Sunny with few showers.
Count the spots on the Ladybird to the left. There IS a 13-spot Ladybird, but this is just a 10-spot with 13 spots. Why? The real 13-spot has a large black area in the centre of the white area in front of the wings and is longer and thinner, but the black pattern on the white area in this specimen is perfect for a 10-spot. It's a tricky old life....
The ladybird on the right is a standard 7-spot.
A nice top-shot of the Empis stercorea shown on May 25.
Two shots of a Soldier Beetle - Cantharis pallida.
Seeds of Herb Bennet (left) and Herb Robert (right)
This is the micromoth Celypha lacunana. The life-cycle is shown here: Celypha lacunana
I keep hoping these Helophilus pendulus will turn out to be something else.
The first of the larger Ichneumonids for the year. Excellent antennae.
Aphids don't really care what plants they eat, as long as they have sap. These are on Nettle.
Two very tiny specimens. A Harvestman on Cleavers (left) and a minute (2-3mm) Flower Bug on the right.
In May I showed a specimen of Nettle Rust. This is the mature specimen with sporing cups evident on outer and inner surfaces of the gall. The specimen on the right might be another early sample, but it isn't usually so red.
A female Platychierus scutatus on nearly-open Ground Elder. About 12mm long.
