Richard Lewington

Yes, looks like Mint Moth caterpillar

Not certain and I haven’t got access to my caterpillar book at the moment

Little male Yellow Loosestrife Bee - Macropis europaea on its host plant by the garden pond

Not Painted Lady but a larval web of the Small Eggar moth. Nice find.

Yes, it’s a Knotgrass, Steve

The once rare Box Bug
Gonocerus acuteangulatus now found in my garden

A grey-patched mining bee sitting on a Meindl shoe. The key id features are the reddish pile on top of the thorax that contrasts with the shiny black abdomen, patches of white hairs (which look grey in the field) at the sides of tergites 1-3, and white-haired femora (from Falk & Lewington, 2017). These features are visible in the photo.

Grey-patched Mining Bee, Andrena nitida photographed on a sandy track near a former golf course in Oxfordshire today
As ever HT to Steven Falk and @rlewington2.bsky.social for their wonderful 'Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland'A

Thanks Wylie. The guide should introduce you to most of the spiders you encounter in your travels - the species appearing in it were carefully chosen.

Looks like the web and retreat of Larinoides cornutus, which occurs in damp grassland.

First damselfly of the year in the garden, a female Common Blue Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum

Hope you see them soon, Nick. They’ll be on their way!

The aerobatic Dotted Bee-fly - Bombylius discolor in the garden yesterday

Nice review by Bill Parker, of my spider guide, in the @britishspiders.bsky.social newsletter

Yes, I’m beginning to wonder if Labour is just like all the other parties, in making promises to get votes and then doing nothing.

Yes Ruth, quite a dark one.

Fine by me Rob. Agree that it’s Large White, noticeable bigger than the other two and gregarious, which is why there were several together.

Reed Bunting have just started visiting the garden, very twitchy.

I’m with Phil S. and we both think B-b W is correct

A dull breezy morning, brightened up by a lively group of Long-tailed Tits.

Sadly, this fantastic Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO lens has to go. For further details, please visit www.richardlewington.co.uk Repost appreciated

Don’t buy it then.

Don’t mind at all, Keith

Thanks Dave

This male Gadwall wont let this female Mallard out of his sight in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. He’s been obsessed with her for months.

I am giving a talk this Thursday 6 February 2025 on the Secret World of the Undergrowth featuring leafcutter bees, Beachcomber Beetles, Iberian Spoonwings and Puss Moths at Buckland-in-the-Moor Village Hall near Ashburton, Devon TQ13 7HW at 7.30 pm All welcome.

For me, It’s been nothing but spiders for the last couple of year!

Thanks for your support, Lee

Thanks Graeme

Thanks Esmond, pleased to hear that you like it.

Thanks Mark