Sturmia bella

This Sturmia bella (ID confirmed on Diptera.info - thanks to Chris Raper) emerged on 13/09/08 from one of the parasitoid pupae that formed from the Small Tortoiseshell pupae. (See August 30th below). In the end 54 parasitoids emerged from 29 of the 30 Small Tortoiseshell. Only one butterfly emerged from the 30 caterpillars collected. 52 of the parasitoid pupae were sent to Oxford University for their research ten days ago. This fly emerged from one of the two pupae retained.

Photo by Keith Balmer

Small Tortoiseshell parasitoids - 30th August

There are suspicions that Sturmia bella a parasitoid fly of Nymphalidae butterflies, relatively new to Britain, may be responsible for the recent decline in Small Tortoiseshells. I collected 30 Small Tortoiseshell larvae from my garden last weekend and all but one successfully pupated. Last night however there was a mass emergence of parasitoid grubs (38 at the last count) from about 15 of the butterfly chrysalids, which quickly pupated. Here is one of the grubs that emerged this morning, which had me quickly scrabbling for my camera, and a couple of other pictures. They will all be sent off for expert identification to see if they are S.bella. The remaining 14 Small Tortoiseshell pupae look okay, but time will tell...




Pictures by Keith Balmer

MVCP - 30th August 2008

One of many Small Red-eyed Damselfies that were patrolling the emergent vegetation on the long pit the runs parallel to the MVCP access track. Photo by Martin Green.

Giant House Spider

Giant House Spider Tegenaria duellica, Broom, 29th August 2008 by Steve Blain. More pics can be found here.

Rhododendron Leafhopper

Rhododendron Leafhopper Graphocephala fennahi, The Lodge, 28th August 2008 by Steve Blain. Another shot can be found here.

Felmersham Gravel Pits SSSI - 25th August

A female Southern Hawker allowed me to get really close this afternoon...

A female Ruddy Darter (I think - all black legs) perched photogenically on a Pea...

A female Green-veined White spurned the advances of a male...

While a Brimstone stocked up for the winter...

Pictures by Keith Balmer

Flounced Rustic MVCP 25th August 2008

A Flounced Rustic, which was on a window at my parent's house near Stewartby Lake. Photo taken by Martin Green, moth identified by Melissa Banthorpe.

Volucella inanis

Hoverfly Volucella inanis (Thanks to Roger Morris for the corrcct id), Brogborough Lake, 23rd August 2008 by Steve Blain.

MVCP 23rd August 2008

Male Ruddy Darter, male Migrant Hawker, female Common Darter and a male Common Blue, photos by Martin Green.

Marston Vale CP moths 8th August 2008

The following all came to MV light by the reedbed at Marston Vale CP on 8th August.

Southern Wainscot by M G Banthorpe

Twin-spotted Wainscot by M G Banthorpe

Webb's Wainscot by M G Banthorpe

Chilo phragmitella by A M Banthorpe

Eucosma campoliliana by A M Banthorpe

Black Arches

Black Arches, The Lodge, 7th August 2008 by Steve Blain.

Roesel's bush-cricket

Roesel's bush-cricket, Broom, 25th July 2008 by Steve Blain. Found this beastie in my bathroom so released him outside. Unfortunately he'd gotten a bit dusty, so sat around cleaning himself before hopping off in to my garden.

Tanner Beetle

Tanner Beetle Prionus coriarius , The Lodge, 23rd July 2008 by Steve Blain.

Come into my Parlour!!

Species ? Agelena ?

On top of hebe bush. Quite spectacular.

Chicksands Wood - 15th July 2008

One of two fresh-looking White-letter Hairstreaks seen today in the wood...

Photo by Keith Balmer

Cardington Lock - 14th July

The seal waited below the lock for the boats heading downstream to leave it, then swam in before the gates were closed. Here it is riding the current as the lock filled, before exiting on the upstream side when the next lot of boats were about to enter...

Photo by Keith Balmer

Grey Seal

Grey Seal, Kempston Mill, 13th July 2008 by Steve Blain. More can be found here.

Crime pays!

A fascinating drama developed over a two hour period on Cooper's Hill this afternoon (13th July). Firstly I watched this Ammophila sabulosa drag this caterpillar over seven metres to its burrow.

Once the debris that had hidden the hole had been cleared the caterpillar was dragged in:

Once an egg had been laid on the prey the process of filling in the borrow began:

Then a fight broke out, I suspect between two females, rather than an attempted mating:

This lasted a full minute:

and the winner, the original wasp, continued filling the burrow for another forty minutes:

Both the wasp and I then left the scene. I returned 11 minutes later to find another wasp digging open the burrow, and four minutes later exhume the caterpillar:

This was chewed around the head for four minutes (I'm not sure why) and inspected, presumably to find and remove the egg laid by the first wasp:

It was then re-buried in the same burrow:

And filled-in again, taking another forty minutes, and finished with a few twigs:

This was an intra-species crime and the DNA of the thief will prevail in this case. Was the thief the same wasp that had fought earlier and had bided its time for over forty minutes to take the spoils? Fascinating. You can see why the Ammophila genus has been much studied.

Pictures by Keith Balmer

Recent colonist visits Suburbia - Bombus hypnorum

Found lurking around the flowers near my pond at the bottom of the garden on Saturday 5th July. Wychwood Avenue, Luton. So I imagine this is a new insect tick now becoming available to anyone. This is the slightly larger of two bees seen, the smaller was around on occasion right through the day but not when it got wet on Sunday.

Hanging by a thread

This Episyron rufipes (probably) at Duck End NR on 1st July really struggled to drag this spider away from its web, pulling this way and that, until finally released. (A second wasp even briefly joined in at one point). The spider was then dragged through a nearby gorse, where the eight legs frequently caught on the spines, until the "right" location was reached, where it was left suspended while it went off to dig a burrow.


Pictures by Keith Balmer

Tool-using Wasp?

At Duck End Nature Reserve this afternoon (1st July) an Ammophila sabulosa found this caterpillar and dragged it back to her burrow. She then spent some time enlarging the burrow before dragging the caterpillar in.

During the enlargement process she briefly wielded this pebble seemingly like an hammer bashing the opening before discarding it and digging again with her feet and jaws...


Once the caterpillar was housed the hole was filled in, using her head as a vibrating ram - I could hear her buzzing as she packed the material hard. Small pebbles were finally arranged over the surface.

Pictures by Keith Balmer

Sharpenhoe Clappers Butterflies - 1st July

In today's heat the butterflies were really wizzing around, and the male Dark Green Fritillaries were in constant motion looking for females. The following were captured during a rare pause and reduced wind...


The Marbled Whites weren't very obliging either. These are the best I could grab...


Pictures by Keith Balmer