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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Insects (assorted) Page 22
Image Taken on 10 May 2010
at 12:51 Image of day on 15 Jun 2010
Other beakful's include various caterpillars and mixes of flies,
caterpillars and spiders.
 into nest in loft (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20100615_db1_20100510_1251_361 starling taking caterpillar(s) into nest in loft (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Sep 2014
at 13:49 Image of day on 02 Dec 2014
Recently fledged juvenile Swallows perch on tree branches or cables,
to be fed by the adults without them even landing
Here the adult in flight has delivered a beakful of insects to the
perched juvenile, but a lucky one escaped and can be seen flying away.
View the montage as pairs of birds left to right.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141202_df2_20140922_1349_171-173 swallow juvenile on cable being fed by adult in flight with a fly escaping 4-6 of 6 (mirrored montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Aug 2011
at 14:40 Image of day on 30 Sep 2011
2 minutes later, without at the time making any connection, we took
this image of such a parasitic fly nearby. These flies feed on nectar,
but lay their eggs inside various (it seems mostly moth) caterpillars
which the subsequent larvae eat from the inside. Yuck!
We can't be sure of a connection, but we will be watching.
 parasitic fly on knapweed flower (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110930_db1_20110814_1440_061 tachina fera (q) parasitic fly on knapweed flower (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Aug 2010
at 12:16 Image of day on 29 Sep 2010
This wonderful fly came to our attention. It is about 15mm long,
looks wonderful, but is parasitic (lays eggs inside other
creatures) so not very endearing.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20100929_db1_20100820_1216_104 tachina fera parasitic fly on unripe blackberry fruit (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Jul 2020
at 10:54 Image of day on 17 Aug 2020
A male Thick-legged Flower Beetle struts his stiff on Ragwort.
Even the leg swelling manage to have a fine coating of 'hairs'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20200817_d73_20200712_1054_049 thick legged flower beetle male (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2011
at 12:30 Image of day on 01 Jul 2011
While we were watching the butterfly, this Thick-legged Flower Beetle
got in on the act. According to some books this is the male, the females
not sporting the leg bulges, but the descriptions get muddled into another
species & we are not sure.
 male in buttercup flower(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110701_df1_20110531_1230_094 thick-legged flower beetle (oedemera nobilis) male in buttercup flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Jun 2019
at 15:27 Image of day on 23 Jul 2019
This is the first sighting here for 8 years (last time in May 2011)
of one of these Thick-legged Flower Beetles. Several seen since this sighting.
 on hogweed (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190723_df5_20190609_1527_102 thick-legged flower beetle (oedemera nobilis) on hogweed (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 24 May 2024
at 13:45 Image of day on 20 Jun 2024
These small green beetles catch the eye with both their iridescent green
and, for the males only, their strange bulging thighs that give them
the name Thick-legged Flower Beetle. This one is on a Buttercup flower.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240620_df3_20240524_1345_005 thick-legged flower beetle in buttercup flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Jul 2016
at 13:32 Image of day on 16 Aug 2016
A collection of insect life on a Cow Parsley flower head.
The bulbous green legs of the Thick-Legged Flower Beetle only appear on the male.
It is almost unusual to see a single Red Soldier Beetle - they are usually seen as a riot
of mating pairs!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20160816_df3_20160702_1332_034 thick-legged flower beetle male + red soldier beetle + ants (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 May 2025
at 13:08 Image of day on 08 Jul 2025
... we see here from the same original image.
Only the male Thick-legged Flower Beetles have the swollen legs.
The body is a deep green - we have slightly overexposed the flower so that it is visible.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20250708_r70_20250523_1308_010 thick-legged flower beetle on dog rose flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Jun 2022
at 12:20 Image of day on 30 Jul 2022
On an Oxeye daisy flower are 3 Thick-legged Flower Beetles.
Only the 2 males here have the leg bulges.
.jpg)
Ref: 20220730_df3_20220612_1220_240 3 thick-legged flower beetle on oxeye daisy flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 06 Jun 2020
at 13:47 Image of day on 09 Jul 2020
This montage shows a couple of Oxeye Daisy flowers attracting the attention of
Thick-legged Flower Beetles.
The flower on the right is harbouring the male with the bulges on his rear legs,
while on the left the female has an ordinary pair of legs
 female (left) + male on oxeye daisies (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200709_df3_20200606_1347_052+20200605_1528_012 thick-legged flower beetles (oedemera nobilis) female (left) + male on oxeye daisies (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Jul 2007
at 14:50 Image of day on 23 Jul 2007
These iridescent beetles really catch the eye. At the time we
unknowingly photographed male (bulbous legs) and female 3 minutes
apart on the same patch. Get to it!
 and female (right) on blackberry flowers (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20070723_d10_20070708_1450_095&1453_112 thick-legged flower beetles male (left) and female (right) on blackberry flowers (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Aug 2024
at 12:53 Image of day on 07 Oct 2024
Its the time of year for plant Galls.
This one on a Thistle was made by the aptly named 'Thistle Gall Fly'.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20241007_d72_20240818_1253_113 thistle gall - made by thistle gall fly (urophora cardui)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Jun 2015
at 16:20 Image of day on 07 Aug 2015
Tree Bumble Bees are gradually introducing themselves to the UK.
We are finding dozens on a stretch of Green Alkanet along our
farm track. This individual would fly for us but she always took
off flying backwards. The left and right images are about 150mS
apart from the same flight, and we have slipped in another flight
between them to make a satisfactory montage. We would have
'photoshopped' the insects box on the right for something more
natural if we could have done it convincingly, but in the end
'truth' won out. Nobody got stung - we handle our guests with kindness.
 in flight backwards away from launch (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20150807_da1_20150607_1620_427+1621_430+1620_426_ft1 tree bumble bee (q) in flight backwards away from launch (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2015
at 18:15 Image of day on 05 Aug 2015
We believe this 'Tree Bumblebee' to be new species here for us, and is
a 'self introduction to the UK over the past 10 years.
No bee like this appears in any of our now venerable insect ID books.
Along the track edge in sunshine is a strip of 'Green Alkanet' with
pretty blue flowers that was hosting about 50 similar bees - the most
bees we have seen on this patch for years. Hurrah!
We didn't recognise them at the time but took some photos as they fed on the
tiny flowers, just measured as 1cm across, and showing a bit lighter here than
as viewed by the eye because the exposure is adjusted for the dark Bee body.
 (1 of about 50 - 1st id) feeding on green alkanet flowers (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20150805_df3_20150603_1815_180 tree bumblebee (bombus hypnorum) (1 of about 50 - 1st id) feeding on green alkanet flowers (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2015
at 18:16 Image of day on 05 Aug 2015
A Tree Bumblebee flying to a Green Alkanet flower. The partly
shaded flower at top left more represents the flower's colour than those
in full sunlight overexposed to properly image the bee.
 (1 of about 50 - 1st id) feeding on green alkanet flowers (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150805_df3_20150603_1816_190 tree bumblebee (bombus hypnorum) (1 of about 50 - 1st id) feeding on green alkanet flowers (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Jun 2015
at 15:23 Image of day on 17 Aug 2015
As the Green Alkanet along the track side finished flowering the Tree Bumblebees have
moved into the centre of our site and this one is enjoying one of
thousands of white Clover flowers.
.jpg)
Ref: 20150817_df3_20150615_1523_028 tree bumblebee on white clover flower(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Jul 2024
at 09:48 Image of day on 26 Aug 2024
Our first ever sighting (or rather ID of) a Two-banded Wasp Hover-fly (one of
several variations of common names).
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20240826_r70_20240713_0948_101 two-banded wasp hoverfly (chrysotoxum bicinctum)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Mar 2012
at 16:11 Image of day on 26 Apr 2012
We haven't identified this Bumble Bee, but love the dusting of pollen
from the willow catkin.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120426_df1_20120323_1611_063 unident bumble bee on willow catkin (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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