The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 22⁰C, minimum 11⁰C. Rain is forecast but no sign of it yet! North/West wind of 14km/h with gusts up to 33km/h.
Just a few random photos from around the house and garden and this is only May!!
Brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata).
Caterpillar Lackey moth (Malacosoma neustria)...
As above.
Robber fly probably (Empis tessellata).
Garden Weevil (Phlyctinus callosus).
Shield Bug (Graphosoma-Italicum).
Bee-Beetle (Trichius fasciatus).
Greenfinch (Chloris chloris).
As above.
Leopard Slug (Limax maximus).
Hornet Mimic Hover Fly (Volucella zonaria).
As above with a tiny carpet beetle.
Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci).
Spotted Cranefly (Nephrotoma appendiculata).
A Holly Blue looking a little bedraggled. ((Celastrina argiolus).
Early Bumble Bee (Bombus pratorum).
Western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera).
Dotted Fruit Chafers (Subgenus Oxythyrea).
Shield Bug (Graphosoma-Italicum).
Fly Genus (Chloromyia).
Froghopper, (family Cercopidae).
Green shield bug (Palomena prasina).
Hover Fly (Eristalis tenax / Eristalis similis).
Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci).
Western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera).
Nymph of a great green bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima).
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).
As above with a pollen sac.
Scabious flower with one of the Furrow Bees.
Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae).
European common blue (Polyommatus icarus).
Dotted Fruit Chafers (Subgenus Oxythyrea).
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina).
As above.
Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum).
Poppies seen while out for a drive,
The Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis).
Tongue Orchid (Serapias lingua).
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).
Woodcock orchid (Ophrys scolopax).
I will try to visit you all soon but so much going on here and spare time is at a minimum. You are not forgotten.
Great photos of these critters. The third photo is an incredible shot of that caterpillar. I am glad those insects are so small. Imagine them the size of even a mouse. Scary! That slug has a great pattern! Love the blooms.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie, that caterpillar has such an amazing face :-) Haha, can you just imagine them all being big, though we had a giant spider on the door the other day, no camera close at hand, but they are not my favourite insect anyway!! I hope all is well, take care Diane
DeleteTime just flies by quickly...a half year is gone..before you know it, X'mas is right there. Gorgeous macro shots! That caterpillar looks fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, you are right time seems to go faster and faster. It was always so slow when I went to school many years ago! I cannot believe it was 19 years ago that we bought the house in France. Keep well Diane
DeleteMe ha encantado ver tu reportaje, me gustan los insectos y las plantas. Besos.
ReplyDeleteGracias Teresa por el amable comentario. Muy apreciado. Espero que todo esté bien Diane.
DeleteI love all the shots of the critters and the flowers. Very pretty. Thanks for stopping over at the blog and saying hello
ReplyDeletePam I wish I had more time to pop over and say hello more often but time never seems to be on my side. Thanks for visiting me and passing a comment, it is always appreciated. I hope you are well, Diane
DeleteHi Diane. Only a month, much better than my recent blogging. Your photos are well worth waiting for and I find it hard to imagine that the colourful and intriguing bugs and beetles you show could be found up here in NW England. Maybe so and I just need to look with more diligence?
ReplyDeleteHi Phil, I am sure you have them around but I seem to have got my eye in for looking for bugs. They are generally easier to photograph than birds which are very nervous here compared to some places - hunting I presume despite they officially cannot hunt in summer! Keep well and take care, Diane
DeleteI love all the critter/insect pics. So colorful and such great shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam, I hope that you are soon feeling better, Diane x
DeleteOutstanding macro photography Diane, your photos are always amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise for the kind comment, it is much appreciated. Cheers Diane
DeleteSo many great shots! The shield bug is pretty cool looking.
ReplyDeleteThose Shield bugs are very attractive and this year we seem to have more than normal! I hope all is well with you, Cheers Diane
DeleteOrchids are just so remarkable. I hope that the leopard slug is not as dangerous as it sounds!
ReplyDeleteStewart M - Auckland, NZ
The wild orchids here are amazing. Thankfully I do not seem to have a lot of slugs here but the snails make up for that. I guess being a leopard slug is not much different to being any other slug!!
DeleteCheers Diane
Hope you had a good sleep Diane, dreaming about creepy crawlies? That Caterpillar Lackey moth looks like Dougal from The Magic Roundabout. Watched it with the grandkids - honest.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil, I never seem to sleep well these days, something handed on from my mother I think!! I must look up Dougal, I never saw the The Magic Roundabout in Southern Africa. Keep well Diane
DeleteHi Diane - extraordinarily brilliant photos - I love seeing them ... I agree the Lackey moth has an uncanny resemblance to Dougal ... though I don't know Dougal that well but Phil's comment resonated! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI never saw the Magic Roundabout in Rhodesian days so I never got to see Dougal. Thanks for the visit, Cheers Diane
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