A shot from a few months ago, I've got such a backlog to get through after not posting much this year! This lovely critter is a male hairy yellow faced bee (Hylaeus hyalinatus), one of the easiest Hylaeus species to Id, as well they are pretty hairy up close! These guys absolutely love the astrantia in the garden, so I was glad to get a shot of one resting on the papery flowers between feeds!
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#bee #hylaeus #yellowfacedbee #insects #insect #tokina100mm #nikond5300 #nikonmacrophotography #raynox250dcr #raynox_dcr_250 #gardenwildlife #ukwildlifeimages #nature #macro #macrophotography #insectphotography #insectphoto #cygnustechdiffuser
Happy #scorpionflyfriday. Was such a treat getting up close and personal with this strange creature - Panorpa communis, the scorpion fly that (of course) isn't actually a fly or a scorpion. They are named after the curled tails the males have, which is actually a mating 'clasper' (nice). This was a female, and if a male wants to get anywhere close to clasping he has to first bring her a 'nuptial gift' of a dead insect. Yummy. Still never seen a male irl- the search forever continues!
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#scorpionfly #nikon #nikond5300 #tokina100mm #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #insects #nature #insectmacro #macro #macrophotography #macro_vision #macro_highlight
SWIPE. An absolute treat, a few weeks ago I got away for a UK break up in the Peak District, it was glorious and bucking the normal British holiday trend it only rained once! I really enjoyed getting back into shooting, as I've not had as much of a chance recently. And to get a shot I've always wanted... I remember the rush of a good day of macro!! This beaut is a female Ichneumon wasp (Dolichomitus sp), caught in the act of oviposting into some poor unsuspecting bug, fly or beetle egg on the hogweed. Rather them than me!! Make sure to swipe to see the full pic!
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#brutalnature #wasplove #wasp #waspappreciation_#invert_macro #peakdistrict #hymenoptera #ichneumonidae #parasite #tokina100mm #nikond5300 #raynox250 #beautiful_insects_japan #earthcapture #bbcearth #bbcwildlife #macrophotography #macro_perfection #insects #arthropod_perfection
Been a good while since my last post, but the sun has started shining here to wake me from hibernation. And its always good to see old friends like this tiny little juvenile zebra spider (Salticus scenicus) patrolling the front of my house over the sunny weekend 🌞 looks like she found some lunch as well!!
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#spider #jumpingspider #spidersofinstagram #macrophotography #closeup #macro_captures_ #invert_macro #arachnidsofinstagram #aranaea #salticidae #predatorandprey #macronature #invertebratesofinstagram #arthropods_perfection #beautiful_insects_japan #earthcapture #ukwildlifeimages #macro_highlight #worldwildlifeday #nikond5300 #total_macro #tgif_insects #tokina100mm #raynox250
For you today, a lovely leafcutter bee, (megachilid sp) just look at those chompers! This busy lady had been up feeding on the teasel heads as soon as they came into flower and I love how you an see all the individual pollen grains all over her face!
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#pollinatorsandflowers #pockew #leafcutterbee #solitarybees #pollinators #megachilidae #invert_macro #nuts_about_macro #naturelovers #naturephotography #cygnustechdiffuser #insectagram #ukwildlifeimages #cupoty #bbcearth #earthcapture @bbcearth #insectsofinstagram #mat_macro_bees #macro_highlight #mat_macro #macroworld_tr #macrografias #beautiful_insects_japan #arthropod_perfection #wholelottabugs
Previously it was #waspwednesday and now it's #flyfriday and sharing a pic from spring, feels so long ago now after the crazy few months we have had! Here we have the cutest flying narwhals, the bee fly! And an in flight shot to boot!
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#bombyliusmajor #bombyliidae #diptera #insects #nature #gotcha_inflight #pollinatorsandflowers #pollinators #lockdownnature #nikond5300 #tokina100mm #nuts_about_macro #invert_macro #macro_highlight #macro_freaks #macro_alit #ew_macro #earthcapture #extrememacro
Another shot of a Buff tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestis) feeding on the vipers bugloss, sadly the plant has now nearly gone over and is looking rather straggly, so it will be another year before I get to see these pretty scenes again 💙 such is life in the garden, though it already feels like autumn is creeping upon us which I'm not quite ready for yet!
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#bumblebee #bombus #beesofinstagram #beestagram #pollinatorsandflowers #insects #arthropod_perfection #invert_macro #tokina100mm #macro_alit #macro_highlight #lockdownnature #nuts_about_macro
It's #waspwednesday over here and today we've got an absolute beast of a wasp - Gasteruption jaculator. This wasp is both an enemy of the solitary bees it parasitises and also the instagram square crop, so make sure to swipe through to see its oviposter, which is even longer than its body, in all its glory! (Still couldn't get it all in the shot tho)! And if you needed another reason to plant wildflowers in your garden, these wasps (spotted males and females recently) are absolutely loving the yarrow flowers at the moment.
#uwn_insect #insectguru #tgif_insects #raw_insects #beautiful_insects_japan #insects_of_our_world #pollinatorsandflowers #arthropod_perfection #only_macro_captures #ig_macro_clicks #macro_highlight #invert_macro #macrografias #masters_in_macro #onceupon_a_macro #earthcapture #wms_macro #soul_made_macro #ew_macro #macro_highlight #macro_freaks #macro_alit #macrogrammers #mat_macro #ip_insects #macroworld_tr @bbcearth
Last year I planted vipers bugloss in my front garden and it's finally in flower. I'd heard things about this plant and it's importance as a food source for bees, but it's one thing to hear it and another to see it up close. Any weather it's covered with bumbles, honeybees, solitary bees, so many newly emerged ladybirds chomping on aphids, spiders, and I've even found some teeny tiny parasitic wasps. Such a treat! It's popularity is down to the fact it will release nectar all throughout the day whereas normally plants dry up by the afternoon. Watch out tho it's not called vipers 🐍 bugloss for nothing, and the plant does cause a rash after touching which ads a certain amount of fun/danger when trying to get that perfect shot (my poor arms)!
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The past few weeks I've been really enjoying shooting with my new diffuser from the light master @cygnustech Got lots to share with you but for now enjoy the gorgeous flowers in such pretty shades of blue to pink, meaning you can get some really dreamy backgrounds and of course, even better with an In flight shot! 💙.
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Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
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#bumblebee #bombus #beesofinstagram #beestagram #pollinatorsandflowers #insects #beautiful_insects_japan #arthropod_perfection #ig_macro_clicks #invert_macro #tokina100mm #macro_alit #macro_highlight #lockdownnature #onceupon_a_macro #wms_macro #soul_made_macro #ew_macro #mat_macro_bees #cnc_mcu #raynox250 #nikon @bbcearth #episode1_macro #insectguru #macrografias #explore_macro #insects_of_our_world #gotcha_inflight
So many longhorn beetles out and about at the moment, and one of the smallest is Grammoptera ruficornis at about 6mm. No common name so I'm calling it the 'silky longhorn' for that lovely soft sheen you get from the silver hairs. Not the smallest beetle I've shot by far, but it's easy to forget the real size of the insects we shoot especially once you've blown them up two times!
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#naturelovers #tokina100mm #beetlesofinstagram #uwn_insect #beautiful_insects_japan #cerambycidae #arthropod_perfection #ig_macro_clicks #9vaga_insects9 #ladybird #ukwildlifeimages #macro_highlight #onceupon_a_macro #earthcapture #wms_macro #soul_made_macro #ew_macro #mat_macro #cnc_mcu @bbcearth #macro_highlight #episode1_macro #insectguru #macrografias #explore_macro #insects_of_our_world #turklikeben_macro
Time for a swipe of an especially exciting find in the garden. This strange looking beastie is a Snake fly, and I think this one has the fantastic Latin name of Xanthostigma xanthostigma (suppose they got lazy with the 2nd half) 😆 Named after their long necks, they are part of the order Neuroptera (netwinged insects) and you can see the resemblance to lacewings. I don't know a huge amount about these critters apart from the fact they are predatory and very cool looking, and a new species for the garden to record!
#snakefly #raphidiidae #raw_insects #insects #beautiful_insects_japan #arthropod_perfection #ig_macro_clicks #invert_macro #tokina100mm #macro_alit #macro_highlight #onceupon_a_macro #wms_macro #soul_made_macro #ew_macro #mat_macro #cnc_mcu #raynox250 #nikon @bbcearth #macro_highlight #episode1_macro #insectguru #macrografias #explore_macro #insects_of_our_world #turklikeben_macro #neuroptera
Now many people know that caterpillars turn into butterflies, but how many people know these little aliens turn into ladybirds? This is a 7 spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) larva, and it feels like it's been a really good year for them, at my house anyway. Mostly due to an abundance of aphids for them to eat! Has anyone else noticed this? Barely seen any harlequins either! 🐞
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#naturelovers #tokina100mm #beetlesofinstagram #uwn_insect #beautiful_insects_japan #7spotladybird #arthropod_perfection #ig_macro_clicks #9vaga_insects9 #ladybird #ukwildlifeimages #macro_highlight #onceupon_a_macro #earthcapture #wms_macro #soul_made_macro #ew_macro #mat_macro #cnc_mcu @bbcearth #macro_highlight #episode1_macro #insectguru #macrografias #explore_macro #insects_of_our_world #turklikeben_macro
