.. is the name of
a famous London eatery. It's also a vital resource for insects - and therefore insect-eating birds - as the year comes to a close. Friday was sunny much of the time, and the ivy plants on the bridge over the
bief were swarming with insects.
What I know about insects could be written on a very small postage stamp, but Tim helped me with the identification, as far as the family level anyway. One critter defeated us both completely, my thanks to
Susan for identifying it. There were some very striking animals among the ones we saw and I can understand the fascination that insects have for so many people.. Here are a few.
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| 1. Ivy bee - Colletes hederae |
Colletes hederae is a recent addition to the list of European bees, being described as new to science in 1993. It was first recorded in Britain in 2001. Appropriately, it is collecting ivy pollen.
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| 2, Colletes hederae |
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| 3. Colletes hederae |
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| 4. Tapered Drone Fly eristalis pertinax, male |
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| 5. Tachinid - Ectophasia crassipennis (male) |
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| 6. Ectophasia crassipennis |
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| 7. Ectophasia crassipennis |
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| 8. Ectophasia crassipennis |
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| 9. Left - Ectophasia crassipennis Right - drone fly eristalis sp |
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| 10. As above, lightened |
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| 11. Episyrphus balteatus - the marmalade hoverfly |
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| 12. Milesia crabroniformis |
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| 13. Milesia crabroniformis |
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| 14. Drone fly eristalis spp (centre) with another small fly, probably Amphidae |
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| 15. Drone fly eristalis sp |
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16. The German wasp or European Wasp, vespula germanica, la guêpe germanique, and a friend
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