Fred's Carnivorous Plants and other oddities

[fredg]

Sorry about that Brian. This is the only forum that shrinks my photos. The strings I put together to reduce the number on Flickr. those should show at 6 - 8" width.

I modified the Sultana string of six so at least you get something bigger when clicking. Still not full size on them all though.

[Maggi Young]

Lovely to see the photos enlarging now, Fred, thanks!

[fredg]

It's a bit of extra messing around at this end Maggi but you're worth it.

Now, hands up anyone who feels sorry for the Lily Beetle.

[fredg]

As with my H. minor this Heliamphora heterodoxa x minor was also badly neglected so I gave it the same treatment and repotted into a Super Long Tom (10 x 10 x 17) and it's looking a lot happier. The plant comes in handy when the Garden Chafers - Phyllopertha horticola infest the roses and many other plants in spring. The Dionaea get their share but they just don't have enough traps that early in the year.

Here's the plant on Aug 1st



Now today, there's a couple of new pitchers on their way up. It's looking like the extra depth negates the standing in a water tray.
Cracked it 

[fredg]

Cutie gets a Bluebottle

A topside view of one of the two in the Darlingtonia house, complete with her prey ( Bluebottle - Calliphora vomitoria )
She's a much lighter colour than the one above from the top greenhouse and to get the photo I had to shoot through the polycarbonate so the crispness is just a tad off.

[fredg]

Did I ever mention that I like my garden spiders? 

This is the No.2 in the top greenhouse ( there is a No.3). She's well back behind the large case so I have to use quite a lot of zoom.

Colouring is much like No.1 (with the lily beetle) but of course the pattern is individual




Just after taking the above I spotted this little lady in the plants out on the patio. I do mean small, compared to the ones in the greenhouses she's tiny.
She was blowing back and forward and MrsG had to hold the green thingy behind her so I could get any semblance of focus.

Her legs and head are a red-blonde which the green background somewhat neutralises. One I'll keep an eye on though.

[fredg]

Breaking news!

Male Araneus survives mating!

This is Top Greenhouse No3 being visited by a male. Now I've never seen a male Araneus before, never mind watch him in action- and - he gets away with it 

[fredg]

Broken News

Well he tried his luck again and looked to be successful with the mating . The only problem was that she ate him this time.

R.I.P.

[fredg]

This is a 12" (30cm) tub I'm using for 3 Drosophyllum. The copper tape I already had and I put it on really to use it up. The intention was to fit up a length of an Electric Slug Fence around the tub. However, I thought if I already had a potential circuit around the tub why didn't I just wire the copper tape up. Here it is, it's a 9v battery connected to the top two copper tape rings. The slug or snail travelling from one to the other will make the circuit and Fzzzzz, a little discomfort to make it turn back.
For a connection I simply stuck on a couple of copper tape tabs and fed the wires through and twisted them on. ( I had some ready made wired croccodile clips but for some reason I couldn't get a current through them).

[mark smyth]

real or fake insects under the lid of my Nepenthes?

[mark smyth]

Aphids which are now gone

[fredg]

 

[fredg]

Dinner time for some of the Araneus.

[Michael J Campbell]

A packed lunch. 

[fredg]

A packed lunch. 

And a bottle (Blue)