As summer seems to have returned to southern England, I thought I'd offer something a bit lighter and essentially photographic rather than any in-depth diagnostic morphology or analyses of gall contents (though these will return...). Instead, here's a selection of splendid invertebrates from Ovington water meadows near Winchester - the site is managed for nature conservation and is a centuries-old water meadow system of sluice-controlled channels, grasslands, scrub and mill-stream. Enjoy!
Starting with the flies (Diptera):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmhNMfqQxg-atwGD9HXC7ZNl02bNEsxKbS8-UqJjns8JU2tauNyKnhstW1apFtPiaEYM0gavw86E_C1Gg_gkRhGaj9vt7dcYO-BtzqKWUfF3_4m2-Pg_45XfGJjAJONI5MFeB-mw3klK9/s400/noonfly1b.JPG) |
The Noon-fly (Mesembrina meridiana) often seen basking - distinctive yellow-gold wing-bases on an otherwise black fly. This one was busily engaged in leg-cleaning behaviour. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtd0FsPD3OuSC5uG8qIUAKn1GE0MCEerO2UUF4wRVRMIbcfHv9K1S9_pAUDimurwE-YMOgjyaKgSotHkpU83jva6tJgnEhPHcZBJmS2KOEOxD6LFthKiiux_pPzUIDpCMVCCEO0hpEtvpv/s400/owmhfly1a.JPG) |
A hoverfly of the genus Helophilus feeding from umbellifer flowers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEoKt3UZ788s6vAk6OFhsKmfTfkcQ-YXJde9f1Bar85ImDwmhsdUlhO4ZQCSDVSDQO3un05aKc5PqtDYedpyTtFPiDQPPx3MdbCLmHnQuOZUgEPkQPi4aZ2eqvj6SgAzKdPcS76Pkqqqk/s400/calobatap1b.JPG) |
The stilt-legged fly Calobata petronella perched on a leaf. |
And of course some beetles (Coleoptera):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyF1ZRfihr7awtdQEIMTDMw82JfeavLn1pfqlTG_w44c1jiqFR4nfR9ln-XJwD72lvoeLdeNghfAJLhBpJwipz3nj6AUqaRoTq_mNYJT2hYxXAFgK4aI9r3WOAjaam8pB1vWlJU4ykOJw/s400/cardinalb1a.JPG) |
A splendid Red-headed Cardinal beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMM4gfvrLuqwTB2q2KbnGJO46XzX9P4cqqUkeGCEFAZQVMVw6LxQugQnBw01Oc2Euh18CH0lTph75UZHX6l81Pyg6_-JAXp_y9gCKJQWFwn_kQOhQ29GvO-shf5pxndOmAWJ3jjU-Uds70/s400/agapanthia1a.JPG) |
An (IMO) even more splendid longhorn beetle, Agapanthia villosoviridescens |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnB1dQQc7CdRP9yOy_g-urRtoyy9mGBYWfYxFGPTVMHvOnvrTXFFTsuLzyNZVmiWGzuiRRxkXP5HQazT4gzLxmGQe6Uzz4eLr5Vysy_cHJIOOf66RTnn25H-diB1BykBzCoOwMJcJ28u-/s400/canthx1a.JPG) |
Guarding its patch of umbellifer flower, a soldier beetle of the genus Cantharis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPT7Q1-KMx9aPL6T1naBpv4l7mLifeBny44dAKG048ohW0b8-hbCIHQc7P1EUg6sHC775ZJ2OIRN5IP1feK5lOP3pjfUwXa4-UaMkmTUPNolm0_Lu9K-8QEI8ROYeDhRgtwsbXub-Z3sUM/s400/donaciax8a.JPG) |
One of the Donacia reed beetles - in my specialist area, the family Chrysomelidae. Look out for a post on Donacia soon, including colour variants from this site. |
Now onto a possibly less familiar group, the scorpion-flies (Mecoptera):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrwrS83GR_KQffGoclhYjqFzL01-hD6jQi2hEQSuUZJ0vKmiz0NYp4X-YGeOGxfurvLmGlDEDjPaROL88ybU6FAIOAjdVUGM5WyiAKPoV6epk2O2jaHUqSW6tmXaEGAGyjJWLM2nV2mVZ/s400/panorpa1a.JPG) |
A female of the genus Panorpa - the males have a scorpion-like tail with genital capsule raised at the end. |
And finally, I couldn't look at a wetland ecosystem without at least one specimen of Odonata:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vn8uevNCTBZcp5W6UA_nAUwsFs38OR83lq1wX99efucCXcAzpu0WkUoYxheieReffHICaEqTthVGrDSa_-JItt3CcwCJqWsCC0a9pqy0w-sX8OsMdjepl3uovtihxdyBLKr9ZkJr2Jf2/s400/bdem5c.JPG) |
To humans, a lovely Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens; to small invertebrates, fearsome flying jaws! |
I hope you enjoyed my photographic interlude - something a little more in-depth coming this way soon...
Lovely! I really like the stripes on that hoverfly and the incredibly blue blue of the damselfly.
ReplyDeleteThanks - my personal fave was the longhorn - I'm an unashamed beetle-nerd and just gotta love those banded antennae :)
ReplyDelete