Black and Yellow Cranefly

With the warm temperatures of the last few days, I leave my office window open, and insects get in at night. This morning, arriving to work I found this cranefly, likely Nephrotoma flavipalpis, recognisable by the dark spot towards the end of its wings and mostly yellow head. Its bulbous - as opposed to pointy - abdomen indicates it is a male. He landed on the box of the Concise Edition of BWP, which provided a suitable white background, although the leg of a flamingo is visible in the photo below.

Crane Fly halteres

This Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs (possibly Tipula scripta) got into the house and I gave a try to getting its portrait on a white background. It is pleasantly surprising how many insects that I expect to fly away immediately do actually stay still through my white bowl session. The little knobbed structures sticking out at the sides of the body are the halteres, typical of all flies but more prominent in these large flies. They evolved from the hindwings and when in flight move in opposite directions as the wings and are involved in balancing and steering and contribute to the exquisite flying abilities in the group, although crane flies themselves are weak, wobbly fliers

The sunny side of the fence

The outside of our garden fence is east facing. Many insects and spiders like to bask on it: even normally ground loving invertebrates climb up on it to get the sun a bit earlier. In the last few days I have been watching (mainly) spiders on the fence early in the morning. The male Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) on the top shot, warms up on the side of the fence, in almost the same spot every day.

After warming up yesterday he went down to the weeds at the base of the fence to hunt, and caught a greenbottle fly

A crane fly resting, legs outstretched on the fence.

A male Xysticus cristatus, much darker in tone than the female. This is a ground dwelling crab spider and he was basking about 10 cm from the ground, but it is much easier to spot on the fence.

And an eager male Wolf Spider displaying to the female. Alternatively lifting each palp, trembling and getting closer to her very slowly on tiptoes. She kept tapping the ground with their front legs, and didn't miss a movement. When he got very close, almost touching her, she retreated cautiously, tapping regularly.