Yesterday the rain gauge stopped working so I stripped it down only to find the seesaw was clogged up with spiders web. The spider must be a fast spinner to have managed to seize it solid between showers.
Here is the culprit a Comb-footed Spider. Enoplognatha ovata. These come in lots of different colours, some with one red stripe, some with no stripe at all and pretty ones like this with a pair of stripes. They all have the three black spots on their abdomen.
This is it’s egg ball in a rather attractive shade of blue silk.
This is a new insect for me. I think it is a female Grass Plant Bug. Leptopterna dolabrata.
Honey Fungus……I hope.
Jelly Antler-fungus.
Sulphur Tuft.
The Sickener.
I’ll finish this post with two I am not sure of.
Ooh spider ~ I don't think you have ever posted a spider before. Lovely markings!
ReplyDeleteYou really got up close and personal with that grass plant bug! Love the photos of the flowers and fungi too.
ReplyDeleteCool macros, Adrian. Oh, those spiders can be very fast workers!
ReplyDeleteWow---- As usual, wonderful macros!
ReplyDeleteBlue was the right idea but just for a start. You went off on many tangents. How else could you tell us about insects and fungi? Great post.
ReplyDeleteI like the egg ball Adrian it really looks delicate and fragile. The macro shots are really detailed.
ReplyDeleteA grand selection of fungi. The harebell is a beautiful composition.
ReplyDeleteThe seasaw style rain gauges are the weakest link. I have one which has stopped reporting at the moment. Anything seems to glue them up - spiders, algae, bird droppings, pine needles ......
The harebells are my favourite :)
ReplyDeleteA cracking set of images Adrian...the fungi are looking good. I tried, but couldn't find a match for the last two. The trouble with fungi is that they go through too many stages!
ReplyDeleteI think your 'new insect' is a Reed Damsel Bug (Nabis lineatus) although the Marsh Damsel Bug ( N. limbatus) is very similar, I'll leave it to you to decide!!
If you're getting what we're getting today that rain gauge will be working overtime!...stay dry...[;o)
Your macros always fascinate me, but I also love to view your landscape shots. You just do them so well.
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Love the'blue' images and the fungi shots are stunning. Spider can weave a web very wuickly to replace a broken one. Hope you are enjoyed the thousands of birds on Ailsa Craig.
ReplyDeleteAnother set of fascinating pictures. You look around the world with the inquisitiveness of a child and I mean that in a good way Adrian. Some people never seem to look - not at the details anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I enjoyed this post immensely, Adrian. Whilst I particularly liked the fungi images, the real star for me was the Harebell image - so beautiful in its simplicity and composition.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes - - - Richard
Nice assortment of pictures. I liked the flowers and the shrooms quite a lot.
ReplyDeleteNot only are the photos superb as usual but some have an attractive quality which quite took my breath away.
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