![]() ![]() This is a hornet-mimic hoverfly with the scientific name Volucella zonaria. However, I was delighted to be visited by what we all at first thought was a hornet (come on, admit it) but turned out to be a hoverfly. I feel that autumn has come early in my garden. Wishing you a happy Bank Holiday Monday if you’re actually able to have one because you’re either English, Welsh, Northern Irish or not having to work through it.īack in the garden, after last week’s infidelity, it’s quietening down big time. More macro Posted in Macro Tagged Ballus chalybeius, jumping spider, jumping spiders, Macro, Macro photography, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Miii, Olympus Zuiko 60mm f2.8 macro, Salticidae, Zebra jumping spider Macro Monday: the fly we both thought was a hornet You could say the same for its ability to communicate and gather information. Nature conservation in the UK is claimed to be better when bigger and more joined up. Thankfully organisations like BAS are active on sites like Twitter to speak up for spiders and to engage with people online. One of conservation’s big problems in the UK is its insularity and misanthropic tendencies. Looking at the map of their records, it has not yet been recorded in this part of West Sussex. I tweeted the British Arachnological Society and they were happy enough that it was this family, with only one species within that family in the UK. I put the photos on iNaturalist and an Italian spider expert gave an ID of Ballus chalybeius. The pics are grainy and nowhere near portfolio quality, but that’s not what matters here. I spent some of the time checking out one of the fences where I’ve found lots of interesting species like hornet-mimic hoverflies, digger wasps and jumping spiders (above).ĭuring one break I noticed a tiny jumping spider exploring one of the posts and attempted some snaps. ![]() I am stuck at a computer all week at the moment and these micro-macro garden safaris are keeping me ‘productive’. Most of my macro is getting done through intensive 5 minute breaks during my working day, in which I take rushed and low quality photos (as seen here). Even the indoor parts of our homes are wild places at macro level. One got into difficulty recently and was captured as prey by another window-dwelling species. I love to see them in my house, exploring the doors and window frames. More macro Posted in Macro Tagged jumping spiders, Macro photography, Salticidae, Salticids, Spiders, Zebra jumping spider, Zebra spiders Macro □: is that a nationally scarce spider sitting on the fence? I hope it found what it was looking for (unless you were the thing it was looking for!). I helped the spider back out onto the windowsill where it wandered along the draught excluding brush. I presume the spider was hunting for prey, or perhaps even looking for a mate. They are seen below the pedipalps, what are effectively reporoductive organs for spiders. One part of the spider that I really wanted to share is its fangs. Their name obviously comes from their black and white patterning. I helped the spider onto my finger tip which, though the photo isn’t focused properly, does show how small (and harmless) it is.Īnd here is a reminder to you all of how most macro photos come out – out of focus. I knew this would be a good chance to try and get some good photos of the spider because there are few places to hide. I have actually also had a starling find its way in. Regardless, I found a zebra spider on the wall of my living room, which I now appreciate is just a giant invertebrate trap. You can only identify them with microscopic assessment of their genitals, which is beyond this blog. The first jumper I ever saw or photographed was one of the zebra spiders, of which we have three species in the UK. My favourite group of spiders are the jumping spiders, the salticids. Of course it’s different for arachnophobes. I do wonder how much the tales of antipodean killer spiders has made people in England, where there are no venomous native spiders, needlessly fearful. I recently purchased a spider ID guide (Britain’s Spiders by Bee, Oxford and Smith) and it’s helped me to gradually open a better understanding of these, well, misunderstood animals. My spider knowledge is basic and these posts, their photos and required dip into spider ecology (arachnology) helps me to improve that knowledge. ![]() I know that this blog has focused a lot on spiders this year. ![]()
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