Been out and about over the last couple of months with the better weather trying to photograph insects with my macro lens. Getting the exposure, shutter speed and aperture right is a tricky business but the more you do it the better you get.
The main advantage of using the macro to get images is that it helps greatly in being able to identify many of the species. Of course that isn't always possible, some require a specimen to study under a microscope, but at least I can get them to right family with a help of the internet and books.
If you disagree with any of the identifications or can add any names to things I can't, please shout 😊
6-spot burnet moth caterpillar
Broad bordered bee hawkmoth - there has been at least 2 individuals around the garden this spring feeding on the red valerian. Much slower in their flight than hummingbird hawkmoth making them slightly easier to photograph.
Two species of nomad bee. The top 2 are (I think) blunt-jawed nomad bee from Dersingham Bog and the final 3 are Lathbury's nomad bee from Syderstone Common.
A few dragons from the recent hot weather. Male emperor (2), recently emerged female ruddy darter (?) and a couple of male red-veined darters that arrived on the coast last week ahead of the surge in hot weather.
Hummingbird hawkmoth. Smart when they are in flight feeding with the flash of orange in the wings but boring as hell when they are perched up. Something that you don't see very often.
Ichneumon wasp sp with its caterpillar lunch. I thought the caterpillar was a large heath butterfly but that doesn't occur in Norfolk so does anyone know what it is?
Fat-thighed beetle
Small heath butterfly
Silvery leafcutter bee from Burnham Overy dunes. This took quite a while to identify and in the end the kind people of Twitter came to the rescue. Even when I knew what it was I couldn't have identified it from the book!
Sharp-tailed bee sp from Burnham Overy dunes
I think that this is some kind of wasp sp but I can't find anything that matches in the books.
The main advantage of using the macro to get images is that it helps greatly in being able to identify many of the species. Of course that isn't always possible, some require a specimen to study under a microscope, but at least I can get them to right family with a help of the internet and books.
If you disagree with any of the identifications or can add any names to things I can't, please shout 😊
6-spot burnet moth caterpillar
Broad bordered bee hawkmoth - there has been at least 2 individuals around the garden this spring feeding on the red valerian. Much slower in their flight than hummingbird hawkmoth making them slightly easier to photograph.
Two species of nomad bee. The top 2 are (I think) blunt-jawed nomad bee from Dersingham Bog and the final 3 are Lathbury's nomad bee from Syderstone Common.
A few dragons from the recent hot weather. Male emperor (2), recently emerged female ruddy darter (?) and a couple of male red-veined darters that arrived on the coast last week ahead of the surge in hot weather.
Hummingbird hawkmoth. Smart when they are in flight feeding with the flash of orange in the wings but boring as hell when they are perched up. Something that you don't see very often.
Ichneumon wasp sp with its caterpillar lunch. I thought the caterpillar was a large heath butterfly but that doesn't occur in Norfolk so does anyone know what it is?
Fat-thighed beetle
Small heath butterfly
Silvery leafcutter bee from Burnham Overy dunes. This took quite a while to identify and in the end the kind people of Twitter came to the rescue. Even when I knew what it was I couldn't have identified it from the book!
Sharp-tailed bee sp from Burnham Overy dunes
I think that this is some kind of wasp sp but I can't find anything that matches in the books.
