Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Insects (assorted) Page 12

Image Taken on 21 May 2017 at 13:15 Image of day on 13 Jul 2017

We have a particular liking for Allium flowers - globes of tiny flowers with a pleasing symmetry. The Honey-Bees like them as well.

Ref: 20170713_df3_20170521_1315_089 honey bee feeding on purple allium(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Apr 2006 at 14:02 Image of day on 23 Apr 2006

This Blackthorn tree was 'humming' with dozens of Honey bees - such a relief after having very few bees last year. This bee was caught in flight - the wings are moving so fast they have blurred into nothing.

Ref: 20060423_d10_20060414_1402_205 honey bee flying to blackthorn flower (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 May 2019 at 10:02 Image of day on 03 Jul 2019

These Rose flowers are a rich source of Pollen. Watching this Honey Bee doing her stuff we noticed that she regularly moved a couple of centimetres from the anthers in order to pack her Pollen Baskets with her most recent collection before returning for more.

Ref: 20190703_df5_20190526_1002_044+045 honey bee hovering inside wild rose to pollen into basket 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 May 2009 at 15:17 Image of day on 23 Jun 2009

Honey bees are in short supply this year, so after we caught this on flag iris and brought it in for some photos, it went straight back out where it came from. Note the (yellow) pollen sack on the leg.

Ref: 20090623_d01_20090525_1517_011+1524_029 ft1 honey bee in flight with yellow flag iris flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 May 2012 at 10:41 Image of day on 25 Jun 2012

The Wild Roses having erupted drenching parts of the hedges with their sweet fragrance. Its nice to see a honey bee enjoying the pollen.

Ref: 20120625_p10_20120527_1041_582 honey bee in wild rose flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Apr 2013 at 10:21 Image of day on 06 Jun 2013

The warmest day so far brought out a few insects including some precious pollinators. This Honey bee spent only a few seconds around the cherry flowers before 'vanishing'.

Ref: 20130606_df1_20130423_1021_029+030+037 honey bee on and flying around cherry blossom (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Apr 2006 at 14:02 Image of day on 24 Apr 2006

Yesterday's bee after it landed.

Ref: 20060424_d10_20060414_1402_209 honey bee on blackthorn flower (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Mar 2014 at 15:43 Image of day on 17 Apr 2014

We are glad to see at least a few Honey Bees enjoying the first blossoms.

Ref: 20140417_df2_20140308_1543_060 honey bee on cherry flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 May 2018 at 17:38 Image of day on 02 Jul 2018

At last a dozen or so Honey Bees can be found on the Green Alkanet flowers that reliably grow along a section of the access track each year.

Ref: 20180702_df3_20180517_1738_010 honey bee on green alkanet flower(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 May 2014 at 12:52 Image of day on 21 Jul 2014

On one of the few Flag Iris flowers yet open, a Honey bee collects his golden trophy.
We see perhaps only 10% of the number of honey bees now than we did 10 years ago

Ref: 20140721_df2_20140517_1252_360 honey bee visiting flag iris flower 2 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 22 May 2019 at 15:56 Image of day on 26 Jun 2019

The 10m length of Green Alkanet (covered in BLUE flowers) are now attracting Honey Bees. Here is one with proboscis deep in a flower with the Pollen Baskets just about full enough to take the bounty back to the hive - wherever that may be.

Ref: 20190626_df5_20190522_1556_197 honey bee with pollen baskets (corbicula) filled on green alkanet flower (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jun 2012 at 16:00 Image of day on 06 Aug 2012

A buzzing in the grass led us to this little encounter between what we thought was two rather slim bumble-bees. But one of our weekly assortment readers quickly told us that these are Hover-flies Volucella bombylans which mimic and parasitise bumble-bees. The yellow specks are pollen grains.

Ref: 20120806_df1_20120625_1600_148 hover-flies volucella bombylans (bumble-bee mimic & parasite) mating (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 May 2020 at 13:00 Image of day on 13 Jun 2020

Quite a large Hover-fly this, feeding on Garlic Mustard flowers.

Ref: 20200613_df3_20200515_1300_057+055 hover-fly (leucozoma lucorum) feeding on garlic mustard (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 28 May 2022 at 09:11 Image of day on 06 Jul 2022

The species of this Hover-fly is uncertain.
References images with similar markings all have much more dominant black.
Pleased to meet you even if we don't know what you are!

Ref: 20220706_df3_20220528_0911_159 hover-fly (maybe helophilus pendulus) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Apr 2020 at 17:52 Image of day on 21 May 2020

This Hover-fly was hovering about a metre away, holding position really accurately, providing the chance of this in-flight portrait.

Ref: 20200521_df3_20200426_1752_264 hover-fly hovering(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Jul 2007 at 11:21 Image of day on 24 Jul 2007

The wet weather has made some of the vegetable beds unworkable and they have become wild flower meadows. This one is covered in thistles on which this hover-fly was resting.

Ref: 20070724_d10_20070708_1121_062 hover-fly on thistle flower(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2019 at 10:15 Image of day on 25 Jun 2019

Another new Hover-fly for us, perched on a leaf. A hover-fly specialist has corrected our original ID, which we agreed with once we had studied ours and two apparently reliable reference pics in detail.

Ref: 20190625_df5_20190521_1015_029 hover-fly probably dasysyrphus venustus (previously thought to be scaeva pyrastri)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2019 at 08:16 Image of day on 25 Jun 2019

On the Hawthorn Flowers we spotted this Hover-fly which promptly departed before we could get some more detailed pics of it. We seem to be seeing a number of new-to-us species of Hoverfly this Spring. This seems to be Syrphus Ribesii.

Ref: 20190625_df5_20190521_0816_012 hover-fly probably syrphus ribesii female on hawthorn flowers (detail crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Jul 2011 at 10:19 Image of day on 25 Aug 2011

We didn't realise Hover-flies came this big or Gorgeous and had an expert confirm our ID as a Volucella zonaria. He commented 'I think it's the biggest native species of hover-fly, but only took up residence in Britain in the 1940s. ... The larvae live in wasp nests.'

Ref: 20110825_df1_20110711_1019_067 hover-fly volucella zonaria on blackberry flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Aug 2020 at 10:56 Image of day on 10 Oct 2020

Neither of us are keen on green flowers, but our aesthetic judgement is not shared by the insects. This head contains both unopened and open Ivy flowers.

Ref: 20201010_d73_20200824_1056_025 ivy flower starting to open attracting fly and wasp(r+mb id@768).jpg

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