Hummingbird Hawkmoth

The Hummingbird Hawkmoth has an amazing ability to choose suitable coloured roosting sites. This one chose Laburnum pods in my garden today and was very difficult to spot.

Designer Fly Agaric

Amongst the many Fly Agarics at the Lodge today was this interesting 'designer' version.

Shaggy Inkcap (?) MVCP

This fungi was near the path at Stewartby Lake at beginning of the climb up to the the hilly area near the lagoon corner if you approach from the sailing club side. I'm guessing it might be a Shaggy Inkcap purely because it was shaggy and inky but I've not looked it up so I would appreciate it if anyone would let me know what it actually is... Photo by Martin Green.

Apple Mine

There were around 25 Vespula vulgaris excavating into this single apple at Mowsbury Hill LNR. Here's one making off with some pulp:


Photo by Keith Balmer

Chequers and Medlars

Two of our more unusual fruits can be seen at the moment at Mowsbury Hill LNR; Chequers on the Wild Service Tree:


and Medlars, which apparently need "bletting" before they can be used:


Photos by Keith Balmer

A pristine Light Emerald at the Lodge today.


This Wasp Spider at the Lodge old heath today is apparently the first for the reserve, although they have been recorded at Sandy Heath quarry across the road.

Grass Snake - West Wood

This obliging Grass Snake posed between two fungi in West Wood before making a hasty retreat.

Caterpillar ID

Nearly stepped on this striking caterpillar outside the back door - any suggestions on identification please?

30-35 mm in length. Not quite right for Lime Hawk-moth?

Common Lizard - Stewartby Lake

This Common Lizard was at the Stewartby Lake gullwatch this afternoon. It's the first one I can remember seeing at the lake for many years although I know they have been seen there by other people. Photo by Martin Green.

Red-legged Shieldbug

A photogenically positioned Pentatoma rufipes dead centre of an angelica umbel at West Wood.


Photo by Keith Balmer

New to VC30 - Stigmella tiliae & Enteucha acetosae

Leafmining micro-moths added to the Bedfordshire (VC30) list in the last week were Stigmella tiliae and Enteucha acetosae.

Stigmella tiliae was found mining the leaves of a Lime tree in Lower Stondon on 23th August by Melissa Banthorpe and subsequently at Woburn Park, The Lodge RSPB Sandy and Ampthill Park by Melissa and Andy. All scans by Andy Banthorpe

Stigmella tiliae mine from Lower Stondon 23/08/10

Stigmella tiliae mine + larva from Ampthill Park 29/08/10

Enteucha acetosae was found mining the leaves of Sheep's Sorrel at Ampthill Park on 29th August by Melissa and Andy.

Schizophrenic bramble

Most leaves on these two suckers of bramble at Old Warden Tunnel are pure yellow but a couple were exactly half green. Does anyone know if this aberration has a name?

Stewartby Lake - sunrise

There was an excellent sunrise at Stewartby Lake this morning, I haven't altered the colours on the photo. Unfortunately, I only had my long telephoto lens with me... Photo by Martin Green.

Flying Wolf

I spotted this female Philanthus triangulum, the Bee Wolf, coming towards me at Sandy Smith NR and grabbed a few shots, but only this one was vaguely in focus:


Then she turned sideways towards her burrow and I was able to grab a few as she went past:

The honey bee she was carrying was then buried as food for her young. Here the burrow is being re-opened on her return, having concealed it with sand when she left:

Photos by Keith Balmer

Hunting flies

There was an abundance of flies feeding on mint at Sandy Smith NR, making it an ideal hunting ground for Mellinus arvensis wasps. It was interesting to watch them stalk their prey. This one got away:

but this one wasn't so lucky!

Here's a sequence of stalking,
stinging to paralyse

wrestling

shaking violently

and finally hugging

before eventually flying off with it to her nest.

Photos by Keith Balmer

Small Ranunculus larvae

Below are two photos of the larvae of the macro-moth Small Ranunculus on Prickly Lettuce. The upper one was found on 14th August in Lower Stondon and the lower brown form found in Flitwick on 12th. Photos by Andy Banthorpe.

A female Common Emerald damselfly, at the 'Wall Brown' bridge at Rookery.
A (presumably Common?) Lizard at Rookery.

...and a (again presumably Common?) Toad at College Wood

A good day for reptiles and amphibians, not so good for butterflies, though I did see, but not photograph, a Wall Brown at Rookery, and I did manage to get some pics of the final resident Bedfordshire butterfly I hadn't photographed with my digital camera. I won't reveal the species, as it's too embarrassing.

Red-tipped Clearwing

Chicksands Wood 8/8/10 near southern monument - an unexpected bonus while watching the White-letter Hairstreaks.

Blunham Lizard

A lizard on a fencepost at Blunham actually turned its head sideways for the photo, its best side presumably.

Shame about the out-of-focus blade of grass in the foreground that I didn't notice!

Photo by Keith Balmer

Chicksands Wood

I first thought this was a bishop's mitre but it didn't seem right so took a few pics which enabled confirmation as Eurygaster testudinaria the Tortoise Shieldbug. Bernard Nau and Sheila Brooke confirmed the ID, adding that they had recently found nymphs but this was the first adult record for the county.


Nearby was this stunning fly which deserved photographing. Many thanks to Stephen Plummer and John O'Sullivan for identifying as a male Phasia hemiptera tachinid fly.


Photos by Keith Balmer

Humming-bird Hawk-moth larva

One of three larvae found at a site in north Beds this afternoon by Andy and myself - thanks to a tip-off from John Comont. Good to get a breeding record. Photo: Melissa Banthorpe

Tanner Beetle

This whopper was sitting in a porch at The Lodge today, fantastic beast.

Renhold Hedge

In a hedge north of Renhold was a Magpie laying on Blackthorn


and buff-tip larvae on an oak...

Pictures by Keith Balmer

GDB

This monster beastie landed on my moth trap! Great Diving Beetle, Broom, 30th July 2010.

Some butterflies from the weekend:
Red Admiral, Sharpenhoe Clappers, 24th July
A couple of (the many) Chalkhill Blues flying at Sharpenhoe Clappers, 24th July

Gatekeeper, King's Wood Heath & Reach , 24th July

A a couple of Silver-washed underwings , King's Wood Heath & Reach , 24th July

...and some Brown Argus and brown female Common Blues from Octagon Farm, 25th July

This is a Brown Argus, from the lack of spots on the forewing closer to the body than the elongated spot in the middle, and the 'colon' mark of the two spots near the middle of the forward edge of the hindwing.

The same individual showing a little upperwing - note the lack of white crescents at the rear of the orange and black spots on the upperwings, I think this may be a Brown Argus feature.

I think this is the same individual, taken a few seconds later when it had moved to a new flower. This probably makes it clearer that there are no spots on the inner forewing, though you can't see all of it.

This on the other hand is a very brown female Common Blue (taken to be a Brown Argus when I photographed it). Note the spot on the under forewing closer to the body than the double spot, and the absence of two spots on the under hindwing making a colon.

This is the same individual's upper side - note the blue on the body and hint of blue on the wing bases, despite the overall Brown Argus-like appearance. Note also the narrow white crescents behind the orange and black spots on the hindwings. I'm coming to the conclusion that these two species are more difficult to ID than I thought.

Finally, a nice blue male Common Blue at College Wood on the same day - clearly a spot on the inner forewing and no colon mark on the hindwing.