jonathan_parkhouse1

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<p>Still the odd Red Admiral (<em>Vanessa atalanta</em>) around when the sun shines:</p><div></div>

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<p>Here's a scary story. As usual in September, the garden is full of spiders, most noticeably <em>Araneus diadematus</em>. I had watched the much smaller male making timid advances towards the object of his affections, retreating back a couple of times. Finally he made the plunge, but as soon as they embraced the female paralysed him and wrapped him up in silk, spinning his little body round and round as though he were on a lathe, before hanging his embalmed corpse on her web. The whole episode was over in a few minutes, and from the moment of first contact to his being hopelessly entangled in silken threads was only ten seconds. This is from a sequence of 70-odd frames I captured. It's the first time I'd actually seen this take place.</p><div></div>

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<p>Scarce Chaser (<em>Libellula fulva</em>):</p><div></div>

<p>Lovely shot there, Siegfried.<br> I was thinking nothing more profound than 'lunch in the garden - so macro lens (Sigma 105mm) to photograph the bugs that will inevitably turn up". This Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) spent a couple of hours patrolling the garden, always returning to the same vantage point.</p><div></div>

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<p>I've not posted here for a little while; spent much of the summer doing fieldwork and was usually away from my computer on a Monday. This is a labyrinth spider <em>Agelina labyrinthica</em>; for once on its web rather than lurking within it.</p> <div></div>

Ruby-tailed wasp (Hedychridium ardens); about 5mm long<div></div>

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<p>Silver-washed Fritillary (<em>Argynnis paphia</em>) on an Echinops yesterday:</p><div></div>

<p>No bears in Wiltshire either. This is a Four spot chaser, <em>Libellula quadrimaculatus</em>.</p><div></div>

<p>That's an interesting dragonfly, Jim. This is a Scarce Chaser (<em>Libellula fulva</em>) spotted yesterday on our local riverbank in Wiltshire - and the first recorded from this particular locality.</p><div></div>

<p>This odd looking creature is a Vapourer Moth caterpillar (<em>Orgyia antiqua</em>), in the garden yesterday. No idea where the name came from.</p><div></div>

<p>John, as I recall you're in the UK, so your unidentified beetle is a Garden Chafer, <em>Phyllopertha horticola</em>.<br> Mine's a Banded Demoiselle, <em>Calopteryx splendens</em>, in my opinion our most attractive damselfly, which breeds along our local river here in Wiltshire.</p><div></div>

<p>This is a Malachite beetle: Malachius bipustulatus</p><div></div>

Another spider: Heliophanus cupreus<div></div>

<p>Thanks to Laura and all who've made Mondays a little more interesting over the past year.<br> This is a female Red-eyed Damselfly (<em>Erythromma najas</em>) from yesterday's insect hunting:</p><div></div>

<p>Solomon's Seal sawflies (Phymatocera aterrima) seen last week in a garden with lots of Solomon's Seal growing in it; totally black insects present their own challenge to the photographer and I didn't have a tripod with me - this is the best of a number of shots.<br> Hope you're feeling better, Laura.</p><div></div>