Wednesday 28 May 2014

Longhorns, Yellow-faced Bell and Red Piercer

Little Long-horn, Cauchas fibulella
Further visits to Rewell Wood have shown me two more Longhorn moths, including the tiny Little Long-horn, and a new micromoth, the Yellow-faced Bell. The Commonest moths are still ‘Small Purple and Gold’, followed by Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Red Piercer, Meadow Grey and the tiny (3mm) Cocksfoot Moth.
ant on Wood Spurge
Weevil, Pissodes species? id needed please!
Click beetle, Athous haemorrhoidalis
Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella (3mm)
Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella (3mm)
Common Carpet, Epirrhoe alternata
Common Slender, Caloptilia syringella
a dance fly, Bicellaria vana
a dance fly, Bicellaria vana
Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana
Drab Looper, Minoa murinata
False Oil Beetle, female, Oedemera nobilis with Cocksfoot Moth
False Oil Beetle, female, Oedemera nobilis with Cocksfoot Moth
False Oil Beetle, male, Oedemera nobilis
fly id needed please!
Fly Orchid, Ophrys insectifera
Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea
Green Lacewing, Chrysopa perla
Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum
Hemp-agrimony Plume, Adaina microdactyla
Large Long-horn, Nematopogon swammerdamella
Large Long-horn, Nematopogon swammerdamella
Large Long-horn, Nematopogon swammerdamella
Leafhopper, Thamnotettix dilutior
Little Long-horn, Cauchas fibulella
Meadow Grey, Scoparia pyralella
Meadow Grey, Scoparia pyralella
Clay Triple-lines, Cyclophora linearia
thanks to Maurice for the id of this moth
Orchid Beetle, Dascillus cervinus
Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana
Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana
Red-and-black Froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata
Sailor Beetle, Cantharis rustica
Green-legged Sawfly, Tenthredo mesomelas
Sciomyzid species
Scorpion fly, Panorpa species
Silver-ground Carpet, Xanthorhoe montanata
Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
female Wolf spider with cocoon, Pardosa lugubris
Metellina species
Turnip Sawfly, Athalia rosae
Woodruff, Galium odoratum
Woodruff, Galium odoratum
Yellow-faced Bell, Epiblema cynosbatella

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Micromoths seen in new light

Common Slender, Caloptilia syringella
I have been learning to use my flash for macro photography the past few days. It takes me back to my underwater photography roots 30 years ago when I used  a Nikonos IV with close-up kit and SB101 flash. After some experimentation with house plants and reference to manuals and websites, I visited Lobb’s Wood on Saturday for some trials. On Sunday I made two visits to Rewell Wood. The secret seems to be taking photos in the shade to reduce the ambient light so that it doesn’t expose much during the flash exposure.
Equipment: Nikon D90, Sigma 180mm macro f3.5, SB400 flash with diffuser. Manual setting, minimum f-stop (>f32), 1/60th sec (flash synch speed), using EV to vary exposures.
Rewell Wood:
bee - id needed please!
Braconid wasp - species?
Common Spotted-orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii with Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
male Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale
Dark Bush Cricket nymph, Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana
Unmarked Neb, Eulamprotes unicolorella
fly - id needed please!
fly - id needed please!
fly - id needed please!
Fly Orchid, Ophrys insectifera
Germander Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys
Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina
Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina
Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae
Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum
Hemp-agrimony Plume, Adaina microdactyla
Hemp-agrimony Plume, Adaina microdactyla
Labyrinth Spider, Agelena labyrinthica
Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana
Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana
Leafhopper, Thamnotettix dilutior
Meadow Grey, Scoparia pyralella
Micropterix aruncella
Nettle Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus
Nettle Weevil, Phyllobius pomaceus
Orchid Beetle, Dascillus cervinus
Orchid Beetle, Dascillus cervinus
Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata
Sanicle, Sanicula europaea
Sciomyzid fly - species?
Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
White-lipped snail, Cepaea hortensis
spider - id needed please!
Tiger Cranefly, Nephrotoma species
Wood Avens, Geum urbanum
Yellow Dung fly, Scatophaga stercoraria
Yellow Dung fly, Scatophaga stercoraria