Butterflies and other insects 2017.

Just a few photos to add this year!

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium bifasciatum), May 24th.

 Dark giant horsefly (Tabanus sudeticus), June 26th. 

A worn Comma butterfly, July 3rd.

Zoe uncovered a freshly molted earwig.

Fresh Comma butterfly, July 9th.

This Banded Demoiselle visited one day in July, but they are not one of the many resident species in the garden.

Tivon's photo of Bumble bee, Bombus lucorum agg. on Inula Hookeri.

Pimpla rufipes, a parasitoid wasp (female). Thank you for the id. Stuart Dunlop!

Two fresh Comma butterflies, September 17th.

 The Comma butterfly used to be rare sight here, not anymore.

Bombus pascuorum, also known as the carder bee, on Tivon's Dahlia.

I was delighted to see these bites out of Rosebay willowherb leaves in the garden in July because.... it has been eaten by a leafcutter bee, a wonderful creature! This photo shows what delights me in the garden, not only the bees, butterflies, flowers and fruit!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Emperor Dragonflies.

Lots of Emperor dragonflies emerged from the small pond again this year.

This Emperor dragonfly larvae has lived in the pond for 2 years, here it has crawled up a stem in preparation for transformation, May 28th.

An Emperor dragonfly in the process of emerging. May 28th.

A freshly emerged emperor resting near the pond, the colours develop over the first few days after emergence, May 29th.

Angus and Alfie spotting emerging dragonfly larvae.

There were lots to see, May 28th.

Angus and Tivon, another dragonfly day, May 30th.

No more dragonfly photos for this year, but all the resident specimens were flying about in their usual numbers.

Dragonfly and damsefly season.

The first Emperor Dragonflies were seen emerging from the pond on May 17th this year. The kitchen table was, for a while, littered with exuviae (the skin the dragonfly sheds after emerging out of the water) , Angus has counted more than 100 two year old exuviae from the small pond during May and early June and this week there were 18 more one year old exuviae.

Emperor Dragonfly exuvia May 19th

  1 year old exuvia

2 year old exuvia

This Emperor dragonfly had just emerged and it's wings were stuck together. Angus separated them and it was able to fly off.

 Large red Damselfly May 25th

Azure Damselfly May 21st 

Angus spotted this Scarce Blue-tailed damselfly on June 23rd.

 Emperor Dragonfly laying eggs. June 23rd

Emperor Dragonfly just emerged, June 23rd

We don't have a photo, but Angus saw an Emperor dragonfly eating a honeybee.... 

......the circle of life.

Dragonflies

Angus took photos of an Emperor Dragonfly emerging out of the pond.
It will have lived in the water for 2 years.

 This is the larvae after having crawled up a stem out of the water.

It emerged after dark.

The wings are in the process of expanding.

The tail is expanding.

The small pond is about 50 m2 ,

 Angus collected 70 Emperor exuviae from the small pond  in June.

 Emperor dragonfly the following morning ready to fly.

 In a few days it will mature and it's colours will develop further.

 Here it is resting on Zoe's hand.

Resting on a leaf it is quite well camouflaged.

Azure damselflies in tandem.

A Four spotted chaser.


The following  are a few of my favorite dragon fly and damselfly photos taken near the water in the garden between 2010 - 2013.