garden hunt

30 August 2013

I have been busy looking for bugs in my garden today.  I turned over stones and pots and dug in the soil.  I found lots of different bugs. I found two black beetles under a stone. They ran very fast so I put them in my pot. They had stripes on their backs and shiny heads. I also found a green larva in the soil, I don't know what it will turn into.

Pterostichus Niger - Large Black Ground Beetle & Small Green Larva

A Long Centipede which wriggled like a snake

I found a very very long centipede in the damp soil by a big tree. It was light yellow in colour and had little legs, it moved along like a snake.  I also found a funny looking millipede with lots of spiky striped legs, I don't know what type of millipede it is. It didn't move very fast and was happy staying still on my arm for a photo.

 

Nettle-Tap Moth Larva - (The nettle tap moth flies in the day time) - The larvae make 'tents' in the nettle leaves

When I looked closely at the nettle leaves I could see lots of white web like things, inside each web was a caterpillar which had spots.  The caterpillars had been eating the nettles and doing little black poos! ha ha!

Seven Spotted Ladybird  

I liked this ladybird it was very cute.

White legged snake millipede (Tachypodoiulus niger)

28 August 2013 

I went bug hunting in Moel Fammau. I found a millipede hiding in an old stone wall.  It had lots of white legs and a black shiny body.  It was a funny thing as when I picked it up, it spun around and around very fast in circles and then rolled up into a ball with its legs on the inside and head in the middle.  I also found a small box of treasure in the stone wall that was really exciting. In the box was a balloon, a toy dinosaur, a necklace, a pen, paper and a gift card.  I left the treasure in the wall for someone else to find.

The millipede was hiding in this stone wall.

Fungi

Finding Fungi

23rd August 2013

I found this in my garden growing in the grass

Fungi

I have found lots of different types of fungi which all look very different - different colours, shapes and sizes. I found them growing in lots of places - on the floor in the woods, on fallen branches and dead wood, by the side of a path, in the middle of the grass. They are all poisonous. I think Fungi look nice. I will keep looking for more.

I found this on the ground in Moel Fammau Woods

This was on the ground in Moel Fammau Woods

This was growing on a tree

I found this growing in the woods in my garden on a fallen branch

(Auricularia auricula-judae)

 

 

This was growing on some old rotting wood in my garden

This was growing in the grass in my garden

COMMON TOAD

18 August 2013

I FOUND A TOAD!

Do you like my toad? It was bumpy and it was crawling instead of hopping like a frog. I found it in the grass. I think the toad is lovely. It didn't turn into a prince when I kissed it... ha ha! I wonder what I am going to find next. It is exciting finding things. I am learning a lot.

A common toad is warty, has a big bump behind eye and crawls / walks along. 

LIFE IN THE SAND DUNES AT TALACRE BEACH

15 August 2013

Finding Life in the Sand Dunes..............  

At Talacre Beach

Today I have been to the beach. I found a grass hopper. I liked it and it jumped up my arm.I found a cocoon as well. I found it in the sand dunes. The cocoon was on one of the long grass. I liked the cocoon so much. I wish that I could see it again.  The caterpillars eat the ragwort plant, it has poison in it, the poison is stored in the caterpillars body. The stripes warn birds not to eat it. I found lots of insects at the beach when I did not think I would find any. 

Burnet moth cocoon (Zygaena spp.)

CINNABAR MOTH CATERPILLAR

http://www.buglife.org.uk/discoverbugs/bugofthemonth/Cinnabar+moth

Quote from Buglife.org.uk:

"The caterpillars feed on poisonous ragwort leaves. The poison from the leaves is stored in the caterpillars body (and even remains when they are an adult moth). Any birds or other predators that ignore the caterpillars bright warning sign will be repulsed by how foul they taste.
Numerous caterpillars on one ragwort plant can reduced it to a bare stem very quickly. They are also known to be cannibalistic.

The caterpillars overwinter as pupa in a cocoon under the ground. The adult moths emerge around mid May and are on the wing up until early August, during which time males and females will mate and eggs are laid"

GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY SITTING ON SEA HOLLY

Dolycoris baccarum -  Hairy Shieldbug

(Otherwise known as a 'Stink Bug' as it can produce a powerful defensive odour)

COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY ON SEA HOLLY

A STENOTUS BINOTATUS
Family: Miridae - PLANT BUG

  A STENOTUS BINOTATUS
Family: Miridae - PLANT BUG

Grasshopper

Grasshopper

Bee

WHAT IS THIS?!

Evening Primrose

Daddy Long Legs

13 August 2013

This is a crane fly. They live for 2 weeks. Birds and spiders eat them. Its face looks horrible. I found him in the house. It was flying at the window.  This is a mummy because it has a pointy bum. It lays eggs in the soil. The babies are grubs which eat grass roots.

 

COMMON FROG

Croak Croak!

10 August 2013

I was so excited when I found a frog. I could not stop laughing. I found it it in the grass. When I touched froggy, it hopped off and it was hard to catch. It felt cold. I like the frog very much.

Pyrochroa Species Beetle Larva

  9 August 2013

WHAT IS THIS?!

 (Is it a Japygidae - Diplura?  - if so, why no long antennae?)

(18th Aug UPDATE: Thank you to the kind person who left a comment letting me know that it is in fact a pyrochroa species beetle larva - which turns into a big red beetle!!)

This is a thing what I do not no what it is. It has got 3 pairs of legs by its head and it drags it self along slowly. Its got red pinches on its bum. I found it under a big old log. It looks horrible.

Can you see its legs? it drags its bum around

A Palmate NEWT!

9th August 2013

Noo Noo The Newt (Palmate Newt)

Today I picked this newt up. I called it Noo Noo. it was so cute. Id loved to see him again and I did. it was spotty, long, damp, cold and moved slowly. He had 4 toes. I love him now and I think he loves me. There is a big stripe in the middle. I found him under an old plant pot.
 

I loved holding him very much.  I hope I see him tomorrow.

(As from today, Alexandra has now been let loose to write this blog by herself - with very little input from her mummy. The spell checker is helping! ;-) )