Garden Wildlife 2014

[Maggi Young]

A bee-beetle : http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/scotland/archive/2014/07/29/bee-beetle-bonanza.aspx

[Chris Johnson]

I have those. Do they feed on any genus in the Onagraceae? I have evening primrose (Oenothera sp.) in the garden too.

Although Rosebay Willowherb is their main and preferred food-plant, they also feed on many other species, not necessarily restricted to one family. In a well balanced wildlife-friendly garden you will have several caterpillar species with suitable predators.

The time to worry is when you get the colonial feeders: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195935/The-hungry-caterpillars-Thousands-moth-larvae-weave-giant-web-shrubbery-protect-importantly-food-predators.html 

Chris

[johnralphcarpenter]

The time to worry is when you get the colonial feeders: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195935/The-hungry-caterpillars-Thousands-moth-larvae-weave-giant-web-shrubbery-protect-importantly-food-predators.html 

Chris

Eeeek!

[Anthony Darby]

I have those. Do they feed on any genus in the Onagraceae? I have evening primrose (Oenothera sp.) in the garden too.

P M B Allan ("Larval Foodplants ") doesn't include evening primrose, but does include bedstraws, rose, Virginia creeper, Boston ivy and impatiens as other foodplants.

[Maggi Young]

Usually it is Forumists who terrify me with "bug" pictures but today this is self-inflicted :
"The World's largest aquatic insect, a species of Dobsonfly, has been found in China."
That's the good news - since it means unlikely to be found in a garden anywhere near me!




There are other photos here : http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/22/world/asia/giant-insect-china/index.html

[Roma]

Glad we don't have them flying around here.  The occasional close encounter with a flying wood wasp is scary enough.
A more welcome visitor Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.  I counted five on this Origanum laevigatum yesterday.  This is the only 'butterfly magnet' I have flowering just now. 

[Anthony Darby]

Usually it is Forumists who terrify me with "bug" pictures but today this is self-inflicted :
"The World's largest aquatic insect, a species of Dobsonfly, has been found in China."
That's the good news - since it means unlikely to be found in a garden anywhere near me!

Straight from the age of dinosaurs. An amazing insect.

[angie]

Wow Maggi, I would be filling in my ponds if I had anything like that hovering over my pond 

Angie 

[Anthony Darby]

Green plant hopper (Siphanta acuta), an immigrant from Australia, on my Epidendron ibaguense today. The springbok mantis (Miomantis caffra), an immigrant from South Africa, was photographed on the 2nd of August when the weather was very warm.

[Roma]

More butterflies appearing just as the weather gets cold and wet.  I saw three peacock butterflies on Friday and a Red Admiral on Saturday.  I have seen the Small Copper in the garden a few times.  I saw three in the ponies field on Friday but did not have the camera.  Camera with me on Saturday but only one with three wings and a bit windy for a decent picture.  I got a blurry picture of one today but the camera battery gave up just as a second one appeared and the two posed together.   Will try again another day if we get some sun and not too much wind.

[Matt T]

Roma, it's lovely to see your pics of the small copper. We get migratory Peacock and Red Admiral here during the summer months, which may raise summer broods to augment our small number of resident breeding butterflies that complete all of their lifecycle here (only about 10 species I think), but no small copper. Thank you 

[johnw]

A friend and lurker here had Peacock butterflies in her garden this past week.  She suspects Ian Young or Ian Christie of a huge prank......

Apparently there are two other populations in Canada, one in Québec and one in southern Ontario.   Fantastic looking butterflies!

johnw

[Anthony Darby]

You have peacock butterflies in Canada John?

[Matt T]

You have peacock butterflies in Canada John?

https://ca.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/butterfly_obs/conversations/topics/2837

Was news to me too.

[johnw]

Apparently so, we'll see if any reappear next year. Documented here:

http://novascotiabutterflies.ca/ss.cgi?s=eupe

johnw