#heidelberg - Openbook

Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

6 ore fa

Pretty tired today, thanks to a storm around 1am last night which (a) meant there was no chance of going to sleep & (b) cried out to be photographed 🤷

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Pretty tired today, thanks to a storm around 1am last night which (a) meant there was no chance of going to sleep & (b) cried out to be photographed 🤷‍♂️

Here's my favourite shot, looking out over the Peterstal valley with the Königstuhl on the left. The centre is partly illuminated by Heidelberg beyond the hills, hence the range of colours.

Nikon Z6 III, Nikkor Z 24-200mm at 24mm, f/4, 10 sec, ISO 100 (I need a wider lens 🙂)

#Lightning ⛈️
#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷

A night-time picture of the sky with a mostly dark hillside below, with a few lit houses. The sky is full of cloud, some darker above and to the left, illuminated by several bolts of lightning from the left and right sides. Most of the picture is blue grey, but the centre is a little more yellow, due to reflected streetlights from a city about 5km away.

#photography #heidelberg #lightning

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 giorno fa

As a bonus, a brief encounter between a juvenile goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) & a fig-tree skeletonizer moth (Choreutis nemorana), on opposi

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As a bonus, a brief encounter between a juvenile goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) & a fig-tree skeletonizer moth (Choreutis nemorana), on opposite sides of a flower arena.

I bet the spider was thinking "yeah, easy", but the moth jumped up on the pistils, drank a bit, then flew off.

Tschja, close ... 🤷‍♂️🙂

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A white flower (possibly a snowdrop anemone) with pink edges to its petals, a round ball of pistils in the centre, with a few yellow stamens. On one side of the flower is a small crab spider, with a green-yellow body, green stripes on its cephalothorax and brown patches on its opisothoma. The front two pairs of legs are large and are banded yellow and brown, while the other two pairs are smaller and green-yellow. It is looking across the flower at a larger moth on the other side. The moth has orange-brown wings with some crooked white stripes across them, while the head and legs are white with some black flecks.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 giorno fa

Well, I'm bamboozled 🤷‍♂️

This jewel is a Chrysidid wasp in tribe Elampini. But beyond that?

The green-blue & red colour scheme suggests either Hedy

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Well, I'm bamboozled 🤷‍♂️

This jewel is a Chrysidid wasp in tribe Elampini. But beyond that?

The green-blue & red colour scheme suggests either Hedychrum gerstaeckeri or Holopyga generosa (less likely), but it could be a male Hedychrum nobile, a female of which I saw yesterday.

Will seek help on iNaturalist 🤞

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small wasp seen side on, from above and in front, feeding from some yellow goldenrod flowers. The wasp is dimpled metallic all over, with a green-blue head and thorax, and a red abdomen, the latter turning more golden around the sides and end from certain angles. The black compound eyes are widely separated, with three black ocelli between. The antennae have a first metallic green section, then bend 90 degrees, but it's not possible to count the segments. The legs are also metallic green with fine hairs, and the hind femora are quite chunky. The wings are folded over the back and are dark grey-brown clear.

The same wasp seen from above, showing that the back of the head is quite rounded, a sign that this probably isn't Holopyga generosa, which has quite angled "cheeks". The wing venation also suggests the same, as it doesn't match H generosa well.

A more side-on view from the front, showing the double-sectioned antennae with the 90 degree bend, and also that the head is quite pointed towards the mouth. The golden sheen can be seen at the back of the abdomen, which is domed on top, but more flat below. The chunky hind femora can also be seen.

Another view from above and the side, showing the rather large abdomen, again looking golden towards the rear of the red. The dimples or craters on the thorax are seen to get progressively larger towards rear, away from the head. Again, the wing venation is fairly clear, which should aid identification.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 giorno fa

Well.

I wasn't planning on arthropod hunting in today's renewed hot & muggy weather 🥵

But old habits etc., so I went out with just my phone. Saw &

Altro...

Well.

I wasn't planning on arthropod hunting in today's renewed hot & muggy weather 🥵

But old habits etc., so I went out with just my phone. Saw & snapped this pretty thing, then returned with the big camera.

It's a female feather-legged fly, Trichopoda pictipennis, an invasive species from the Neotropics.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small fly seen from above, the side, and in front, on some yellow goldenrod flowers. The fly has large dark brown-red compound eyes set in a light coloured face with a dark strip down the middle. The antennae are dark. The thorax and abdomen are predominantly black, but with two main longitudinal golden stripes on the pre-sutural part of the thorax, a much smaller one between, and a lateral golden stripe along the suture. There are some narrower and fainter golden stripes on the post-sutural part. The abdomen is mostly black, but becoming grey towards the end. The fly has very large yellow halteres. The wings are also mostly black, with a clear strip towards the back, and an elongated golden patch towards the front. The legs are dark black-brown and the hind legs are notable for the "feathers" protruding backwards from the tibia.

The same fly seen more face on, showing the large compound eyes and the white parts around it, down to the clypeus. The underside of the wings and the feathered hind tibia are seen well.

A side on view showing that the fly's legs are long, with the body perched above. The abdomen is arched, and more grey can be seen on the underside.

A view from the rear and underneath, again showing the feathered hind tibia, and a yellow spot near the tapered end of the abdomen that is probably pollen.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

2 giorni fa

Holding back the mystery for a while longer, here's a common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus; 🇩🇪 Hauhechel-Bläuling) feeding from the last of the l

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Holding back the mystery for a while longer, here's a common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus; 🇩🇪 Hauhechel-Bläuling) feeding from the last of the lavender flowers.

I think it's a female, but need to check more carefully.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small butterfly seen side on with its wings folded, feeding from some purple lavender flowers. The undersides of the wings are seen, mostly light brown, but with a distinctive pattern of black spots outlined in white, with red patches also involved in the spots along the trailing edges of the wings. The body and legs of the butterfly are hairy white, it has black compound eyes, and black and white banded antennae, with black clubs and white tips at the end.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

2 giorni fa

A successful short bumble around the garden just before the sun set over the valley hills – several more new species, including rarities.

First, a sp

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A successful short bumble around the garden just before the sun set over the valley hills – several more new species, including rarities.

First, a species of potter wasp (🇩🇪 Töpferwespe), Eumenes coronatus.

Very fidgety & unwilling to be photographed nicely, but fairly easily ID'd 🤷‍♂️

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A wasp seen from behind on some yellow flowers, partly hidden at the front by green leaves. The wasp has a very conical abdomen with distinct black and yellow markings. The waist is thin and the wings are long and brown.

The same wasp again seen from behind, partly against a blue sky. The thorax is more visible, also showing black and yellow markings. The legs are yellow, turning darker and browner lower down.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

2 giorni fa

A tale of two wasps & two moths.

First, a very pretty jewel-like cuckoo wasp in the Hedychrum nobile complex.

It was moving quickly, so the shots a

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A tale of two wasps & two moths.

First, a very pretty jewel-like cuckoo wasp in the Hedychrum nobile complex.

It was moving quickly, so the shots aren't as crisp as I'd like.

As pretty as it is though, it's a parasite, & its main victim is ...

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small wasp seen side on on some yellow goldenrod flowers. The wasp is dimpled all over and metallic-coloured with many specular highlights. The head is a blue-green with black antennae and black compound eyes, the first half of the thorax is yellow-red, while the second half is blue. The abdomen is reddish, while the legs are blue and green. The wings are clear dark amber.

The same wasp again, seen from the side and above. The strong dimpling all over the head, thorax, and abdomen are clearly seen, as are variations in the blue, green, red, and yellow colours, which depend a little on the lighting angle. The antennae are also seen to be coloured from this angle, with some green-blue. The wings are also glittering with iridescence.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

3 giorni fa

Another cloudy & rainy day, somewhat unpromising for arthropod hunting.

But don't judge a book by its cover – there were indeed some interesting thi

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Another cloudy & rainy day, somewhat unpromising for arthropod hunting.

But don't judge a book by its cover – there were indeed some interesting things to see in the garden.

Starting with this chonk feeding on the remains of the figs: it's a female orange muscid fly (Phaonia pallida; 🇩🇪 Helle Hausfliege).

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

fly seen mostly side on, feeding from a brown decaying fig. The fly is a pale yellow, darkening to orange on the top of the thorax, and lighter towards the end of the fat abdomen. The fly has red compound eyes and is covered in a mix of fine black hairs and stronger black bristles. The legs are darker grey-orange, also with bristles, while the wings are clear grey. The fly's mouth is extended into the fig.

The same fly seen more from above, showing a pattern of interwoven orange and pale yellow stripes along the top of the thorax, and also showing the wing venation nicely on the left-hand wing. The compound eyes are well separated, marking this as a female.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

4 giorni fa

Back home to cool, cloudy, & even drizzly weather. But not too bad for our garden arthropods.

First, a new one for me: a fig-tree skeletonizer moth (

Altro...

Back home to cool, cloudy, & even drizzly weather. But not too bad for our garden arthropods.

First, a new one for me: a fig-tree skeletonizer moth (Choreutis nemorana; 🇩🇪 Feigen-Spreizflügelfalter), with its white underside & peculiarly folded wingtips.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small moth seen side on feeding on some yellow flowers. The moth has a white head and thorax, with white forelegs. The eyes are grey with a black dot in the centre. The wings are seen from the underside, showing browns and whites, with two light brown spots near the rear edge. The wing tips are folded down partly.

The same moth seen from above, looking down at its wings. These have a base colour of reddish-brown, with darker brown flecks and several crooked white transverse stripes. There is a larger dusting of white towards the rear, after which the wings are more red.

Another view of the moth from the side and underside.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Had a few minutes in the garden before heading to the UK. Only had my phone, but still caught some good shots of this nice beast.

I thought it was th

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Had a few minutes in the garden before heading to the UK. Only had my phone, but still caught some good shots of this nice beast.

I thought it was the hornet mimic fly (Volucella zonaria) again, but it’s actually a new species, lesser hornet fly (Volucella inanis; 🇩🇪 Gebänderte Waldschwebfliege) 🙂

#Heidelberg 🏰
#CyclingLife 🚴‍♂️
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A large fly seen from above sitting on a green leaf. The fly has large brick red compound eyes, with a yellow band and ocelli between. The thorax is mostly patterned black on a mahogany brown base. The scutellum is a lighter brown and textured. The abdomen is banded black and yellow with fine hairs, and a fine darker line down the middle. The wings are a smoky amber, turning both greyer in bands and clearer near the rear.

The same fly seen from above and behind with its wings folded across its back. The legs are mahogany with small yellow patches at the top, with black tarsi.

The same fly with its wings open again, seen from the side and above, showing the overall yellow face. The multi-coloured legs are also seen more clearly, as is the shiny thorax.

One more picture of the fly from above, with different illumination showing the black striped pattern on the thorax from a different angle.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology #cyclinglife

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

And the winner is ... 🎉

The 400th species of invertebrate I've photographed this year: a lovely broad scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea; 🇩🇪 Fe

Altro...

And the winner is ... 🎉

The 400th species of invertebrate I've photographed this year: a lovely broad scarlet dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea; 🇩🇪 Feuerlibelle).

Poor shot, but I was surprised it let me get close at all with my phone 🤷‍♂️

Seen at the Fischkinderstube on this evening's 47km ride.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#CyclingLife 🚴‍♂️
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A dragonfly sitting on some parched brown grass, seen from above and to one side. The dragonfly is a bright scarlet colour all over, a shade darker on the head and thorax. The compound eyes are red too. The wings are clear but with an amber tint, especially near the roots.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology #cyclinglife

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

It's mid-August & one of the garden's big beasts has returned.

This is a mediterranean katydid or southern sickle bush cricket (Phaneroptera nana; 🇩🇪

Altro...

It's mid-August & one of the garden's big beasts has returned.

This is a mediterranean katydid or southern sickle bush cricket (Phaneroptera nana; 🇩🇪 Vierpunktige Sichelschrecke).

Lacking a sickle-shaped ovipositor, it's a male & will need its camouflage to survive, as it's also lacking one of its hind legs.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A large katydid seen side on. It is almost exactly the same shade of mid-green as the leaf it is standing on, with a sprinkling of added black dots on the legs and lower abdomen. The wings are covered in light green veins with darker patches between, and there is a black, yellow, and pink region around the top and front of the wings. The large compound eyes are green on the bottom third, pink-brown in the top two thirds, with a black dot in the middle. The legs are mostly green too, with some pinkish patches.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Well, this a puzzle 🧐

The CV models of iNaturalist & ObsIdentify are all over the place with IDing this small flea beetle. They suggest genus Neocrep

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Well, this a puzzle 🧐

The CV models of iNaturalist & ObsIdentify are all over the place with IDing this small flea beetle. They suggest genus Neocrepidodera, among others, but it lacks any dimples on its thorax & elytra.

I reckon it might be Aphthona cyparissiae, as it was on Eurphorbia cypressas.

But ... ?

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small beetle seen side on on a green eurphorbia plant. The beetle is an amber shade overall, the darker head and thorax smooth and shiny, with black compound eyes. The elytra seem to be partly transparent, showing the lighter wings below – there is quite a lot of patterning. There is a v-shaped region at the top of the elytra which is darker. The legs are mahogany brown, the hind femora very chunky, marking it as a flea beetle. The antennae are segmented, brown and then black at the end.

The same beetle seen head on, showing its dark compound eyes and black mouth parts.

The same beetle seen side-on and from above, showing the light wings under the transparent amber eyltra. The rear of the abdomen is black and striated. The black tips of the antennae are more clearly seen here.

Another shot from in front and above, showing the contrast between the dark amber head and thorax, and the much lighter elytra.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

What a difference rain & cooler weather makes 🌧️🙂

A lot more activity in the garden this afternoon, including this large lady, doing exactly what it

Altro...

What a difference rain & cooler weather makes 🌧️🙂

A lot more activity in the garden this afternoon, including this large lady, doing exactly what it says on her tin 👍

She's a hornet mimic fly (Volucella zonaria; 🇩🇪 Hornissenschwebfliege), feeding on the blackberries.

Had me fooled when I first saw her 😳

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A large fly seen from above feeding on some half-dried up blackberries on the bush. The head is out-of-focus, with large brock red compound eyes separated by a wide yellow band and three small red ocelli. The thorax and scutellum are red-brown and similar to the colour of a European hornet. There are lots of fine hairs on the thorax, with many strong dark bristles around the edge. The abdomen is banded yellow and black, the yellow getting lighter towards the end. The abdomen is covered in many fine hairs. The wings are clear amber near the roots and along the leading edge, clear grey further back.

The same fly seen from above and the front, showing the face, compound eyes, ocelli, and antennae clearly. The scutellum is shiny and bumpy, while the black region behind it is also shiny. The amber and clear wings with their dark veins are seen well.

Finally, the same fly seen from behind and underneath, showing black and yellow banding on the underside of the abdomen as well. The abdomen is covered in fine hairs and narrows to the end, where the brown ovipositor can be seen, kept inside. The fly is still on a half-dried blackberry seen to the right.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

After a day of welcome rain, there was little to see in the garden this evening.

Except one of the rarest European flies – a female Dexia vacua, brav

Altro...

After a day of welcome rain, there was little to see in the garden this evening.

Except one of the rarest European flies – a female Dexia vacua, braving the drizzle 🙂

Likely the same one I saw yesterday & in a slightly awkward place, so not easy to set up the tripod. But good enough pictures to confirm the ID 👍

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A fly seen from above on a wet green leaf. The head and thorax of the fly are yellow-brown with many short and long black hairs and bristles. There is a wide gap between the brick red compound eyes, with a black central channel and bristles crossing over. The thorax has a pair of thin black stripes extending almost to the suture (the depression one third along) and importantly for the ID, there are black acrostichal bristles in that first region on the top of the thorax. There are more black patches and bristles further back, including on the scutellum. The abdomen is banded with black and then grey parts on each tergite. The grey regions have many fine black hairs and some strong bristles. Better seen in other pictures are the median discal bristles, along the top of the tergites, but not at the back edge. That again is a key marker of Dexia vacua. There are strong bristles at the rear of the abdomen. The wings are clear grey, turning amber near the roots. The median vein extends furt

A view from the front, showing the face with the broad yellow-brown patch between the eyes and the central black channel. There are black bristles crossing over that part. The face turns white below, with orange antennae and white hairs around the mouth. The top two parts of the front legs are amber, with the last segment black.

A view from in front, the side, and above, on yet another leaf, covered in water droplets. The acrostichal bristles in the pre-sutural part of the thorax are visible, as are the median discal bristles on tergites 2 and 3, again both clear markers of Dexia vacua as opposed to Dexiosoma caninum. The median vein on the wings is another diagnostic: the part beyond the orthogonal m-cu vein is longer than the remaining distance beyond it to the wing edge, and the vein extends beyond the bend.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Huzzah! 🥳

One of our garden's superstars returned today after an absence of three months.

This tachnid is a female Dexia vacua – so rare in central

Altro...

Huzzah! 🥳

One of our garden's superstars returned today after an absence of three months.

This tachnid is a female Dexia vacua – so rare in central & western Europe that it was thought extinct until recently.

This is the third I've seen here this year, making me the world's leading observer on iNaturalist 🙂

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Cooler today, thanks to a NW wind & some rain yesterday, bringing a few more arthropods into the garden.

This is a seed beetle in genus Bruchus. iNat

Altro...

Cooler today, thanks to a NW wind & some rain yesterday, bringing a few more arthropods into the garden.

This is a seed beetle in genus Bruchus. iNaturalist suggests with B. affinis or B. pisorum (pea weevil), but ObsIdentify is convinced it's B. atomarius, & after checking pictures, I tentatively agree.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

The same beetle seen from behind and above on a pink sweetpea flower. The elytra are black with many longitudinal grooves, and a scattering of grey patches. The rear of the abdomen, beyond the wing covers, is a hairy grey with two black sectors cut out on either side.

The same beetle seen from the side and behind on a green part of the sweetpea plant. More of the grey undersides of the abdomen are visible, also showing the black middle and rear legs. The black grooved elytra with a few grey patches are seen clearly.

The beetle from head-on again, showing the brown and black antennae, plus the brown femora of the forelegs.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Some rather better pictures of the European hornets (Vespa crabro; 🇩🇪 Hornisse) feeding on our figs this evening.

These two were slightly different i

Altro...

Some rather better pictures of the European hornets (Vespa crabro; 🇩🇪 Hornisse) feeding on our figs this evening.

These two were slightly different in size, but I'm not expert enough to distinguish between queens, workers, & males.

BTW, hornets are strictly protected in Germany, so they're welcome to the figs 🤷‍♂️🙂

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A pair of large hornets feeding on a decaying fig. The one on the left is facing upwards and is in focus. The other one is on the bottom right, and is out of focus. The hornets have yellow faces with a lot of rusty pink towards the top, large C-shaped compound eyes, and a trio of smaller black ocelli. The antennae are a yellowish-pink. The thorax is rusty pink and black, with a strong V-shape in pink on the top. There is pink again on the first tergite of the abdomen, with a strong yellow and black pattern thereafter. There are many fine hairs on the body, and the wings are clear amber. The legs are legs are black towards the top, yellower further down.

Just one of the hornets hanging upside down with its head stuck into a hole in the fig, seen side on in the top left. The black side of its thorax is clearly seen, as is the black and yellow abdomen. There are also a couple of green bottle flies on the fig as well, to the lower right.

A somewhat closer view of one of the hornets seen side on, showing its head and multiple eyes clearly, as well as the many fine hairs on the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Another view of the two hornets feeding together. The one in the top left is now facing away, so seen from behind showing its black and yellow abdomen, slightly out of focus. The one in the bottom right is now in focus, seen from in front and above.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

1 settimana fa

Yet again, little garden action in the high & dry heat, but still some new species as summer drags on.

First, a rather pretty small tortrix, the clov

Altro...

Yet again, little garden action in the high & dry heat, but still some new species as summer drags on.

First, a rather pretty small tortrix, the clover seed moth (Graphitola compositella; 🇩🇪 Kleewickler).

The white stripes on dark grey first catch the eye, but the subtle iridescence at the back is nice too.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small moth seen from above on a green leaf with lots of small white spines. The moth has its wings folded back and the overall colour is a dark grey. The eyes are grey blue and there is lilac fluff between them, with a white beard below. There are four strong white stripes curving across the mid-wings of the moth, with other diagonal white stripes below. There are some flashes of blue, gold, and green at the rear of the wings before the frilly end. The legs are black and white and the antennae dark grey.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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Mark McCaughrean

@markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

2 settimane fa

It has been a few days since I've posted any new arthropods – the garden remains parched & beyond bees, bottleflies, & yellowjackets, not much is happ

Altro...

It has been a few days since I've posted any new arthropods – the garden remains parched & beyond bees, bottleflies, & yellowjackets, not much is happening 😬

But this pretty little moth made itself known today. It's a rosy-striped knot-horn (Oncocera semirubella) or Rhabarberzünsler in 🇩🇪 for obvious reasons 🙂

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A small moth seen side on with its wings folded around its body, pointing downwards along a light brown dead plant stem. The moth has large pale green eyes with a large rough grey spot in the middle, and a fuzzy pinkish "horn" with white spots that curves up over its head. The folded wings are light yellow green along the top, followed by a rhubarb pink stripe that broadens towards the rear, where there is some white glitter near the frayed ends. There is a cream white stripe along the bottom of the wings. The legs are speckled white, light brown, and pink.

The same moth seen from above and, with its long yellow and black antenna lying along its yellow-green back, curling outwards towards the halfway point down the wings. The pale green eyes and horn are again visible.

A picture from the side and above, showing the cream and speckled forelegs folded up under the moth.

Another view of the moth from the side again, showing the three coloured stripes, the eyes, and the horn clearly, as well as the legs. It is pointing upwards along a light brown stem this time.

#photography #macrophotography #bugoftheday #heidelberg #insectsofmastodon #backgardenentomology

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