Nymphs of the Woundwort Shield Bug.

Unlike the last bug, which was carved from sandstone by an ancient and now forgotten civilisation, these bugs are actually manufactured by a jeweller in Sheffield. They are made of platinum with red  copper insets and tiny gemstones around the edges and they are exquisitely beautiful. (Quite expensive too)

Well that is what I have always believed. New evidence has emerged that seems to suggest that these bugs are capable of reproducing themselves, with no master craftsmen involved.

This is a Woundwort Shield Bug. (They are quite small and so only get to occupy the middle bit of the picture)

You might remember that back in June they were getting up to hanky panky in the bushes. So much so that I was having to cover Fizz’s eyes when we went for walks.

I had never seen anything like it. So what was the result of all of this monkey business?

Try and guess what these are.

I have never seen these little animals before but there are certain clues as to what they might be. The plant that they are on is Woundwort. They are following a Woundwort Shield Bug around like little Ducklings and they are quacking.

I am pretty certain that these are the love children of the beautiful Woundwort Shield Bug otherwise known as late instar nymphs of Eysacoris venustissimus. (Actually I know that is the case because I am a naturalist)

Another one for the collection then. 🙂

Insects love their children too, you know.

Forest Shieldbug

Pentatoma rufipes. I am just continuing with my Shieldbug theme for a moment while I wait for my hair to dry (as if) 🙂 I used a picture of a forest as the header because I haven’t got many pictures of this one. All sorts of things live in the forest, there is something watching me in that picture and I will show you at the end.

Forest Shieldbug imago:

This is the nymph of the Forest Shieldbug and I think this is fifth instar.

That is just another of my collections that I am still working on.

So what was in the forest. Sorry about the quality it was a long way away and dark in there.

I see you seeing me. Don’t worry I am just looking for bugs. 🙂

Green Shieldbug

Just a little one for my own collection this is a nymph of the Green Shieldbug, Palomena Prasina.

Just like Butterflies Shieldbugs go through four moults before they reach the adult stage. So when they hatch they are known as first instar and four moults later they are known as fith instar after that they become an imago (adult).

Each instar looks a bit different than the last so when trying to collect the set you have to get all five instars and the adult. The Green Shieldbug has two different colour forms so there are twelve to collect and now I have got two of them.

Not a great count but you have to start somewhere. I think this one is a fifth instar as it’s “shoulders” are starting to develop.

I know it is a bit sad really but oh well, only ten more forms to identify. 🙂 I think that this one is a lovely colour.

Here are some older pictures of an adult Green Shieldbug.

Animal Magic

“Just like that”

It’s your destiny

The Swallows have fledged, or at least they are fledging. They are still in the nest today but they have been out and they can fly.

It has taken me a few days watching and all that you get are a couple of short video’s but for me, my understanding and the pleasure that I got from watching them makes a few days just a drop in the ocean. It was time well spent.

Anyway you should be glad that you don’t have to watch the whole twenty hours of video, that I now have to sort and delete from my machine to free up space.

Here are the best bits.

Yesterday morning there were five birds on the nest, there were five birds on the nest and then there were four birds on the nest. I had missed the very first flight and only realised when number five returned to the nest.

This first video starts with the mother calling for them to leave the nest, there is a little comic interlude of the way that they follow flies, their little heads bobbing in unison and in the last bit the second bird to approach the nest is the returning chick. Does he bring food back or do the others just think that he has?

This next video shows them leaving the nest and returning. They spent most of the day fluttering around inside the little alley way that has become their home and by the end of the day they were all settled back on the nest but this is fledging. Today I think that they have ventured outside and seen the blue sky but they still return to the nest.

These birds have made me think a lot about nature as a whole thing and about life and death in the wild. The caterpillars that I am trying to raise are falling to the parasitoid flies that these Swallows depend on for food and survival. The parents have done a really good job of raising them given the wet weather we have been having. I have often looked out in the pouring rain and wondered how they are managing to raise a brood and now this, flight.

I am so in in love and in awe of them and so damned jealous.

I am jealous because they get to eat those delicious crunchy flies, or perhaps because they can raise offspring in a matter of weeks and not the 26 years it usually takes us. Maybe I am jealous of something else altogether…..