Birds, Leps, Observations & Generalities - the images and ramblings of Mark Skevington. Sometimes.

Saturday, 2 March 2013

Garden Bits

Ran the 80W/11W Actinic/CFL combo trap last night. It was looking distinctly empty around midnight but there was one moth in it this morning - a slightly tired looking Dotted Border.


Later this morning there was some nice bright sunshine which brought a bit of activity in the garden, with a few flies hanging around and a couple of other bits ....

7-Spot Ladybird

Nursery Web Spider

I potted up a springtail on Thursday late afternoon whilst out walking in my square, which looked a pale yellow and wasn't very hairy. I couldn't match it to anything in a Collembola key and left it in a pot with some moist soil for another day. When I looked again today I was surprised to find that it was no longer pale yellow and bald, but was now a dark grey, very hairy and clearly Pogonognathellus longicornis. I just hadn't thought about springtails moulting through instars which I presume is what happened. I'll try and get a photo tomorrow but I'm not having much success with springtail photos - here's a couple from the garden today (photographed on the underside of a lifted slab at a jaunty angle):

Orchesella villosa

Orchesella cincta

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