large shining ball was spotted in the sky, I am told its called 'the sun' I was told its a natural phenomenon but not so sure in wales

Izzie, the last one is on a Bluebell - just for you

Meliscaeva auricollis


Eupeodes luniger


Melanostoma scalare female


Melanostoma scalare male

[Wavelength]

A great amazing thread, inundated with talent; i can join only if i get a macro lens

[marlunn]

Hi Nandakumar, you don't need a macro lens - a reasonable zoom and get as close as you can, low ISO and good focus means you can crop to some extent and show the insect pretty well in its habitat. I will shoot some tomorrow and put them up so you can see what I mean, but a true macro does add to the fun as you get those really close details

[James G]

Hi Nandakumar, you don't need a macro lens - a reasonable zoom

+1 to Mark's comment... Take a look at Brian's captures... he gets some beautiful images...

[James G]

Mark, great captures of Hovers...... An the sun.... oooh at last ...no wind and warmth

Geoff, thanks for the corrections... I keep trying...

I got out again today...

#1 Tenthredo sp ?


#2 Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae ... First this year, got this one shot and then before I could change position... gone!


#3 Dark-edged Bee-fly, Bombylius major... A first for me I have never seen one before today!


#4 Dark-edged Bee-fly feeding on Cowslip, Bombylius major & Primula veris... and then a bonus , a second shot and a rather poor capture in-flight!


And another (British wildflower ) for Izzie ... with an insect od course...

#5 Snakes Head Fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris with Bumblebee exiting the flower

[Wavelength]

Mark, James: thank you very much; i will soon start trying

[IzzieK]

Thanks Izzie, glad you liked the Bluebells..Saw Flies are quite a large group and do not look like House flies and BlowFlies. My favoutite was the Peacock butterfly. Along with a very active White, they are the first I have seen thius year. The colours are absolutely stunning in the sun!

That peacock butterfly was on my mind to be a favourite too but I forgot to mention those two you have. Sorry.

[IzzieK]

Mark your latest batch are all beautiful, especially the colour and composition of #2. #3 is also superb -- who would have thought of taking a shot of an ant walking a tightrope? Ooooppps! twig. That was really interesting, I kept going back to it for another look. #4 is a small flower, that melanostoma must be really tiny...interesting. I like the blue bell shot too but I still like the ant on the twig. When this rain finishes I will do some more shooting.

[marlunn]

Hi Izzie, its a hover fly on the twig, but they are same size as some ants ! this one is 5.5-8mm on average

[marlunn]

Hi Nandakumar, as promised, these were taken today with my 70-300 Tamron at 300 ( 450 on a c sensor) - they have been cropped quite heavily to get the insect at a good size in the image

clearly the macro lens has the better IQ overall but I think these are certainly very acceptable images

Flesh fly - Sarcophagus sp. I think


P albimanus hoverfly on speedwell flower - the insect is 5-8mm long

[marlunn]

James, great images, really interested in the B. major as I have shots of the all over ruddy brown and one of the white/black striped both in same area same day and on same flowers - I suspect male / female but don't see any ref to sexual dimorphism on any site that talks about them, sub species maybe - i have posted on the Dipterists forum page to try to get an answer.

[James G]

i have posted on the Dipterists forum page to try to get an answer.

Mark, just re-checked my ref books and the Bioimages website http://www.bioimages.org.uk/ and can't find any reference to dimorphism. I'll be interested in the response from the Dipterists' forum too.

[Geoff F]

Not sure about that sawfly, James. I would like a side view to decide if it has a wasp like waist. Those antennae seem a bit long and slender, more like an Ichneumon?

The Bee Fly is probably a Bombylius major with poorly marked wings. Not quite an obvious fit for the rarer B. discolor (I think that one has been renamed recently). However, I am not totally certain of identification in this case.

ps. Body colour is variable although there is often a noticeable slant in favour of gender, but I can't remember which way.

[rankin]

An Assassin Bug (the gardener's friend) to add to the collection:


I waited patiently for it to turn round a bit, but just as I was ready to press the shutter it flew off.

Very nicely executed.

[DickyOZ]

60mm macro @ F9
A hover fly:


A tiny jumping spider wishing it could jump a little higher:


And a very shiny Ladybird:

[IzzieK]

James ... I like #3, #4 and #5. Dark-Edged Bee Fly I have not seen before either or I should look more closely. The fritellary is very nice. I have to google it though -- but I have not seen one with a cute bee butt before either...

Mark, I like how you caught that hoverfly in #2 batch. Now I gotta try that one...really nice.

Richard -- I like that hoverfly. Cute one.

[marlunn]

One from a couple of days ago, a Lily beetle Liloceris lilii - not a gardeners friend !

The problem is when you get to the top - best you can fly, or its an embarrassing climb down. Same for everyone in life really