Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

This Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) was photographed near water at Cuerden Valley Park, Lancashire on 21/6/10.

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

This Four-spotted Chaser was shot at the Dragonfly Breeding Pond, Cuerden Valley Park, Lancashire on 21/6/10.

Sawfly (Tenthredo sp.)

This sawfly, Tenthredo sp. (probably T. mesomelas ) like other sawflies belongs to the order Hymenoptera which includes ants, bees, wasps and ichneumon flies. Sawflies are plant eating insects and the female lays her eggs inside the plant host. This is aided by the female having a saw-like structure on the ovipositor which is used to cut through the plant tissue. Both body shape and wing venation closely resemble ancestral forms found in fossil records that date back as far as the Triassic Period (200 million years ). The image above was taken in grassland at Brockhole Wetlands, Lancashire, 5/6/10.

Speckled Wood ( Pararge aegeria )

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria ) in woodland border, Brockholes Wetland, Lancashire, 12/6/10.

Wolf Spider, Family Lycosidae with spiderlings on her abdomen

Wolf Spiders (family Lycosidae), are hunting spiders which hunt at ground level. The one shown above is most likely a Pardosa sp. and was crossing a sandy patch of ground at Brockholes Wetland, Lancashire (12/6/10). This is a female which carries its egg sac attached to its spinner. The spiderlings climb onto the abdomen (as shown above) and are carried around for the first week or so.

Merodon equestris (The Greater Bulb-fly)

Merodon equestris ( Fabricus 1794 ) mimics bumblebees. According to Stubbs and Falk (2002)

" Merodon equestris is notable for its range of colour forms. It is able mimic a variety of bumblebee patterns such as black with red tail (eg. Bombus lapidarius), black with yellow with a white tail (eg. B. lucorum) andtawny (eg. B. pascuorum)" p304.

Its name, The Greater Bulb-fly, Large Bulb-fly of Narcissus fly comes from its habit of attacking daffodil and other bulbs.

Eggs are laid on leaves at ground level. The larvae tunnel into the bulb where they live for almost a year and then pupate in the soil. The adult is short-lived (average 17 days).

The images above were taken in an suburban garden, Darwen, Lancashire, UK 30/5/10.

Identification made by David Leicester ( Dioctria) on I-Spot.

STUBBS, A.E. and FALK, S.J.,2002. British Hoverflies: an illustrated identification guide. British Entomological and Natural History Society, London.

The Common Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

The images above of Scathophaga stercoraria were taken 28/5/10 at an altitude of 744m 0n Swirl How, English Lake District. The identification has been confirmed on I spot.

There was a large population of this fly mostly on sheep dung where they feed on smaller insects and where the females lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae which feed on other insect larvae; after which they burrow into the soil and develop into pupae.

As can be seen above, there was a notable difference in size between the males and females.

There is an incredible detailed image of the head of the Yellow Dung Fly and other insect images by Steve Gschmeissner using a Scanning Electron Microscope at

http://morrisonworldnews.com/?p=9000

Pond skater (Gerris lacustris)

The pond skater, common water strider (Gerris lacustris)

belongs to the order Hemiptera (true bugs), suborder Heteroptera.

The main feature of the order is the mouthparts which are of the piercing/sucking type.

Apart from the front pair, which are short and stubby and with which it holds its prey, its legs are elongated ,which like its body, are covered in tiny hairs. It can stand on and move across the surface of the water with its non-wetting legs, relying on the surface tension for support. Gerris is a carnivore that hunts for insects on the surface of the water and can detect slight vibrations caused by prey landing or falling on the water. It can travel at a speed of 1.5m/s across the water's surface.

The above specimens were observed in a drainage ditch on Darwen Moor, Lancashire,UK, 9/5/10.

Helophilus sp. ( H. pendulus or H. hybridus )

Helophilus pendulus Linnaeus 1758

is a common hoverfly which is usually found around puddles, ditches and shallow pond margins, but the specimen above was found in an urban garden on Convolvulus. The larvae may be found in farmyard drains, wet manure or sawdust. It appears between April and November.

Wing length 8.5 - 11.25mm

This specimen found in Garden, Darwen, Lancashire, UK , 10.9.09

Rhingia campestris Meigen, 1822

Rhingia campestris
A species of hoverfly with broad orange abdomen with black stripes along the sides. This black stripe distinguishes it from Rhingia rostrata. It has a distinctive long snout which gives it an advantage in foraging for nectar (adult male) or pollen (adult female). The larvae breed in cow dung where they are camouflaged.

Length; 7 to 11 mm

Wing span; 7.5 to 9.5 mm

This specimen in garden, housing estate, Darwen, Lancashire, UK.