#backgardenentomology

Unfortunately, this Nosferatu spider (Zoropsis spinimana) will have to figure out how to survive outdoors now 🤷‍♂️ It crawled out of a cardboard box that had been in the house when it was cut apart for recycling. Originally from the Mediterranean, these spiders prefer warmer indoor temperatures, but my wife is not very understanding 😬✌️ #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArachnidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Beware flying murderbots! Actually, there have been far fewer yellow-legged or Asian hornets (Vespa velutina; 🇩🇪 Asiatische Hornisse) this year than last – this is my first since April, while regular European hornets have been common. Still, always a little chilling to see these invasive predators. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Cooler today, but still not much activity apart from the honeybees. I did see one of my favourites however – a buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala bisonia; 🇩🇪 Büffelzikade), & will try to get a head-on shot showing where the name comes from. That said, it's an invasive species from North America, now widespread in Europe. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

And close by, this small grass veneer moth (tribe Crambini) was fluttering around. It's likely a pearl veneer (Agriphila straminella; 🇩🇪 Unscheinbarer Graszünsler), & the combination of blue-grey eyes & fluffy snout is quite something. This one is native to Europe & the Palearctic. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

It's 21 July, the Eagle has landed, & I've taken my new camera for its first walk in the garden. The Nikon Z6 III is a fearsomely capable beast & I've barely started to set it up, but here are some first shots with the 24-200mm lens. A large carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa) & a goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Didn't post these evening arthropods yesterday, but better late than never, eh? 🤷‍♂️ First, a new one for me: I've seen several genus Eristalis drone fly species over the years, but never E. arbustorum, the Eurasian drone fly (🇩🇪 Kleine Bienenschwebfliege), with its distinctive white abdomen bands. It's a female, btw. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Not a new fly, but the irst time I've seen one this year. It's a locust blowfly (Stomorhina lunata), which lacks a German name, although Augenstreifen-Schmeißfliege is used for obvious reasons. It's also a female – males have more saturated colours. Note the enormous mouth extension in one of the shots. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Finally, a rather shonky macro stack of a small goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia; 🇩🇪 Veränderliche Krabbenspinne) with large ambition and a large appetite. It seems to have captured a hoverfly of some kind, a scene replicated all over the garden, as we have many predatory crab spiders about. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArachnidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Many new species around @mpi_astro@wisskomm.social today, in the meadows around the institute surrounded by forest, perhaps too many for me to post them all now. But here's a start: a small black & yellow fly (Conops flavipe; 🇩🇪 Wespendickkopffliege). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Busy with telecons today, so not too much time in the garden. But still enough to spot some new species. First, a female red-spotted parasite fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata; 🇩🇪 Rotgefleckte Raupenfliege). Similar in abdomen colours & bristles to the various Cylindromyia tube flies, but fatter, & with a very different thorax. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Second, another insect with a luminous orange abdomen, especially prominent given the backlighting. Not a fly this time though, rather a white-lipped blood bee (Sphecodes albilabris; 🇩🇪 Riesen-Blutbiene), I believe. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Am a little unsure about this one 🤨 Overall, it's a pretty good match for the ornate-tailed digger wasp (Cerceris rybyensis; 🇩🇪 Bienenjagende Knotenwespe), a fairly common bee hunter. But some of the details of the black & yellow markings are slightly off – perhaps they're just rather variable 🤷‍♂️ #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Nothing especially new here, as these Mediterranean spotted chafers (Oxythyrea funesta; 🇩🇪 Trauer-Rosenkäfer) were very common in the garden a couple of months ago. But this is the first I've seen in ages, which took me a little by surprise. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

And finally, just because you can never have enough cute arachnids in your life, & I haven't seen them many of them recently either ... Here's a zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus; 🇩🇪 Mauer-Zebraspringspinne), checking me out as I was checking it out. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArchanidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Near the many bumblebees & honeybees feeding on the lavender, some leafcutter bees were patrolling the sweetpeas. Although I sometimes find it hard to separate the various species, these look to be male banded mud bees (Megachile ericetorum; 🇩🇪 Platterbsen-Mörtelbiene). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A profitable return to the lavender bush this evening – the black & white cloak & dagger bee was there again. I'm pretty sure now that this is indeed the rare & (according to the official German Rote Liste) highly endangered Thyreus orbatus (🇩🇪 Schwarzgesichtige Fleckenbiene). A few more pictures below. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Today marks the end of the first half of the year, so a brief summary of my arthropod finds so far. 326 species, with a few still to be processed & uploaded 😲 221 in my garden, 88 elsewhere locally in Germany, & 17 in Mallorca. This time last year, I'd photographed just 27 species, but ended with 195 by mid-December 😳✌️ #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Not to forsake my garden arthropods completely, here are a couple from this evening, just as the Sun was setting & the temperature went down a few millikelvin. First a red cabbage bug (Eurydema ornata; 🇩🇪 Schwarzrückige Gemüsewanze) in its away strip, & then a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius; 🇩🇪 Steinhummel). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

While the blazing heat has thankfully subsided today, it's still warm & muggy, & uncomfortable in the sun. Which is probably why this colourful little leafhopper was seeking shade. It's Evacanthus interruptus, or Wiesen-Schmuckzikade in German. It doesn't appear to have an English name, despite being present in the UK. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

And while I did venture out into the garden today, it was far too hot for me & seemingly also so for many insect friends. So it's back to pictures taken on the Königstuhl earlier this week. First, a small, colourful Arched Marble, a kind of tortrix moth (Olethreutes arcuella; 🇩🇪 Prachtwickler). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲