Bush-cricket nymph on Buttercup flower
Bush-cricket nymph on Buttercup flower
@vc40orthops.bsky.social
Hi David,
Found this Bush-cricket nymph at Kenfig National Nature Reserve on Saturday, 18/4/26.
Initially thought it was Dark Bush-cricket, but with the yellow on the side of the pronutum, I wonder if it might be Roesel's. Is it doable at all?
@sewbrec.org.uk
Hi Andrew, it looks like Roesel's. The key thing here is the lack of dark hind knees. Early instar Dark BCs have contrastingly dark/light hind legs, with v. dark knees. Only question is Grey BC which is v. like Roesel's and I think occurs at Kenfig. I'd need a different angle; different head shape.
The Dark-clawed Chthonic, Chthonius tenuis at Higher Hyde Heath Dorset today.
It was good to find the Turtle Bug (Podops inuncta), from grass tussocks, during yesterday's mooch in SE Shropshire #Heteroptera #Shieldbug #Pentatomidae
First Great Green Bush-cricket Tettigonia viridissima nymphs out at the weekend, Lower Sharpham, near Totnes, Devon
Tapped this Noctuidae (I think!) larva out of ivy yesterday in SE Shropshire. Presumably they're parasitic eggs, but wasps tend to lay their eggs inside the host I believe... so maybe Tachinid?? I'm just curious! Thanks! (No, I didn't keep it!) #Lepidoptera #Parasitised #Shropshire
A good dry mooch in SE Shropshire yesterday, finding several Rhyzobius chrysomeloides (Arboreal Ladybird), Scymnus haemorrhoidalis (Red-rumped Ladybird), and Scymnus interruptus (Red-flanked Ladybird), one with Coccinella septempunctata (7-spot Ladybird) #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird
A large queen wasp sitting upright on a wooden post chewing off fibres for her nest. The wasp has a black thorax with reddish patches on the shoulder bordered with a yellow 'tick' mark and a black and yellow banded abdomen. There are reddish marks on the rear of the thorax.
A large queen wasp sitting upright on a wooden post chewing off fibres for her nest. The wasp has a black thorax with reddish patches on the shoulder bordered with a yellow 'tick' mark and a black and yellow banded abdomen. There are reddish marks on the rear of the thorax.
An absolutely gorgeous queen Dolichovespula media collecting wood fibres in a churchyard today. I briefly thought it was a Hornet to begin with she was that big. I've only seen workers before and not many at that. Fairly scarce in Norfolk I think. With @jeremybartlett.bsky.social
First damselfly of the year for me today - a Large Red, newly emerged from my pond.
A Green-winged Orchid in flower in neutral grassland.
Close-up of a different Green-winged Orchid flower spike
'Leaves' of Moonwort just unfurling with the fertile frond also just visible within.
Green-winged Orchids (Anacamptis morio) just coming into flower at Minsterley Meadows with the wildlife group on Wednesday. All seemed to be rather dark in colour in this (large) population. We were also shown the Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria), which was just unfurling. #wildflowerhour
Anyone into slugs? Struggling with this a bit - it looks closest to a young Limax cinereoniger. What do others think? #slugs
A tangle of lizards warming up in the garden
This 14-spot Ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata) was not giving up his meal, despite me having just tapped him from a tree! Hungry after a long winter slumber! #VC40Ladybirds
My first longhorn beetle of the year, Grammoptera ruficornis (Cerambycidae) in Shropshire yesterday #Cerambycidae #LonghornBeetle #Shropshire
Hairy Shieldbugs, Dolycoris baccarum (left), and Brassica Shieldbugs, Eurydema oleracea (right).
Getting friendly.
Hairy Shieldbugs, Dolycoris baccarum, and Brassica Shieldbugs, Eurydema oleracea.
#Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
Groundhoppers are the forgotten members of the grasshopper & cricket order. They're easily overlooked but both of these species can be found on Tunbridge Wells sites like our Commons and RSPB Broadwater.
Striped Shieldbug on goosegrass leaf
Striped Shieldbug on Hedge Parsley leaves
Four Striped Shieldbugs on mixed green vegetation.
Lush stream side vegetation with houses, shops and leisure centre in background.
Counted 34 Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) on stream side vegetation at Ninefields, Waltham Abbey today, 17th April 2026. TL 3978 0050. Dull and cloudy but warm enough to entice them out, great to see they have overwintered in good numbers. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs
Red-rumped Ladybird. Less than 3mm long, a black beetle with orange head & front edge of pronotum (to the right) and similarly orange tips to the wing-cases and abdomen (to the left). Legs & antennae also orange.
Red-rumped Ladybird (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis) seen during the Wednesday wildlife group's outing to Minsterley.
Thank you!
Thanks! Looks like it might have sorted itself out at last...
Anyone else having issues here? I keep getting Forbidden! banners & denied access to my account. I'm attempting to post this in one of the brief periods where it recognises me.
Well, I'm sorry too actually because my post came across as rather more intemperate than it should have done. And I'm in the premier league for bad typing...
14-spot, not 12-spot (no such ladybird).
A Cepero's Groundhopper on the fabric of an insect net's. The kink on the ridge on the top of the hind femur can be made out on the right hind leg.
Sedges and reeds on the margins of a water-filled ditch, with a sea wall behind.
A bit of sunshine, so I thought I'd go looking for Cepero's Groundhopper on the marshes near Faversham. Success - a new tetrad record for this scarce insect! Taken from the open sedgy vegetation on the ditch margin in the second picture. #KentNature #Orthoptera #UKOrthoptera
Wheatear male in sheep field near Pole Cottage, Long Mynd yesterday
One of 5 singing male Pied Flycatcher at Bridges. One female seen too
Swallows on the wires, Bridges
13 Apr continued... Then normal service was resumed with 2 Wheatear and Redstart around Pole Cottage; 6 Pied Fly, 4 Redstart, 2 Swallow etc Bridges; and 4 bright male Yellow Wags at Polemere. #shropshirebirding
One of the Mandarins, a male quite high up in a tree. 2 males were chasing a female and calling
Oystercatcher pointlessly seeing off Red Kite.
Tuesday so to VP with G as usual. Chilly and blustery w 120 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 45 BHGull (most 2CY), Common Sand, brood of 11 Mallard, 22 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, 4 Siskin, Whitethroat, 3 Mandarin, Peregrine, Kestrel caught a small mammal etc. Red Kite being chased by the Oycs. #shropshirebirding
Wet am and dry pm Sunday in NW Shrops! Got Psyllobora 22-punctata (22-spot) & Propylea 14-punctata (14-spot), Exochomus 4-pustulatus (Pine LB), 1 so small and dark, thought it was Heather LB 'til I looked with the lens! Coccidula rufa (Red Marsh LB) and Nephus quadrimaculatus (Ivy LB) #VC40Ladybirds
Too large & wrong colour for Elephant Hawk & certainly too large for Hummingbird. Privet looks right to me.
Slender Groundhopper, Tetrix subulata
Common Groundhopper, Tetrix undulata
Nice to see both of thee widespread groundhopper species at Severn Valley CP last Weds. Plenty of Slender Groundhoppers, plus a Common Groundhopper (flightless) up a tree for some reason!
I've sadly seen greenfinches, siskins, chaffinches and bullfinches with trichomonosis and it's a horrible way to go. But the good news is that by letting groundsel, teasel, knapweed, thistles and dandelions grow you will still provide finches with a vital food source! 💚