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Insects of the day

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  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Spiders are tricky. Sometimes you can tell more by where you find them and from their habits than you can by looking at them. For example there's an orb weaver called the 'missing sector spider' that's very common and you'd struggle to tell it apart from other orb weavers, but it spins a typical bicycle wheel type web that has no connecting threads between two of the spokes so you can tell it immediately just from the style of the web. Just to complicate things though there's two very similar missing sector spiders and you can only really make a guess as to which you've found by where they spin their webs. One will spin on windows and cars and the other doesn't.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It's hard when spider markings can vary so much and if they only come out at night and rush away if they see torch light.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    If you think spiders are hard try ichneumons. 2500+ species in the UK, none of which like to sit still and all basically impossible to ID. I just found this big one in the house.


    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    You're looking a trifle cadaverous today @wild edges
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    :#  I tried to take some quick photos before it flew away and the only one in focus was way over exposed. The photo on my hand shows the size though even if it doesn't do my gardener's tan justice. Luckily it landed somewhere shady for the second photo.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    A red head?
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Some of my beard hair is ginger but it gives up trying once it gets above my ears and goes back to brown. There's a lot more grey in there since having kids though :| 
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    But you don't have a beard!
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    What makes them look so elegant,I wonder?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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