I debated with myself for some time this evening over which of these two photos to feature. The extra, taken with flash in the darkest corner of the wild garden, is much better-focused than the main image, but in the … Continued
This is probably my favourite hoverfly – which is unfortunate, because I’m definitely not her favourite photographer. Unrequited love is such a drag. Given their spectacular looks, Volucella zonaria should be used to getting lots of attention, but they absolutely … Continued
“Can you say ‘Eristalis tenax’?” I said to Baby B. He thought about this for several seconds, then said, “Uh.” And then a few seconds later, “Ay.” Good grief, I thought. The child is a genius! Is it too early … Continued
As you know, I like a nice bit of bug porn, and I’m quite pleased with this capture, though the hoverflies looked less than thrilled at finding themselves starring unexpectedly in an X-rated photo shoot. I had to be cautious … Continued
She’s pretending to be a bumblebee, bless her, but it’s not a very accurate impersonation. She’s Cheilosia illustrata, a hoverfly found primarily on umbellifers, and especially hogweed, whose roots are the preferred larval foodplant. August is the latter end of … Continued
My bug hunts today yielded two especially nice finds, either of which I’d have been very happy to blip. After the usual bout of indecision this evening, I’ve finally decided to post both of them. This is a pristine male … Continued
I don’t generally start the day with sugar, but I thought What the heck – it is Sunday, after all, so I had toast and home-made Seville orange marmalade for breakfast. It is, of course, entirely coincidental that when I … Continued
