ChrisC

[David M]

Indeed. There's no appreciable rain forecast for at least a week. At this rate, even Wales might be running out of water!

[Wurzel]

That shot of the lizard is a real gem Chris I'd be tempted to photoshop in a miniature picture of myself like in "The Lost World" . Make sure you have the tuppaware at the ready - the Met are predicting glorious sun and rising temps.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

thanks for the comments guys.

[ChrisC]

Adonis 0f the red and black kind

activity really starting to pick up, 6 lizards seen today, seem to have my eye in for these guys now, no pics today though. Brimstones whites, peacocks and commas all abundant. but the highlight of my day and a new species for me and the garden is this adonis ladybird.

if i'd realised i would have spent more time on the pic.
well chuffed

[Wurzel]

That is a wierd looking Ladybird, it look like it's been stretched on a rack!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

i have a soft spot for ladybirds wurzel. this wee beastie is a Nb species, yet to get Hieroglyphic or water ladybird which if i had one would be on my wish list.

Chris

[ChrisC]

as well as my first Speckled woods and single male orange tip i at last had the pleasure of bumping into the spider hunting wasp Anoplius viaticus nippy little beggars. I've been after a half decent pic of one ever since i new they were around and today i had the chance. moved too quick for me (as you can see) when it was transporting the spider though. spent 15 minutes watching it,it dragged the spider to within 3 foot of the burrow before finishing digging it out. it then went back and got it. I don't envy the paralysed spider though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2nDI0b ... ature=plcp[/video]
digging
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qiKBhED ... ature=plcp[/video]
dragging the spider down below.

[Wurzel]

That is absolutely cracking stuff Chris and a real celebration of the gruesome side of evolution I've been getting into bees recently so Spider Wasps might be next on the list!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Can't honestly say I've ever felt particularly sorry for a spider before...but being dragged arse-backwards to your slow doom....

On a happier note, Water Ladybirds are often found in Typha sheaths around ponds, especially when overwintering (though they dull their colours during the cold times). I can recommend the Great Pond on Epsom Common as a reliable site. And Bryony Ladybirds are on Fairmile Heath not too far from Epsom if you need those too? Nearby Bookham Common has Clitostethus arcuatus, but you gotta know where to look for it!!!

Still need Hieroglyphic myself, so no pointers there I'm afraid.

Had my first identified Gibbaranea gibbosa coupla days back. Cute looking bumpy thing!

Cheers,

Gibster.

[ChrisC]

still waiting to find my first Gibbaranea gibbosa Gibster (anyone for some alliteration ), must admit to not looking too hard yet though. totally agree on feeling sorry for the spider.Thanks for the hints and tips.

Wurzel, with your newly found interest bees you should soon come across conopids (bees suffer the same sort of fate as the spider) amazing to watch them ambush the bees in flight to lay the egg. a couple from the garden shown below. Gibster, Mr. Colvin if either of you are watching any ideas for ID's

edit: just remembered had the 2nd one ID'd as Conops vesicularis

[Gibster]

Well you could try Conops ceriaeformis? http://diptera.info/photogallery.php?photo_id=6623


PS Does ChrisC actually stand for Chris Conopid?

[ChrisC]

I've been called worse thanks for the link.

[Gibster]

OK, this is truly horrific. If you don't like splatter gore movies then you WON'T want to click on this link. It shows a bumblebee in obvious distress which dies and is given an autopsy. There's...something....within!! Yukk. Seriously, you've been warned!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c5xQ_lCJPU

Gibster.

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Chris,

Conopids are out of my field I'm afraid. The best I can do is direct you to Dave Clements who is the Scheme Organiser for the Conopids Recording Sheme.

http://www.brc.ac.uk/recording_schemes.asp

Good luck.

Kind regards. Mark

[ChrisC]

Thanks Mark,
Thanks for the nightmares Gibster

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Chris,

Fascinating stuff, really liking the spider hunting wasp photos and videos.

Regarding the Conopid photos, I am sure that I have seen the first one around, or something similar, without knowing what it was.
It looks familiar...I probably assumed it was a hoverfly or such like

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Alright Chris - I did some trawling though "tinternet" and came up with a couple of suggestions...

The top one looks like either Canops quadrifasciatus or C.vesicularis

I think the bottom on is a thick Headed Fly...and that's as far as I got

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

no orange-tips on cuckoo flower for me, weather pretty dismal here, but i did get a cuckoo. it was only last weekend i had my first Brambling of the winter, 2 weeks after my first swallow. what a mad spring it is.
still jealous of all the orange tip pictures everyone is posting.

CHris

[Wurzel]

Cheer up Chris good things come to those who wait and tomorrow might be your lucky day, it might only get to 11C but it's looking sunny all day so they might be out and about!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

no orange-tips on cuckoo flower for me.... still jealous of all the orange tip pictures everyone is posting.CHris

Hi Chris,

Soon be your turn I should think, I only saw my first OTs yesterday, all males no females round here yet.
Still have not found any cuckoo flower and the garlic mustard is not quite flowering yet.

Cheers,

Neil F.