Paul

Cheers Fuji Paul.

Spotted this small white fly-like thing moving slowly on the leaf of the bay laurel late on Monday night. Turns out to be a dustywing - probably Conwetzia psociformis, looking at the wing venation. They belong t the lacewing family - Coniopterygidae, are a family of Pterygota (winged insects) of the net-winged insect order (Neuroptera). There was also an opilione on a piece of house brick that sticks out of the soil near the recycling bins. Paul.

There'll be more insects where it's damper - can you get closer to the Calder river banks?

They've got to be there somewhere...

Thanks Geoff. Is that at the woods on the road to yours? Paul.

I have to say, when I find these bugs seen below, I get quite excited at the chase! They constantly and I mean constantly move, unless stopping for food. At best they are 2 or 3mm, and it seems there might be 2 different ones here, but it could just be the innards are showing in #3 Once again - the snout mites "Bdellidae". Paul.

£16 on Amazon, had to take the plunge. Paul.

Thanks Polly. Paul.

I really need to sort out my sensor - it's riddle with dust and badly needs a clean. Below you can see what I end up with after removing dust spots in Photoshop - this is a spittle bug taken this evening: Looks OK doesn't it? Now see what it starts off like!!! Gonna have to look on fleabay or the 'Zon for a kit methinks! Paul.

They seem to have managed to do something at a price point way inside of named manufacturers' lenses. Paul.

It's a cracking piece of glass (see what I did there?) that breaks all the rules on value compar d to quality. The LAOWA range is amazing. Paul.

A beautiful Swallowtail moth - one of our largest Geometrids. Ourapteryx sambucaria. Being strictly nocturnal and having quite a short emergence period in late June - July, it is not often encountered by the non-enthusiast. With that in mind, I am quite pleased to have had the opportunity to photograph one. Paul.

Cheers Geoff. Paul

Mostly micro moths tonight - 3 different ones, plus a beetle and a cobweb spider. Paul.

My taddies - some have legs, but none ready to leave the pond yet. Paul.

My camera attracts my cat. Whenever I go outside, our Bilbo Baggins Cat always knows and follows me. He was there last night, hanging around as usual, but luckily didn't find Mrs Tiggywinkle! Maybe a few insects are like Bilbo... Nosey buggers, lol... Paul.

Lovely captures. That's the Syrphini tribe, the migrant hover. Paul.

The garden is small, so I guess I'm lucky... I wish sometimes I had more but this is all I got!

Thank you Denis. For a small patch, there is sometimes a nice diversity. Paul.

Late last night in the garden I found a brimstone, a spider I'd never photographed before, and hedgehog! Plus a first ever for me of the false pirate spider, [I]Platnickina tincta[/I] And while taking these a hedgehog snuffled by... She didn't mind the flash (flinched the first time which worried me, but seemed happy after that) and if you look closely you can see she has passengers.. Paul.

Rapeseed beetles - or flea beetles as farmers call them, can and do decimate rapeseed. TBH, it's hard to me to distinguish clearly between the two - though the reason I called this alder, is because they are common around here, and there are few rapeseed crops locally (the nearest I know of is at least 25-30 miles away roughly) - though I accept they could feasibly fly a good distance. There are many alder beetles found at Brockholes, just down the road from me. Paul.

Thank you John Paul.

Them elytras are so tough, in more ways than one! Paul.

I had to work on the highlights Geoff - not an easy subject. Paul.

This managed to get into the house - and after following it's rescue to the garden, it posed by a way of thanks on the agapanthus... Paul.