A Fly, sat patiently on Ivy while I took its photo, a 10 image stack using the Super Sixty mm macro lens. Brown eyes close together, iridescent wings

A Shieldbug from above. Head, body and legs are brown but I "think" it may be a Green Shieldbug still in winter colours. Very long legs and antennae

Same insect from the side showing the right pointed peak on the shoulder

A Wasp just about to take off. Yellow & black body wings extended. I think it may be a Queen but not certain

170326 OM1ii #entomology #inverts #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #naturelovers #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #naturalists A Fly a Shieldbug and a Wasp, all welcome in my garden

FRom the side the white hairs are visible on the brown shoulders. Black antennae with 3 narrow white bands

Half of the abdomen & chest, pinkish with dark spots

90mm lens + x2 extender. Insect is 11-12mm long. Brown in winter, there's a hint of purple. Black antennae with white bands and ends of legs are also black and white stripes otherwise pale and hairy

From above, 90mm +x2 extender brown colour clearly seen. There's a black and white protruberance on each side, the connexivum or visible edge of the abdomen.

020326 OM1ii my#York gdn. Hairy/Sloe Shieldbug (I think) in its winter coat. 1&2 used 60mm lens, 3&4 90mm +x2 extender. All 15 images stacked in camera. #entomology #bugsky #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #naturelovers #OMSystem

2 Brimstone caterpillars on Alder Buckthorn planted a couple of years ago at my suggestion. Also saw Mrs Brimstone but she didn't want her photo taking today.

One of 2 Large Skippers on a recently created Butterfly bank area

5 Meadow Brown seen

2 Small Tortoiseshells seen

100625 Millennium Field York. 90mm lens + x2 ext @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #inverts #entomology #OMSystem #aurelians #uknaturalists #york #naturelovers #bugmacrophotography

I believe this beautiful yellow flower is called Fox and Cubs. Don't know why or why it's decided to set up house in my garden. It's very welcome.

I've been told by my expert friend that this is Salad Burnett and that the leaves are edible. Tildi rejected them! This is another flower that has set up home and again, very welcome.

My first "big" shieldbug of the season after many Woundworts. Hawthorn, I think.

I found a tiny first instar Mullein caterpillar on my Buddliea 30th May. It's thinking about moulting into 3rd now. Beautiful caterpillar, white with yellow and black marks. It will eventually pupate in soil and I'll probably take it outside because it could take 2 or 3 years before it decides to eclose.

080625 My York garden #bugmacrophotography #insects #teammoth #gardenmothscheme @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #wildflowers @haggewoods.bsky.social

33 tiny black Chimney Sweeper moths today despite less than ideal conditions.

Mrs Blackcap. Mr had just flown out of sight. I'm using my butterfly not birding lens so quite a tight crop.

Again, to my delight, 2 gorgeous Yellow Shell moths. This one sat still long enough for a 6 image in camera stack.

080625 Walmgate Stray York. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #muchadoaboutmothing #northyorkshirebirds #yorkbirds #bugmacrophotography #uknaturalists #inverts #birds #entomology #ecology #OMSystem 90mmlens+x2ext

One of 8 Large Skippers. Golden brown, small butterfly with distinctive wing patterns. In this tight crop the wings are folded together. The eye is black and quite large. Legs also golden brown

A fresh Large White butterfly. White with black spots on the upper wings and a blck triangle at the corner of the upper wing. Just one seen

Red Admiral, just one seen. Brown wings with orange and white patterns

Small Copper feeding on a buttercup and almost covering the flower. Upper wings copper coloured with dark edges and spots, LOwer wings darkwith copper coloured lower edges. Just one seen and always in the same place every visit to the Stray.

040625 Walmgate Stray York. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth #muchadoaboutmothing #inverts #entomology #aurelians #uknaturalists #bugmacrophotography #york Also 16 Chimney Sweeper moths 2 Meadow Brown 2 Speckled Wood

The face of the Peppered moth as it rests on the card I used to rescue it. Gorgeous big brown eyes and wonderful feathered antennae

It's now on leaves at the bottom of the plant pot, face down, black and white stripes legs showing and the beautifully patterned black and white wings. This one looks a bit whiter than previous Peppered I've seen but thant could be faulty memory

A close up of a wing tip, mostly white with plack patches and speckles, there are 2 golden lines along the lwading edge of the wing, something I have never noticed before

In all its glorious glory, head at the top of the shot, wings open, antennae tightly curled beside the head.

310525 Found on the kitchen floor, relocated of course. It posed beautifully but I had to contort my old body to get the shots. A beautiful Peppered Moth. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth #gardenmothscheme #muchadoaboutmothing #bugmacrophotography

Yellow moth

Buff Ermine, light orange with black legs and black spot pattern

Scorched Wing, male I think because the abdomen is extended

Scorched wing from a different position more clearly showing the wings with their pattern, various shades of orange and cream. Abdomen extended and curled upwards

310525 Moth trap @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #inverts #naturelovers Brimstone, Buff Ermine and Scorched wing (male I think). #entomology #aurelians #bugmacrophotography

Flies May to July. Named after a famous Yorkshire witch from Knaresborough. Basically brown and white. Here it's feeding on red clover with the wings open

Seen from the underside, the wings are open, delicate yellow with a brown pattern. Antennae extended to the sides

A crop of the right upper wing showing the markings that gave the moth its name. History: Ursula Southill was born in a cave in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, in a thunder storm, to a 15 year old girl who refused to name the father of her child. Dated either 1448 or 1488. Baby was deformed, hunch back with twisted legs. In 1512 Ursula married Toby Shipton, a carpenter in York. He died a few years later and Ursula established a life as herbalist and prophetess. She lived to be 73. The marks on the moth's wings are said to resemble her "hideously ugly" face with its long bent nose and chin. Apparently this is what witches look like...not my opinion, by the way. Mother Shipton's Cave is now a famous "must visit" if you ever go to Knaresborough

Lateral view of left wing. Pale and delicate yellow with brown markings

180525 Seen 17th. 15mm Mother Shipton CALLISTEGE MI Walmgate Stray @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #inverts #bugmacrophotography #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #nature #york,yorkshire

Red upper wings with gold spots . Brown and gold under wings. Black and cream circular stripes around the body. The moth is head down with the long proboscis straight down

Seen from the underside through a double glazed window. Colours are the same as the upper wing but lighter

A crop of the wings. Upper wing red with 2 gold spots, under wing brown with a gold stripe. There's a grey fringe of long scales at the edges of the wings

An even tighter crop of the red and gold upper wing, scales clearly defined. These are multiple images stacked in the clever OM1ii camera

160525 Mint moth @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #inverts #uknaturalists #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #naturelovers #gardenmothscheme

Flower stem covered in the white shed skins of Aphids

A gathering of green Aphids

More green Aphids with some shed skins to the top right of the stem

A deep red Aquilegia flower with several shed Aphid skins. The Aphids will provide food for many insects which in turn will become food for birds

030525/040525 OM1ii it used to be an Aquilegia and now it's an Aphid nursery. #inverts #nature #wildlifephotography #bugsky #uknaturalists #naturelovers #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #bugfriends

LYU larva, upside down on its grass sod. It's being raised indoors. Top right corner there's what I think might be a fungus on the grass roots. I'll replace the grass sod tomorrow. Larva is quite close to pupation.

This is its face, cute I think.

The other LYU was a caterpillar when we went out for walkies and I caught the final pupation wriggle when we got back. The bulk of the pupa is yellow and at the top, where it's pointed, it is orange. I'm pretty sure the shed final caterpillar skin is next to the orange area.

Careful brushing and clearing shows that I was right about the shed skin which is very dark. Close inspection shows several larval legs. In just a few hours the pupa has changed colour, it's now dark orange all over. Hopefully it will eclose in a couple of weeks. It will be carefully monitored as will the remaining caterpillar. TZ200 camera used for this shot, OM1ii all the others

240425 OM1ii & TZ200 @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social #entomology #inverts #teammoth #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #york #naturalists #ukwildlife Large Yellow Underwing transformation, larva to pupa

Bronze shieldbug or Woundwort. Not sure which name is correct. EYSACORIS FABRICII 5-8mm red eyes bronze coloured head saw several today, the first of the year

I have no idea what this beautiful insect is but have found a possible name RHOPALUS SUBRUFUS 7-8mm red head, eyes and thorax

legs are red near the body then white with dark spots the edge of the abdomen has dark and white banding. It looks as if it has 4 eyes, 2 quite large with smaller ones attached close to the head. Extremely beautiful, the only one of these insects I have ever seen and would appreciate with grateful thanks, any and all information offered.

220425 My York jungle #insects #bugsky #wildlifephotography #bugfriends #entomology #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #naturephotography

Peacock butterfly high on a roof top soaking up the sun.

Walmgate Stray, one of two Peacock butterflies seen. This one has frayed edges to its wings but not enough to stop it flying and feeding. The bright red wings with "eyes" at the tips of the wings make it one of the most easily identified butterflies. It hibernates over winter. I also had a very brief glimpse of a Brown Argus butterfly on Walmgate Stray. I never see more than one on there each year, but always in the same area.

I'm not sure what this beautiful little insect is, maybe a Bee? Its body is dark brown, tiny waisted and the clear wings have exquisite delicate patterns. The head is dark as are the antennae which curve outwards. It's resting on a Snowflake blossom.

010425 4 Peacock butterflies seen today including one high on a roof top. 2 on Walmgate Stray. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #lepidoptera #inverts #bugmacrophotography #aurelians #savebutterflies #insects #OMSystem OM1ii

Has a furry brown body and long rigid proboscis and is absolouetly harmless to humans. The legs are very long and in this shot it's resting on a leaf.

Here it's flying, approaching blue Muscari, a favoutite food source. At the base of the abdomen there is a faint dusting of pollen, also slightly visible on the legs.

Approaching Muscari and seen from the side, legs out stretched in front ready for landing. Again pollen is visible on the legs and tip of the proboscis.

In this shot the dark pattern on the leading edge of the wings is visible. On the lower abdomen is a tiny lighter area, not sure if it's loose "fur" or an old seed.

010425 Beefly, Bombilius major 3 & 4 agreed to pose, 1 & 2 seen several days ago refused. My York gdn. #entomology #aurelians #insects #naturalists #bugsky #inverts #bugmacrophotography #york #OMSystem OM1ii

Brown argus Aricia agestis wingspan 25mm Brown as its name suggests but in the right light there is a distinct blue sheen on the body and wings. Has adapted to feed on Dovesfoot cranesbill as well as Common rock rose. I saw 8 of these tiny butterflies on Millennium Fields in August 2019, the first time ever at this site. Every year since then 5 or 6. This image is of the first sighting in 2024, 16 April.

Every day, at least once, I visited their tiny area and was encouraged to see courtship displays. I didn't see any mating last year but had in 2023. The raised abdomen usually means the female is not interested in the male or perhaps she has already mated - that was my hope as I saw this display several times.

A very fresh butterfly. The blue sheen is not visible but the distinctive orange heart shapes along the wing edge are, as it the thin white border and the marks at the top of the upper wing

12 June 2024, the last Brown Argus I saw showing the beautifully patterned under wing

310325 Brown Argus @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #inverts #butterflies #nature #aurelians #entomology #ukbutterlies #bugsky #uknaturalists #bugmacrophotography #bugfriends #york Millennium Fields, York.

Things don't always go to plan. This is a newly eclosed (hatched, emerged) Peacock butterfly. The right wings are still soft and not fully inflated. The left are both badly crumpled, never properly inflated so the butterfly was never able to fly. I left it on an easy access food source.

This is a close up of the face, chest and part of the upper wing. The eye i sbrown and there are reddish hairlike scales along the back. The upper wing is mostly red with dark areas but the leading edge is an intricate black and gold pattern.

A macro shot of the edge of the lower wing. There is a dark grey border then a darker line surrounding a blue area. Then the colour schange to pink, red and white. Above this multi coloured area is a predominently red area with a central white long oval.

The Peacock's "eye" The dark border and to the left the eye, lower edge is black, then a semi circle of blue, the other semi circle is yellow and white. The centre is dark rusty red with tiny white patches. Seen up close it's very intricate and extremely beautiful

020325 OM1 Peacock butterfly @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #ukbutterflies #entomology #ukwildlife #bugmacrophotography #OMSystem #naturalists #bugfriends #york,yorkshire #inverts #invertebrates

Mullein moth caterpillar eating its moulted skin. To the right of the caterpillar's head is the shed skin of its face and head. It's a very impressive and beautiful caterpillar, usually white but may be slightly darker. It has black and yellow spots all over the body. It's about 50mm long at final instar before pupation.

In this image the head is to the left and the tail to the right with a bubble of liquid. The spiky black hairs along the back are also visible. Below the last third of the body is a pale mass with the beginnings of a cocoon. About one third from the tail there is a dark area, a hole in the side of the body where the parasitic wasp larva emerged from its hapless host.

Here the cremaster (tail) is clasping an empty cocoon, the top neatly chewed off by the wasp.

Here is the tiny Ichneuman wasp ORPHION LUTEUS, the inhabitant of the cocoon. The female lays her eggs directly into the body of the caterpillar which plays host as the egg develops. When it is ready to pupate, it emerges from the side of the caterpillar, spins its silken protective cocoon and emerges about 10 days later. The caterpillar dies. "That's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

160225. The Mullein's sad story. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth #muchadoaboutmothing #inverts #invertebrates #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife #gardenmothscheme #bugsky #uknaturalists #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #OMSytem #York,Yorkshire

Very tight crop of a mass of Vapourer moth eggs. In this shot, centrally, there is a first instar larva (caterpillar) attempting to climb out of the egg shell. It's actually stuck, was unable to crawl out but fortunately I was able to gently help it out (Once a midwife always a midwife???)

Again a very tight crop. In this shot upper left facing down towards the centre, is a first instar caterpillar, the light coloured hairy looking spikes which cover the body are visible. The head is black. There is another caterpillar with head and upper part of the body visible as it emerges from the egg. Centre, one third down from the top.

This shot shows the cocoon on which the female laid her mass of eggs, most of which are empty, a few have the tiny black heads of the larvae showing and there are also a few caterpillars crawling over the empty egg shells

6 Vapourer caterpillars, 4 first instar (from the Latin "Instar" meaning stage of development) The first instar are light brown but the 2 second instar already have the beautiful array of bristles and tufts which make them so attractive. I think of them as brightly coloured shaving brushes and dramatic eyebrows

059225 Baby Vapourers #ukbutterflies #entomology @savebutterflies.bsky.social #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #inverts #invertebrates @bcyorkshire.bsky.social #aurelians #gardenmothscheme #bugmacrophotography #york #bugfriends Different dates and cameras

This photo was taken in April 2012 on Walmgate Stray, York, which had been a stronghold for Orange Tips. Sadly as with most lepidoptera numbers are decreasing. I revisited this couple 22 hours later and they had obviously fallen asleep...

Another in April 2012 on Walmgate Stray. She's saying no means no, but it COULD mean I'll think about it. Eventually he got the message and went back to patrolling his territory hoping another girl would pass by and fall for his charms! It's very obvious in this shot why this butterfly is called Orange Tips as the tips of HIS wings are indeed bright orange. The female has the same marking, but smaller and grey. In flight she can be mistaken for Large, Small or Green Veined Whites, but when she settles the markings are distinct.

This shot clearly shows the distinctive camouflage colouration of the underwing. It looks green but is in fact a combination of yellow and black scales. This is particularly useful for the female as she is less active than the flighty male and helps conceal her on her preferred larval food plants including Cuckoo flower and Garlic Mustard. Mrs OT tests the suitability of the plant by tasting with her feet. She lays just one egg per plant as the caterpillars are cannibalistic in early instars. I understand she is able to detect previously laid eggs by sight and smell. The eyes are a beautiful green too and the tips of the antennae are white. Altogether exquisitely beautiful butterflies, he very flashy and she quietly elegant. It won't be long now before he starts flying, establishing his territory, waiting for the girls who eclose about 2 weeks after the males. Flight period April and May, single brood.

270125 My Favrit Fella & his lovely Lady. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social #ukbutterflies #entomology #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #inverts #invertebrates #uknaturalists #york #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #bugfriends #bugsky #wildlifephotography

Light brown apple moth still on the mailbox today so I carefully transferred it to the Primrose patch, flowering since September. Naturally it didn't settle where I wanted it to, where it would have been easier for my unbendable body, but at least a few shots in a nicer setting than a mail box. By evening it had disappeared and hopefully is safe, there's plenty of food around in my jungle for a tiny moth.

The empty seed head of a Mallow flower, intricate lacy patterns. This is stacked using the 60mm macro lens, only about 4 images sadly and f6.1. It sort of works...

210125 OM1 #moths #teammoths #ukbutterflies #entomology #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #gardenmothscheme #inverts #invertebrates #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #OMSystem #bugfriends #flower #fauna #macro

We've had a cold spell recently and there have been some beautiful ice formations. These crystals are on twigs in a local woodland.

The long, yellow male catkins of I believe Hazel, with ice crystals on the twing upon which they are suspended and also on the catkins themselves

The female flower of Hazel is tiny and a vibrant red.

Of course I had the wrong lens on the camera today, I wa sout in search of migrant birds which still haven't arrived! To my surprise a green caterpillar which looked big enough to be final instar, not at all sure what it is but hopefully someone will know and tell me. Next to the caterpillar a dead leaf and nestled on that leaf a 7 Spot Ladybird, waiting for spring. It looks as if there is something below light brown the Ladybird

150125 Millennium Fields York. #nature #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #inverts #invertebrates #uknaturalists #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #bugsky #entomology @mothiduk.bsky.social #OMSystems Recent sightings from cold to a big surprise. OM1

The 4 images show the sting which penetrated my skin and the part of the abdomen connected to the sting & ripped out of the Bee's body as it flew leaving the sting behind. It hurt me briefly, but a sting is fatal for a bee.

250822TG5090125 Bee sting #entomology #ukwildlife #bugsky #uknaturalists #inverts #invertebrates #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #olympus #bugfriends Found a hungry Bee, gently tried to move it to food souce. It stung me and of course, sadly, it died.

The female Vapourer moth has tiny stubby wings so cannot fly, neither can she feed. Her life is brief. In this shot she has just eclosed and remains on the cocoon in which she pupated. Immediately she emerges she begins to emit pheromones, the sex hormones which attract males.

The Orange brown male with his impressive antennae is now in attendence. He arrived 9 minutes after I took her outside and they mated for 9 minutes.

This is a tight crop of the dark ovipositor and the first egg which has been laid on the cocoon.

This shot shows many eggs and there are many more to come. If you look closely you can see eggs in the lighter rings without scales in the abdomen. They are present at eclosion and fertilised by the male during mating. She will lay 200 or more and will die after about 5 days, exhaustion and starvation are her lot. But her short life brings forth more. I've used several cameras and these are not all the same female.

060125 Mrs Vapourer #savebutterflies #macrophotography #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #inverts #inverterbrates #entomology #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife #gardenmothscheme #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #OMSystem #bugmacrophotography #macro

A close up of the brown eye of the Elephant Hawk Moth.

Here it's resting on mauve Hebe and was hidden deep in the foliage after the photos were taken. Colours are fading in this one but the pink is still very obvious.

How often do we get a chance to hold hands with an Elephant? If it's the Hawk Moth variety, the morning after trapping, quite often! Vibrant colours of pink and dull olive green, especially on the head and the wings close to the body. With wings outstretched it's very triangular.

The colours are particularly strong with this one on the head/upper body. The proboscis istwisted to the right and curled. There are no flowers in this shot so it wasn't feeding.

040125 Proof that not all moths are dull and brown! Elephant Hawk Moth #moths #ukbutterflies #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #gardenmothscheme #inverts #bugsky #bugfriends #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #invertebrates

Male Orange Tip butterfly. Wingspan about 40-50mms. The underwings are brilliantly camouflaged in an intricate pattern of yellow and black scales. If you don't see them land, especially the female, you could easily not see it.

With wings open, you can see how he gets his name - the wing tips are indeed bright orange, but grey in the female. The lower wings have a delicate pattern which reflects the underwing. A gem of a butterfly. Here he's feeding on Dandelion - please don't pull them up, they are essential for early spring insects - with 2 tiny yellow and black Ladybirds.

He's feeding here on a mauve flower, an early spring blossom. Orange Tip males start to fly in April, usually about 2 weeks before the females. They establish their territory and fiercely defend it. Garlic Mustard and Cuckooflower are chosen as nurseries for the larvae which are laid singly. The caterpillars are cannibalistic in their earliest instars.

This handsome male had slept all night on a flower beside my fence and I was able to gradually move him from flower to finger, the first and probably only, time I've held hands with my Favrit Fella. Single brood butterflies and for me, the sign that Spring has sprung.

My Favrit Fella and I wish a happy new year and offer thanks to all who have made me welcome in my 6 weeks on BlueSky. #ukbutterflies #entomology #savebutterflies #OMSystems #inverts #invertebrates #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography 311224

I had no idea what I was looking at, this beautifully marked moth with a mad hairdo, sitting on my shed one morning. Looked in my know it all book, Wormwood it said. Is there REALLY a moth called Wormwood? Yes there is, clever people somewhere else confirmed and this was the first seen, photographed, confirmed, recorded in VC62.

It actually blend quite nicely against my needs a paint job shed, I think. OM1 60mm lens stacked in camera I think but can't remember how many shots.

2024 2nd. It's not every day a very occasional moth-er gets a vice county first! #ukbutterflies #entomology #savebutterflies #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #mothgardenscheme #inverts #bugsky #bugfriends #uknaturalists #aurelians #OMSystem #bugmacrophotography @mothiduk.bsky.social Wormwood

The first time I DEFINITELY saw an Essex Skipper. This on Millennium Fields, Fulford, York. Early July. All OM1 camera, different lenses and I'm not happy with any of the shots but delighted to see the butterfly.

Saw several on Walmgate Stray, Fulford in July.

Small Skipper showing the much light tips to the antennae

2024 3rd place. Essex Skipper, a butterfly new to me. #butterflies #entomology #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #inverts #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography (291224)

A Green Shieldbug with wide set bright red eyes

A glorious Rosemary beetle with black eyes and brown legs. Its body is metallic green with red-purple stripes along the length. It shimmers in bright sunlight, a beautiful little insect.

A Wasp, maligned by many but a necessary part of natural life and an exquisitely beautiful pollinator. The eyes are wide set, and quite long, dark brown almost black. The antennae are curved down the side of the face and these are also dark brown/black. The face is yellow and the edges of the mandible black. This insect was found dead and presented a perfect opportunity for macro photography.

A female Common Darter Dragonfly, huge eyes which touch together at a central point abpve the face. The mandible is straight as it crosses the face.

Eyes upon the world #entomology #ukwildlife #inverts #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography #dragonflies #beetles #wasps (211224)

August 2023 Mrs HBHM, to my surprise and delight, decided my south facing house was a suitable site for her to leave her precious eggs. Gallium (Hedgebedstraw) had self seeded at the base of the wall. In this shot her wings are spread wide open and her lower abdomen bent towards the wall.

Here she's flown backwards, abdomen still a little bent into the oviposit position. The tiny round, green egg is just below the centre of the right wing. Sadly none of her 4 eggs survived and I didn't find any she'd laid in the Gallium.

A shot showing the incredibly long proboscis (tongue). The day flying moth is hovering beside the buddleia, several inches away but had prefectly positioned the proboscis so it can feed. They move very quickly, rarely still for more than a few seconds.

This is one of my favourite HBHM shots using the pro cap setting of my OM1 camera, f8 1/2500. It's taken from below showing the pale grey chest and black & white horizontal stripes of the lower body. The wings are fully open, orange close to the body, the rest a darker dull orange brown.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth #UKbutterflies #entomology #ukwildlife #savebutterflies #muchadoaboutmothing #teammoth #gardenmothscheme #inverts #bugsky #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #aurelians #bugmacrophotography (201224)