Wildlife May2010

[fermi de Sousa]

I found a few pupae while re-potting bulbs and this moth hatched out of one!

Any idea whay it might be and is it likley to do damage to the bulbs?
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Looks like a geometrid of some kind Fermi. Possibly Oenochroma vinaria , the Pink Bellied moth? The caterpillars are called 'loopers' here and 'inch worms' (as in the Burl Ives song) in the USA. They munch the leaves of Grevillea, Banksia and Hakea spp., so not likely to damage bulbs.

[mark smyth]

I hate mistakes in wildlife programmes. Two stupid mistakes on The Seasons.

froglets were actually toadlets - I think
flying swans were spoonbills

[fermi de Sousa]

Looks like a geometrid of some kind Fermi. Possibly Oenochroma vinaria , the Pink Bellied moth? The caterpillars are called 'loopers' here and 'inch worms' (as in the Burl Ives song) in the USA. They munch the leaves of Grevillea, Banksia and Hakea spp., so not likely to damage bulbs.

Thanks, Anthony!
It makes sense as the pots were under a Hakea suavolens - how anything could eat its foliage is a mystery!
cheers
fermi

[mark smyth]

rat catches a starling

[Anthony Darby]

Seems like the starling flew away?

[mark smyth]

oops wrong link. This one is pulled in

[Anthony Darby]

My goodness.

Saw my first Lily beetle yesterday on a Cardiocrinum seedling. A friend in Dunblane, coincidentally, produced another in a poly bag last night at a quiz night I was at. This is worrying: http://www.rhs.org.uk/science/plant-pests/lily-beetle

[mark smyth]

A neighbour just called me over to see a spider in case it is not from here. I dont look closely at spiders but this one is different. The colour is dark orange with pale orange legs. The abdomen is tapered. The only photo I have is on the mobile phone. I'll take it off in a while

[Anthony Darby]

I took a walk along the Antonine Wall across the road outside out school this morning. There are two oak trees on the south bank of the wall (ditch really) and several within touching distance in a row about 10-15 metres from the wall. One of the first two is heavily infested with oak apples (caused by the wasp Biorhiza pallida, many of which emerge from these spongy golf-ball sized structures). I can see none on any of the other oak trees.

[mark smyth]

The spider

[angie]

Thought my fat balls were going real fast.
Angie

[Anthony Darby]

The spider

How big is it Mark? Could be a male Coelotes atropos?

[Arykana]

dragon flies love my garden

[Anthony Darby]

A large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) and a male small blue damselfy (Coenagrion puella).