Close Up

Wasp Spiders.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

My first Wasp Spiders I have seen for a while.

Today made up for it, and I saw a good number. The female wasp spider has yellow, black and white stripes, just like a common wasp. Its legs are also striped. The male is smaller and pale brown.

The 1st picture shows a female spider with a grasshopper wrapped up, ready to be eaten.

This time, an underside view with prey.

Mating is a dangerous game for males; they wait at the edge of the web until the female has moulted into a mature form, then take advantage of her jaws being soft and nip into mate. However, many males still get eaten during this time. (The male is smaller and pale brown.) The next pictures shows that this female has killed another and will be eating her, something I have not seen before.

Some smaller meals.

Footnote.

Theories About the Zig-Zag Pattern

Warning for large animals: The thick white silk makes the web easy to see so that passing birds, deer, or humans notice it and do not crash into it.(think this is a bit of a non-starter!)

Attracting prey: The silk reflects ultraviolet light in a way that might mimic flowers and lure hungry insects closer.

Camouflage: The design may break up the spider’s outline or hide its body from sharp-eyed predators.

A long-held misconception: People once thought the pattern added physical strength to hold up the web, but researchers found that the silk is too loosely attached to provide stability.

Wood Ants.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

The southern wood ant is the UK’s largest ant species, with workers reaching up to 10mm in length and queens growing even larger at 12mm. These ants are easily identifiable by their distinctive reddish-brown colour and a contrasting black head and abdomen.

Wood ants are known for their formidable large mandibles, which they use effectively for foraging and defence of their nests. When threatened, they have a unique defence mechanism that involves spraying formic acid at potential predators. This acid not only acts as a deterrent but also serves to communicate alarm signals to other members of their colony.

They live in large colonies, which can number in the thousands, and exhibit complex social interactions that help maintain the health and functionality of their community.

Frogs.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

Marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) are Europe’s largest native frog species; they are not native to the UK. There is a colony in the New Forest, and I try to see if I can spot some at this time of year. They are colourful frogs with a range from brown to green.

Spiders.

/ Andy Finnegan / 7 Comments

About 650 spider species are found in the UK, and about 450 live in the New Forest. One of my regular encounters in the summer is the Raft Spider. Its normal habitat is near water, where it can skate on the surface. The Raft Spider can also live underwater for up to about 20 minutes. They seem to favour wild mint plants to hide on in the area where we have found them.

They are active from spring through autumn. The best time to see them is during the breeding season from May to July.

After the rain.

/ Andy Finnegan / 1 Comment

After a wet Monday and a Tuesday morning, the rain stopped, and the sun came out, so did the Dragonflies and Damselflies.

Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve.

Broad-bodied Chaser (male)

Azure Damselflies.

Large Red Damselfly.

Norfolk Hawker.

Four-spotted Chaser.

Heathland.

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Today’s post is back to my current photographs. A walk across some of the heathland in the New Forest, lots of Orchids in flower – I am not a plant expert, and a lot of the Pink Orchids look very similar, and they also hybridise. I think these are Common Spotted Orchids, but I am happy to be corrected.

A nice specimen of Oyster Mushroom growing on an old tree.

Now that we are into June, lots of foals have been born, both ponies and donkeys.

Numerous Cuckoos were both seen and heard on our walk, but all too far off to film. The highlight spot of the walk was several Redstarts. A summer visitor, the male is a handsome bird which is pinky-red below with a black face, silvery-white forehead, grey back and striking red tail. They were formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, but are now known to be a flycatcher.