Paul

Cellar spider (Pholcus phalangioides) - but on the same fence nowhere near a cellar!!! Paul.

Araneus diadematus on the garden fence last night. Paul.

Wonderful. Paul.

Thank you Polly Paul.

Cicadella viridis is a relatively large (length 6-9mm - though this one was around 6mm) and distinctive species, with yellow on the head and pronotum (first thoracic segment) contrasting with the blue-green colour of the rest of the body. Perhaps this one is immature - there is not much blueness yet... Paul.

That's a pleasant view - would make a great great jigsaw puzzle to sell ! Paul.

There's no reason as to why a ladybird should have appeared in the darkness of my garden this late in September - but none the less, there she was, as I was out looking for spiders... Just to set the scene - after finding her and taking the first photos where I spotted her - the resulting images against a deep dark black background from using flash at night was not overly appealing to me, so I decided to create a quick outdoor studio by plucking the leaf where she was standing, relocating it, and adding a printed background to match her colours. By moving the card and changing the light position, aperture, and ISO, creates small differences to the various image results. I'm no David Attenborough, but enjoy it if you can (and excuse my Lancashire accent!) Ladybird_on_leaf.mp4 These are the edits: Paul.

Thank you John. Paul

One around the geranium, the other on the leycesteria. Paul.

Nice styling Cheryl. Paul.

I found this harvestman (Opilio canestrinii) feasting and seemingly loving every mouthful... Paul.

I think they might live in the ground - I would have to google it to be sure. A great find though. Paul.

Well done Rybear, I too thought this was super. Paul.

Hi Chrissie x Iconic as you say, and looks so idyllic. Paul.

Weevils. Lily beetles. And slugs and snails, lol... I know they'll survive better in the 3 adjacent jungles, which is where they probably came from anyway Paul.

No, nothing preserved - all animate and living subjects are found there and then, and that's the way bugs should be treated. I don't kill any bugs of any kind (though I might give to neighbouring gardens for free under the friend and share secretly banner!) Paul.

Very kind of you to say Cheryl. Soon though, the creature count will dwindle and I'll have fewer subjects to find and focus on... I hate winters, lol.. Paul.

Thank you kindly Cheryl Paul.

Thank you Geoff. Paul.

Close to the garden spider I also found a dronefly settling in for the night though as I got closer I disturbed it and it flew to find somewhere a little more peaceful ! Paul.

The webs are built by the large females. At the tip of the abdomen there are three pairs of spinnerets, which secrete silk used to create the web. They usually face head down on the web. Orb Spiders are said to eat their webs each night along with many of the small insects stuck to it. They have been apparently been observed eating the web in just a couple of minutes! A new web is then spun in the morning. So here is my ubiquitous Araneus diadematus with some more of the "lesser seen" angles - and you can see her... erm... lady bits quite clearly (epigyne)... Paul.

Cheers Geoff. Paul.

Cheers Geoff. Paul.

As far as I'm aware they are soft - which would if swallowed by say, a bird, they would maybe rise and cause irritation that then might cause the birds to release them... Paul.

Looks very hairy! Paul.