Fred's Carnivorous Plants and other oddities

[fredg]

A couple of Helophilus sp. visited today and allowed me to take photos.

[fredg]

I was hoping that the Helophilus would return today so that I could get a positive ID using the facial stripe. I kept checking but no luck. To pass the time I took just a few photos of the Hoverflies that did visit. Here's a sample of a couple with quite a difference in size.






Yesterday an Araneus had built her web across the middle of the bottom greenhouse. I was glad to discover this morning that she'd ]moved on overnight. She now has a web on the outside of the same greenhouse connected to the hedge. she's a little camera shy but I managed to catch her in retreat.



Later on I tried again and she sat.



As soon as the shutter closed she was off again to the safety of the hedge 🙄

Meanwhile in the greenhouse, this Conophytum was continuing its display.

[fredg]

It would seem that Thursday is washing day.

[fredg]

My two Conophytum longum are still opening new flowers.



There's even more still to open on this one.

[fredg]

Today's crop of new Conophytum flowers.

C. taylorianum v. ernianum





A first flowering of C. longum v. longitubum which apparently is the same as a standard C. longum except the locale it is found in. The flower should look much better tomorrow as it emerges further from the body.



Finally another photo of the more pink C. longum with more flowers open.

[fredg]

I spotted this carapace shining on a stake and grabbed a couple of photos. I then tried to remove it from the stake to get a better look and naturally it dropped somewhere which wasn't my hand. The ID was simple though. It's a Rosemary Leaf Beetle -
Chrysolina americana a pest of rosemary, lavender, sage and thyme. As I only have one pot of lavender out of that selection, I'm wondering why it's here.

[ArnoldT]

An American living in UK!

[fredg]

Why not? You get Englishmen in NY according to Sting

[fredg]

I believe this is the first time I've photographed this species.

[fredg]

I believe this is the Hawthorn Shieldbug - Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale



* Sits quietly awaiting the butt jokes

[fredg]

Found this Harlequin patrolling the mixed Delosperma pot. Starboard wing and wing cover missing. It looks like something just discovered that Ladybirds don't taste very good.

[fredg]

A day later and the Harlequin is where I put it. I think the photo shows why it stayed.




A little group of Lithops providing some cheer.




A Titanopsis calcarea bought as 'Bizarre' finally proves, as suspected, that it isn't.




An old Pleiospilos nelii earning its keep.




The pot of mixed colour Delosperma has certainly been a plus this year. It looks good when the sun is out and has the bonus of attracting many Hoverfies.




Finally, Stomatium suaveolens keeps opening the occasional flower in late evening.

[fredg]

Conophytum verrucosum with the flower still held close to the body.



The night flowering Conophytum truncatum. Photo courtesy of a head torch.

[johnw]

Brilliantly grown Fred. Kudos to you.

johnw

[fredg]

TY John.

Meanwhile I've been up to other things.









There's plenty more still to do 🙄