#backgardenentomology

Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Aug 07, 2026

Cooler today, but still not much activity apart from the honeybees. I did see one of my favourites however – a buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala bisonia; 🇩🇪 Büffelzikade), & will try to get a head-on shot showing where the name comes from. That said, it's an invasive species from North America, now widespread in Europe. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Aug 07, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

And close by, this small grass veneer moth (tribe Crambini) was fluttering around. It's likely a pearl veneer (Agriphila straminella; 🇩🇪 Unscheinbarer Graszünsler), & the combination of blue-grey eyes & fluffy snout is quite something. This one is native to Europe & the Palearctic. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 21, 2026

It's 21 July, the Eagle has landed, & I've taken my new camera for its first walk in the garden. The Nikon Z6 III is a fearsomely capable beast & I've barely started to set it up, but here are some first shots with the 24-200mm lens. A large carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa) & a goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 12, 2026

Didn't post these evening arthropods yesterday, but better late than never, eh? 🤷‍♂️ First, a new one for me: I've seen several genus Eristalis drone fly species over the years, but never E. arbustorum, the Eurasian drone fly (🇩🇪 Kleine Bienenschwebfliege), with its distinctive white abdomen bands. It's a female, btw. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 12, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

Not a new fly, but the irst time I've seen one this year. It's a locust blowfly (Stomorhina lunata), which lacks a German name, although Augenstreifen-Schmeißfliege is used for obvious reasons. It's also a female – males have more saturated colours. Note the enormous mouth extension in one of the shots. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 12, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

Finally, a rather shonky macro stack of a small goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia; 🇩🇪 Veränderliche Krabbenspinne) with large ambition and a large appetite. It seems to have captured a hoverfly of some kind, a scene replicated all over the garden, as we have many predatory crab spiders about. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArachnidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 10, 2026

Many new species around @mpi_astro@wisskomm.social today, in the meadows around the institute surrounded by forest, perhaps too many for me to post them all now. But here's a start: a small black & yellow fly (Conops flavipe; 🇩🇪 Wespendickkopffliege). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 09, 2026

Busy with telecons today, so not too much time in the garden. But still enough to spot some new species. First, a female red-spotted parasite fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata; 🇩🇪 Rotgefleckte Raupenfliege). Similar in abdomen colours & bristles to the various Cylindromyia tube flies, but fatter, & with a very different thorax. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 09, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

Second, another insect with a luminous orange abdomen, especially prominent given the backlighting. Not a fly this time though, rather a white-lipped blood bee (Sphecodes albilabris; 🇩🇪 Riesen-Blutbiene), I believe. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 09, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

Am a little unsure about this one 🤨 Overall, it's a pretty good match for the ornate-tailed digger wasp (Cerceris rybyensis; 🇩🇪 Bienenjagende Knotenwespe), a fairly common bee hunter. But some of the details of the black & yellow markings are slightly off – perhaps they're just rather variable 🤷‍♂️ #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 06, 2026

Nothing especially new here, as these Mediterranean spotted chafers (Oxythyrea funesta; 🇩🇪 Trauer-Rosenkäfer) were very common in the garden a couple of months ago. But this is the first I've seen in ages, which took me a little by surprise. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 06, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

And finally, just because you can never have enough cute arachnids in your life, & I haven't seen them many of them recently either ... Here's a zebra jumping spider (Salticus scenicus; 🇩🇪 Mauer-Zebraspringspinne), checking me out as I was checking it out. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArchanidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 04, 2026

Near the many bumblebees & honeybees feeding on the lavender, some leafcutter bees were patrolling the sweetpeas. Although I sometimes find it hard to separate the various species, these look to be male banded mud bees (Megachile ericetorum; 🇩🇪 Platterbsen-Mörtelbiene). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jul 01, 2026

A profitable return to the lavender bush this evening – the black & white cloak & dagger bee was there again. I'm pretty sure now that this is indeed the rare & (according to the official German Rote Liste) highly endangered Thyreus orbatus (🇩🇪 Schwarzgesichtige Fleckenbiene). A few more pictures below. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 30, 2026

Today marks the end of the first half of the year, so a brief summary of my arthropod finds so far. 326 species, with a few still to be processed & uploaded 😲 221 in my garden, 88 elsewhere locally in Germany, & 17 in Mallorca. This time last year, I'd photographed just 27 species, but ended with 195 by mid-December 😳✌️ #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 28, 2026

Not to forsake my garden arthropods completely, here are a couple from this evening, just as the Sun was setting & the temperature went down a few millikelvin. First a red cabbage bug (Eurydema ornata; 🇩🇪 Schwarzrückige Gemüsewanze) in its away strip, & then a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius; 🇩🇪 Steinhummel). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 29, 2026

While the blazing heat has thankfully subsided today, it's still warm & muggy, & uncomfortable in the sun. Which is probably why this colourful little leafhopper was seeking shade. It's Evacanthus interruptus, or Wiesen-Schmuckzikade in German. It doesn't appear to have an English name, despite being present in the UK. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 28, 2026

And while I did venture out into the garden today, it was far too hot for me & seemingly also so for many insect friends. So it's back to pictures taken on the Königstuhl earlier this week. First, a small, colourful Arched Marble, a kind of tortrix moth (Olethreutes arcuella; 🇩🇪 Prachtwickler). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 28, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

There are many moths in & around the forest atop the Königstuhl 🌳🌲 This is another example – it's an August Thorn (Ennomos quercinaria; 🇩🇪 Eichen-Zackenrandspanner), which is widespread in western Europe, but not particularly common. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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Mark McCaughrean @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social · Jun 28, 2026

Replying to @markmccaughrean@mastodon.social

On a smaller scale & with its wings rolled tightly around it, giving it a tubular form, this is a Bird-cherry Ermine (Yponomeuta evonymella; 🇩🇪 Traubenkirschen-Gespinstmotte). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

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