My favourite Arsenal supporter, the taciturn Prof. T, posted a picture of what looked like a species of crab spider. However, even with the best eyes in the world positive ID is proving well nigh impossible, even with the help of Google. It also meant trawling my spider files to find a match up. During … More Incy Wincy
Attractive Crab Spider discovered this morning on a Cosmos. Cat Nip Number7 dozing on the kitchen wall. Pumpkins drying in the shed. Growing Oyster Mushrooms in buckets. Harvested these for breakfast yesterday. Very tasty. Garden Commodore. Looking a bit worse for wear in her Summer Garb. End of the season so most of her colour … More Bits ‘n Bobs
Bee Fly ( Bombyliidae) Common Red Back Crab Spider. (Misumenops rubrodecoratus) So common in fact this is only the second time I have seen one in the five years I have been photo-cataloguing the fauna at our spot! Patterned Brown Crab Spider. Never seen this variation so it was a treat to get even one … More Hanging About The Lavender
Pink Flower Crab Spider. (Thomisus ) They have been very thin on the ground the past couple of seasons but I found three this week so maybe there will be more before summer is over? The family Thomisidae is a large family with 160 genera and about 2000 known species. In Southern Africa they … More Incy Wincy
The annual African Caper White (e)migration is under way, and while by no means a record year as before there are still plenty of butterflies passing through the Ark’s spot as they make their way north and then turn right and head out towards Moçambique where they most likely die and fall into the sea. … More And here we are … 2022.
Unidentified species of fruit fly.( I think. Any help on the ID appreciated) Species of Brown Shield Bug. One I had not encountered before. Nice surprise. And talking of surprises! Rain Spider and her egg sac. Found in one of the out buildings! Rare visitor these days so such a treat when I encounter one. … More Sorry to bug you … mostly.
A rare treat indeed! Not one, not two but three Death’s Head Hawkmoth Caterpillars. All rescued from the attentions of the cats this afternoon, and carefully relocated out of harm’s way. Caterpillar 1. Caterpillar 2. Caterpillar 3. I contemplated bringing them indoors to raise them but as I have done this before I decided to … More Leading you up the Garden Path
Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe on Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow plant. Brunfelsia pauciflora. Cream-Striped Owl Moth Cyligramma latona Hawk Moth ( not sure which one) Family Sphingadae Grasshopper Garden Orb Weaver. Crab Spider. The perfect camouflage. Paper Wasp – ‘Babies’ growing nicely. Acraea, All taken over the weekend. Ark
Golden orb weaver (Nephila senegalensis) . Found in one of the Lemon Trees yesterday. Ark.
Crab Spider indulges in a spot of lunch. My second attempt at air layering one of our lemon trees. This time things turned out more successful as the newly potted tree below shows. Potted and mulched and settling in. Beetle – not sure of the species. Freshly excavated potatoes ( Boxing Day ) drying in … More Leading you up the garden path.
When I popped outside just after sunset to look at the Great Conjunction I came across this young lady making a web over some strelitzias. With the aid of a torch I was able to take a few half-decent shots. Isn’t she gorgeous! Garden Orb Weaver.
Garden Orb Weaver after first moult – Topside. 25/4/2020 Ark.
A Tale Unfolds 