Photos

All photos on this blog, Wildlife on Wheels, are taken by me. If you want to use any of my photos for anything other than personal use, send me an email and we'll talk about it. The email address is listed in the sidebar on the right .

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

7 spot Lady bird and other IInsects.

I'd welcome any tips on the identities of the Insects featured below.
This beautiful micro, 1.8mm long, hitched a ride with me the other day, and I fell in love as soon as it started to climb onto the control panel of my wheels, from underneath. It must have hopped on at the side of the house, where the Brambles fall over the path, and I started to cut it back again. Then, as I sat taking photos of the Zebra Spider, it appeared suddenly.



a few days earlier, I had seen these two in the back, on the Bindweed at the Stinging Nettle. Urtica dioica.



As was this, beautifully coloured critter.
Isn't it amazing how the green of the leaf and the yellow/green of the creature match?

Is it a larvae of a Beetle perhaps? It reminds me a little of the larvae of this lovely Beetle.

A Seven spot Lady Bird.
It is amazing how fast it moved. also, it was very easy to hide from me, either underneath a leaf of the Nettle or behind the trusses of flowers. Therefore, I failed to get a face to face picture. And I cannot blame these beautiful little ones. if they weren't this quick, there would be a lot less in our gardens.
Hiding among the flowers of the Nettle







Scarlet Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis.



Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum

some kind of Hawkbit.




Again I appeal to you, who does know the ID of the creatures shown in this post, to leave a comment below, as I am still learning my Insects and other Invertrebates. Any tips on a good book is welcome too.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Zebra Spider, Salticus scenicus

Zebra Spider, Salticus scenicus

They are known for their curiosity, in that they often lift the head to observe us, humans.

. And with 2 very large, and six smaller eyes, these little jumping spiders are fierce predators. Females will be between 5-8mm longand males come in at about 5-6mm. The

Before they jump onto their chosen prey, the Zebra Spider will fasten a thread; this way they will not fall down when jumping.
The mother will stay with her egg sac and protect her hatchlings until the spiderlings have had their second moult.