Flower beetle
Having stomped in and mardily announced to R that I hated every photograph I took today, on closer examination I found that I actually like these two quite a lot. So much, in fact, that I couldn’t choose between them, … Continued
Orange-vented Mason Bee
I found it very satisfying to step out of my front door this morning, take two steps across the lawn, and find this pretty female Orange-vented Mason Bee (Osmia leaiana) nectaring on the thistle I’ve left there. I wish I … Continued
Just a Gatekeeper
I was doing a bit of moderately enjoyable gardening this morning (thank you Stihl), when a small brown butterfly whizzed past me and disappeared over the wall into the next-door garden. Someone who’s been fooled* less often than I have … Continued
Long-tongued
One way in which entomologists categorise bees is by the length of their tongues. In terms of the number of bee species there are worldwide, not many are truly long-tongued, but the mason, leafcutter, carpenter and carder bees are among … Continued
Pregnant pause
Halteres are the vestigial hind wings of flies, and are believed to act as balance organs. I’ve never found an explanation as to why in Melanostoma scalare they’re sometimes (though not always) green, but it’s a peculiarity that as far as … Continued
