1 x Small Tortoiseshell.
Dry and sunny.
A stack of old fence panels had clearly been providing shelter for a number of creatures:
This frog had been living under the stained panels and its skin colour matches the stain. |
This frog was found in the open. |
|
A Smooth Newt also emerged from between the panels. |
As did this spotted slug. |
This snail was one of many that had also been disrupted and were moving to a shadier part of the garden.
The panels were thoroughly rotted and this fungal mycelium was discovered between several of them.
Another part of the garden was still relatively intact and I found a few interesting insects lurking there. This fly reminds me of one of the Asilids, but investigations are continuing.
The first of the second-generation Small Tortoiseshells was basking in the sun.
A new wasp for the site, and an interesting one. This has been identified as a male Ancistrocerus, a Mason Wasp. These make solitary burrows in soft stone and lay their eggs in them. The burrows are often found in communal clusters, but each remains separate. Closest match I've found is Ancistrocerus trifasciatum, but microscopic anaysis would be required to confirm this.