Wildlife June 2013

[fermi de Sousa]

Perhaps you should read (or re-read) "The Little Prince"?
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Double edged sword - fantastic privilege that the fox feels at home in your garden, but the possible destruction it could wreak if a tasty morsel is in  the middle of a prized clump! 

[fredg]

While I was out checking the Dactylorhiza there happened to be a couple of insects to hand.

The Smerinthus ocellata was quite happy on my hand but kept quivering its wings.

I'm not sure about the Damselfly(?) any ID please?

[Maggi Young]

While I was out checking the Dactylorhiza there happened to be a couple of insects to hand.

The Smerinthus ocellata was quite happy on my hand but kept quivering its wings.

That's a cracker - was it newly emerged and still expanding its wings?

[Anthony Darby]

No Maggi. It's meant to look like that. Vibrating the wings warms up the muscles ready for flight. These big bodied moths need to warm their engines up before they can take off.

[Maggi Young]

No Maggi. It's meant to look like that. Vibrating the wings warms up the muscles ready for flight. These big bodied moths need to warm their engines up before they can take off.

Ah, that's logical - thanks!

[fredg]

Anything on the Damselfly anyone?

This little beauty was having a roam about the kitchen. It looks much better enlarged
the Shield bug tag is a guess.

[Graham Catlow]

Double edged sword - fantastic privilege that the fox feels at home in your garden, but the possible destruction it could wreak if a tasty morsel is in  the middle of a prized clump! 

Perhaps you should read (or re-read) "The Little Prince"?
cheers
fermi

Hi Fermi,
I have never read The Little Prince' and am unlikely to, but I suspect as you have replied to my post it wouldn't make good reading regarding my getting fond of the fox. And the same from Anthony.
Perhaps discouraging is the best option.

Graham

[FrazerHenderson]

Anything on the Damselfly anyone?

This little beauty was having a roam about the kitchen. It looks much better enlarged
the Shield bug tag is a guess.

Fred

At a stab I would say one of the shieldbugs from the Pentatomidae possibly either or similar to Eysarcoris fabricii  - not expert knowledge simply reference to my library!

Frazer

[Peter Maguire]

Anything on the Damselfly anyone?

Fred,
Difficult challenge with the photograph you provided - my initial thought was a green form of the Variable Damselfly, Coenagrion pulchellum, but I'm coming round to thinking it's a female Common Blue Damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum, again the green form.
They are generally easier to identify if there is a view of the top of the abdomen also. 

[Roma]

Can anyone identify this beetle I found sitting on the lid of the dustbin where I store water for the cold frame?

[Mark Griffiths]

I wondering if that is a bit of the Cardinal beetle?

some pictures here http://focusonwildlife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/cardinal-beetle.html

[Anthony Darby]

I would say Dictyoptera aurora, a rare northern species.

(edit by maggi : refers to Roma's red beetle)

[Mark Griffiths]

yup, that looks like it. Never come accross that before!

[Roma]

Thank you, Antony.  Amazing texture on the wing cases.  The head and antennae were visible when I first saw it, but it was on its back when I returned with the camera and tucked them in when I put it the right way up. I went back later but it had gone.  I don't suppose I'll see one again.