The stone dwellers

When repotting a Rosemary I disturbed this Brown Centipede (Lithobius forficatus) which had taken residence at the bottom of the pot. It obviously was taken aback and sat still on the ground for a few moments so I went to grab the camera. Centipedes lose moisture from their bodies quite fast, as they lack an impermeable layer in their integument, so they live in moist environments and are most active at night. For this reason, when exposed from their hiding places under stones, logs (or pots!) Brown Centipedes tend to run away from the light as fast as they can and scuttle under the nearest dark crevice. These common centipedes are carnivorous or detritivorous, feeding on springtails, aphids, flies, spiders, mites, millipedes and molluscs which they immobilise with a venom they inject through fang-like apendages located at the sides of their head.

A close up of the Brown Centipede showing its fattened head with eyes made of a cluster of simple eyes (ocelli), the side of their fangs under its head and their long mobile antenna.

I found this cluster of eggs under a pot last May and a Lithobius next to them. Unfortunately, the little information on eggs I found describes that they lay eggs singly and bury them. I counted 42 eggs here.

Although quick, the Brown centipede is a small animal, up to 3 cm in length, and due to its habits, hard to watch. In contrast the longest centipede can reach over 30 cm. Watch a video of this giant centipede, Scolopendra gigantea, moulting and searching for prey in this post of The Bug Whisperer.

Dronefly portrait

I photographed this female dronefly, Eristalis tenax, sunbathing on the Phlomis bush. I like the soft green of the leaves and I played with the depth of field to make the background blurry. If you download the large version of the photo you can see yellow pollen on the fly's legs and some has transferred to the leaves. The only flowers nearby were a few crocuses, so I guess the dronefly had been feeding on them before.

Third bumblebee of the year

A funny title you'd think. Well, I saw my first bumblebee on the 10th, then another on the 13th (both flying over and unidentified) and today, finally I saw one close enough for identification: a Buff-Tailed bumblebee or Bombus terrestris on a pot. Flew quickly away before I could take out my camera (the photo on top is from october 2008) but at least I got a clear ID. It hasn't been particularly sunny today, but it is noticebly milder, around 10 oC, and things are quickly changing in the garden. The Grape Hyacinth flower spears are pushing through the leaves, box buds are bursting. The two last dormant ladybirds on the monkey puzzle have finally broken their long sleep and are moving about.

Sweet Snowdrops

I cannot get enough of the sunny weather we are having during March. Today, Honey Bees were foraging on Snowdrops and Crocuses. The one on the top photo was clearly collecting pollen, retreating after entering each bloom and hovering while rubbing their legs together. A full pollen basket is clearly visible.

There were two honey bees at the same time in this crocus.

I also saw my first bumblebee today, flying high over my garden, so I couldn't ID it. I was a bit surprised Anthophora wasn't the first bee of the year.

A glimpse of Spring

We've had a wonderful sunny start of March. Mornings are still frosty, but - compared to the past three long, cold, cloudy and gloomy months - spring seems to be on its way. The first Grape Hyacinths (Muscari racemosum) of the year have opened, joining Snowdrops, Crocuses and Primroses. Today I've been tidying up in the garden. There have been many plant casualties of this unusually cold winter, but the survivors have started to grow, buds are thickening and leaves slowly unfurling.

A Wolf Spider (above) walked on a white wall and settled on an Ivy leaf to sunbathe.
 The pair of 7-spotted ladybirds, of which I wrote before, are still nestled together amongst the spiky leaves of the monkey puzzle tree. They have been there since early November. In contrast, I have seen active ladybirds in more sunny positions in the garden, enjoying the sunshine and hiding again afterwards.

A 7 spot ladybird enjoying the sun

A Bluebottle feeding on an Ivy leaf

Unidentified fly