Filed Under : by Tom
Saturday, 18 July 2015
Bog Bush-cricket Metrioptera brachyptera
Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens over-mature female
Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens male
Poor record shot of White Admiral Limenitis camilla in Holt Country Park
An uncommon yet widespread daytime flying moth in Yorkshire is the Chimney Sweeper Odezia atrata. It inhabits grassy meadows and is locally distributed throughout most of Britain but is fairly common near me. The single generation flies in June and July, the larvae feeding mainly on the flowers of Pignut Conopodium majus.
Saturday 5th April - Manchester Museum 10.15am - 4.00pm
10.15 - 11.00 Welcome and tea/coffee
11.00 - 13.00 Dissection Workshop - Tools, techniques and practical demonstrations
13.00 - 14.00 Lunch
14.00 - 16.00 Group practice and discussion
10.15 - 11.00 Welcome and tea/coffee
11.00 - 13.00 Dissection Workshop - Tools, techniques and practical demonstrations
13.00 - 14.00 Lunch
14.00 - 16.00 Group practice and discussion
Eight people attended this workshop in addition to Mike Denton
and Darren Mann, who undertook the practical demonstration and assisted
respectively, along with Dmitri Logunov who hosted the event.
Mike briefly outlined the equipment and materials needed to
perform dissection on specimens stored in alcohol or which had been sufficiently
'relaxed'. He then performed a series of dissections on male and female beetles
before a general discussion and informal question and answer session ensued.
Darren
also demonstrated how to clear dissected samples in potassium hydroxide before neutralising in acid alcohol (70%
propanol alcohol with a drop of acetic acid in it) and then placing in diluted
alcohol (70%). The attendees then had three quarters of an hour to practise
dissection techniques themselves before lunch. By 2pm we had all reconvened in
the lecture room to continue practising on specimens supplied by Darren and
other attendees. Several participants even began working on our own specimens,
some of which were then referred to Mike or Darren to confirm identification or
suggest literature to refer to once they'd returned home.
All the attendees appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed the
day and left with new found confidence and skills to perform dissections
themselves. Profound thanks goes to Mike, Darren and Dmitri for
providing their time, experience and encouragement for the workshop.
A quick walk around Prince of Wales Park this morning produced honeybees and several bumblebee species including Red-tailed Bombus lapidarius, White-tailed B.lucorum, Buff-tailed B.terrestris and Garden B.hortorum. There were also a couple of Tawny Mining Bee queens on the Bilberry.
Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva
A problem with my PC has lead to few posts being published over the past year but I have finally managed to get the following photos uploaded from my recent visit to Skipwith Common National Nature Reserve. I specifically went there to try and find Adders but after searching all morning, it wasn't until the afternoon when one suddenly appeared, crossing the footpath in front of me.
Andrena clarkella
A. clarkella and it's cleptoparasite Nomada leucopthalma
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Adder Vipera berus (male)
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Adder V.berus (close-up)
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara
Here are a few pics of my trip down to Oaken Wood (Grid Ref SU9933) on the Surrey/Sussex border from a couple of weeks ago. Although it was cloudy, this site never fails to deliver.
Glow-worm larva Lampyris noctiluca
Long-horned Bee Eucera longicornis
White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes
Wood White butterfly Leptidea sinapis
Nemophora degeerella
The Red Mason Bees Osmia rufa have been busy over the past month collecting pollen and creating cells for their eggs. Here's a female coming back with mud to seal one of the tubes. - Update: following comments I've amended the title of the 2nd pic.
Osmia rufa female
Colletes male (perhaps C.daviesanus)
I purchased some Red Mason Bee tubes about three weeks ago, despite never having recorded a tube nesting bee in my garden before, then made a rather rustic 'bee hotel' to put them in. I placed it in my front garden, south facing as suggested and kept an eye on it over the past couple of weeks, half expecting that it would be taken over by spiders or even not being occupied at all. This morning I casually glanced at it and noticed that a couple of the tubes appeared to be blocked...so I took a closer look and, much to my surprise, I saw three little faces looking back at me.
Bee Hotel
The occupants - Osmia rufa
Male = pale face
Female = dark face
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