The "What is this bug?" thread

Mad Mike

Nomad
Nov 25, 2005
437
1
Maidstone
Night flying europeans

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Mike
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Mike, I think you've got me with those. I have enough trouble with UK brown moths, without you widening the field to the rest of Europe :). Second one resembles a Dot Moth, but I don't think it is. Not an earthly on the first one.
 

Mad Mike

Nomad
Nov 25, 2005
437
1
Maidstone

Talking to a local RSPB warden who foolishly mentioned she liked to ID moths..... 2 emails later


[h=2]Flame Brocade Trigonophora flammea [/h]
3885.jpg


Fairly sure - cannot be certain from just a picture etc. Minimal Google foo seem to agree
recently back in the UK on the south coast it seems

Mike
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,463
492
47
Nr Chester
I saw this shot in my pics the other day. Just thought I would share it as the look on his face is one of world domination.
shieldbug1.jpg
 

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Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Out and about today, saw various bees, real and pretend.

White tailed bumblebee, Bombus leucorum
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Honeybee, Apis mellifera
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A solitary bee (can't identify it better than that)
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A bee mimicking hoverfly, usually called a drone fly, Eristalis sp
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Another bee mimicking hoverfly, though I'm unsure exactly what this one is
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A bee fly, Bombylius major
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It seems that the insects are out now, so might as well revive this thread.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Okay, here's an inchneumonid that I don't know, Hymenoptera not being a strength of mine. Anyone familiar with these? I hoped for gasteruption jaculator, but the abdomen is not right, so now I'm coming down in favour of a Torymus.

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Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I can confirm that that is a big black fly thing. Probably a Tachinid from the wing venation, but I can't say which one.

Nice peacock, and the other one is a speckled wood.
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Okay, here's an inchneumonid that I don't know, Hymenoptera not being a strength of mine. Anyone familiar with these? I hoped for gasteruption jaculator, but the abdomen is not right, so now I'm coming down in favour of a Torymus.

8707149495_01d3bbc1da_b.jpg
8708272856_9994f9b67e_b.jpg

I've done some web browsing trying to identify this, but the consensus from the experts appears to be "Give up now". There is no guide to species, even identification to subfamily is pretty difficult, and photographs or living ichneumonids are next to useless. And that's just for the UK.

So, I give up on this one.
 

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,459
525
South Wales
Does anyone know if these bee flies are different species or not? Probably a bit hard from the pictures but the buggers wouldn't sit still.

beefly1_zps55f27792.jpg


beefly2_zpsca37dfb3.jpg
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Dave, I've never seen a bee fly like that second one. Assuming it really is a bee fly (I can't tell from the pic) then I would be confident that they are different species. I'll do some googling, s you have made me curious now. :)
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
Hmm, seems there are 9 species of UK bee fly, and they are not easy to distinguish, but I can't yet find an identification resource for them. The common bee fly is Bombylius major, other wise know as the dark edged bee fly, which is probably your first one, and I know the Wildlife Trusts are interested in the heath bee Fly and mottled bee fly. I need to know more, as B. major is the only one I know of from personal experience. Out of curiosity, where did you see that second one Dave?
 

daveO

Native
Jun 22, 2009
1,459
525
South Wales
I live between Abertillery and Brynmawr. I'll keep an eye out and try and get better pics. If it's in the name of science I might have to invest in that macro lens I've wanted for ages... :rolleyes:
 

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