The Isle of Skye, folks. Somewhere I’d always read about, never thought I’d actually go!
Fossils we found at the Flodigarry fossil walk:
The fairy pools walk on the Isle of Skye:
Armadale, while waiting for the ferry to Mallaig:
Cairngorms National Park, no longer on the Isle of Skye:
Speyside Dolphin Center.
Like I’m going to go that far and not take photos of insects. A syrphid fly:
Ain’t no love like outlaw love! Two robber flies (Asilidae) making baby robber flies. Perhaps Efferia estuans (EDIT: better identification given was Neoitamus flavofemoratus. Notice the bicolored legs.)? I’ve nicknamed them Bonnie and Clyde.
Dun skipper female.
Terrible photo, but I think it’s a velvet ant, so I’m enthusiastic:
Slaty skimmer
No surprise: shooting dragonflies aflight is hard.
Lacewing larva:
I got my act together and collected some of my favorite insect and spider photos from 2015 onwards into one page: https://alittlewild.blog/best-insect-photos/insects-and-spiders-2015-17/ .
This blog has grown, and isn’t that easy to go through any more. So I’ve collected my personal favorites into one place (well, several places, but the principle is the same). They’re linked from here. Hope you enjoy them!
To be clear, these are mostly “landscape” photos, except that “landscape” incorporates “macro”, too — but there is a minimum of insects and spiders in these photos, by choice. I’ll try to collect those separately.
Female stag beetle:
A rather unusually colored assassin bug, Zelus luridus, was suggested. I’m not sure how to distinguish this from the lupine bugs, such as https://bugguide.net/node/view/2721/bgimage — presumably, it’s the shape of the head, and the mouthparts?
Bufo americanus, American toad.
These moths were everywhere. Angle moth was suggested.
Stiletto fly? I’m a little stumped. (EDIT: suggested that snipe fly was more likely).
Tiny beetle. Mordellidae, tumbling flower beetle.
Cixiid planthopper, I think. As a starting point for identification, you can look at Cixius?
Pisaurina mira, Fishing spider:
Closeup of Queen Anne’s Lace:
Some new ways of looking at Queen Anne’s Lace:
A very short walk, so just a few quick snaps. The Vernal Pool loop, and the highlight was certainly the frogs who were exuberantly crying out for love at every vernal pool on the trail.
Woodlouse, Armadillidium vulgare:
What I love about insects and spiders, they’re happy to visit you at your home. This gorgeous lady came by today, even though it’s snowy outside. Platycryptus undatus is the name, by the way.
Which crop works best? I can’t quite resolve it.
I was pretty excited that this morning was rainy, because taking photographs like these has been on my mind for a while. Not the easiest photos to take, but it was a fun effort, regardless of the product. What you’re seeing here is the final result of a couple of hours of effort in the rain — but I couldn’t ask for a better morning.
This is one time I wish I had a better camera — superior high ISO performance would have really improved these photos.
a little wild 