The "What is this bug?" thread

Mad Mike

Nomad
Nov 25, 2005
437
1
Maidstone
I Have posted this picture somewhere before, but it is a good fit for this thread

Spiderscorpian.jpg



The scorpion doesn't like being caught in the web, the spider is sensibly keeping its distance (now). I wonder when it lost a leg?
Another Italian picture

Mike
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Ah HA!

Poplar Hawk Moth - Laothoe populi fits perfectly though.

I was going to post this. the two larevae look very similar, but on Poplar Hawk Moth the last pale stripe continues up onto the projection, like in the picture, whereas the projection is green in Eyed Hawk Moth.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Re the Italian spider and scorpion. The spider is Pholcus, probably P. phalangioides, a very common house spider, but in Italy you also get P. opilionoides, and I can't distinguish them from that pic.

For the scorpion I can do little more than guess, but from that pic Euscorpius flavicaudis is a possible, based on size alone.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
By the way, if it comes to it, the spider will win every time in a fight, as it can entangle the scorpion with silk using its legs, without ever getting its body anywhere near enough to be grabbed or stung. I've seen them do it.
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
Found a few butterflies out wandering yesterday including a gorgeous Peacock Butterfly that was most obliging in letting me get close enough.

Comma
IMG_00351.jpg


Male Green-Veined White
IMG_00332.jpg


Speckled Wood
IMG_00171.jpg


Peacock
IMG_0026.jpg


Also found this little critter on a bramble looks like a shield bug of some sort?
IMG_00401.jpg
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
very good butterfly pictures. That's a juvenile shield bug.

ta very much I reckon I could get into entomology I've got a few butterfly and moth guides might have to get some for other creepy crawlies too. I saw hundreds of dragonflies but they were too active to get any pictures, some really good-sized ones too
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
This was on the window sill this morning, I can't id it, thought the experts would inform me. :)

wazza.jpg

But first you thought you would try us, eh? :rolleyes:

I think that is a hoverfly of ther genus Neoascia. I'd need to see the wing veins clearly to be sure though.
 
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Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Oh well, if you are going to ask for correct answers, then I'll have to get the hoverflies book out, study it hard, and then end up agreeing with you...

Hang on.

Oh alright then :)

Neoascia has something of a waist, and this doesn't, and this also has a yellow scutellum. S. scripta as stated, althou as I said, for hoverflies being able to see the wing veins makes it a lot simpler.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,166
159
W. Yorkshire
Another spider for you. This one had a web on our alpine strawberries, that stretched to the wall about 2ft away. THe spider was maybe 10mm long in the body, 20mm ish leg span.

It was a lighter colour. The camera just didn't like the white background. :)
P1020090.jpg
 

Bushwhacker

Banned
Jun 26, 2008
3,882
8
Dorset
Another spider for you. This one had a web on our alpine strawberries, that stretched to the wall about 2ft away. THe spider was maybe 10mm long in the body, 20mm ish leg span.

It was a lighter colour. The camera just didn't like the white background. :)
P1020090.jpg

It's a Cross spider isn't it?
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Yes, its a common garden spider, aka cross spider, aka diadem spider, aka St George's spider, aka Araneus diadematus. Looks like an attractively marked one though.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,166
159
W. Yorkshire
Found a hawk moth caterpillar today about 3" long, with a lovely blue tail. :) Pics were taken on my phone so not as good as they should have been.

Some idiots had been ripping bark from some cherry trees, they were a right mess, axe wounds in them, trees nearly "ringed" where bark had been removed. Litter everywhere. (bushcrafters my bottom). This "piller was on that bit, it looked to be making for a chunk of resin which was still tacky.

07911C96-65DF-4A2C-B8F6-578A221F365A-1106-0000008DCC2DD446.jpg

25BA3D5D-1F1A-4372-8575-ECE18A97DAF0-1106-0000008DC523A3CB.jpg

8204E47F-A8D9-4B0A-8F2C-1E11F7D62CE9-1106-0000008DB25EF6DA.jpg

175ADC45-BE2F-4748-8FA1-0DD98FC71AAE-1106-0000008DA4AFD3C6.jpg
 
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