Insects and Spiders

[Bea]

☼ ☼

Insects and Spiders

During the last years the number of insects is decreasing, one reason is development in agriculture and the use of insecticides, as well as monocultures, but also private individuals creating "rock gardens" instead of varied gardens (better for biodiversity) is a reason, among many others.

Let´s draw our attentions to this topic with pictures of insects and spiders, which are a very important part of Mother Nature!

[Biker]

thank you, Bea!

this year i suffer a bit from empty nest syndrome.
such an important topic might help

let' s start
Yes, not only rock gardens are a problem, too tidy gardens and parks are not good either.
i discovered this spider in the hedge




so far, so good - on closer look it revealed a surprise


she clutched the nursery

[balistar]

Thank you, Bea, for the opening

and thank you for the start, Biker. Great shots


Whether it's because of the better air after the lockdowns caused by Corona, i noticed a higher number of butterflies in and around my little garden this year.
Surprisingly, i even saw a lot of Hummingbird Hawk-moths (Macroglossum stellatarum), previously not represented here.

The waiting for this dark type was rewarded...





... the peacock butterfly finally showed its beautiful colorful side

[balistar]

this Red Admiral was resting at the front door



and this Cabbage Whitefly loved the smell of the tomato leaves

[balistar]

sort of grashopper ?



this one jumped out of a rose

[balistar]

praying mantis are visitors every year





already for the 3rd time one of them has left her ootheca near the terrace

[balistar]

what this is i don't know
it came creeping inside and i let it free outside immediately after taking the photo

[balistar]

pretty long feelers



and this poor bee became prey for the white spider

[asteria]

A centipede and a spider-crab, who attacks bees.

[balistar]

A centipede and a spider-crab, who attacks bees.

Thanks asteria, i have had no clue, i only know those with the short legs.
With your help i found a picture here:
https://www.healthline.com/health/centi ... s#pictures

Yes, those white crab-spiders i have a few of them, they enjoy living in the roses.

[Biker]

I know this white one. Belongs to the Thomisidae.
It is the Misumena vatia.


I have one that eats a Lycaenidae :I

asteria

[balistar]

and more busy bees this year were guests







also Stone bumblebees and Earth bumblebees, but unfortunately i don't have a photo of them,
also lots of hoverflies and wasps came to the birdbath, drinking water, in this hot summer

[balistar]

unfortunately, any help came too late for this busy bee

[balistar]

I know this white one. Belongs to the Thomisidae.
It is the Misumena vatia.


I have one that eats a Lycaenidae :I
...

, that is a pretty big prey and a beautiful one too :(

[Susanne]

A Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi) - feasting on a wasp

[balistar]

Susanne

a moth ?

[Susanne]

Autographa gamma (German: Gammaeule, English: silver Y)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Y

[balistar]

thank you, Susanne

[Biker]

Nice observation and good shot, Susanne.
yes the wasp spider uses the climate change to advance further and further to the north.

by balistar » September 11th, 2022, 9:23 pm

Biker wrote: ↑September 11th, 2022, 8:42 pm
I know this white one. Belongs to the Thomisidae.
It is the Misumena vatia.


I have one that eats a Lycaenidae :I
...

, that is a pretty big prey and a beautiful one too :(

balistar

I am looking for the picture in my gallery..

[Biker]

Another example (Regarding climate change/increase/decrease in species numbers) from my area is the Carpenter bee, Xylocopa.
Here always earlier in the year to be observed, thus also already winters in Northern Germany.