August 2007
Another wet month and, on the few occasions I was able to get out, I was concentrating on photographing invertebrates so no bird photos this month.
Star critters of the month were definitely the Fen Raft Spiders I photographed in south Wales while visiting friends. It is the largest spider in Britain and also one of the rarest - known only from 3 sites in the whole of the UK.
female Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) with eggsac
Some individuals lack the distinctive stripes along the sides of the cephalothorax.
female Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) with eggsac
Another rare invertebrate I photographed on the same weekend was the Southern Damselfly. There are a couple of thriving colonies on the Gower peninsula.
Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) |
Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) |
A moth trap set up in a friend's garden in Gorseinon, near Swansea, produced a few species to photograph the following morning...
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Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum)
Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)
In the early morning, it is too cold for the moths to fly effectively. Especially the larger moths. To raise their body temperatures high enough to enable flight, the moths vigorously vibrate their wings, as can be seen in the photo below.
Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)
 Pebble Prominent (Notodonta ziczac) |
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) |
The head-on shot of the Spectacle clearly shows how it got its very appropriate name.
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)
female Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
female Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
Later in the month, the small lakes in the Delamere Forest, Cheshire, held high numbers of Black Darters.
immature male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
Immature male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
After emergence, the males have an spotty abdominal pattern. Over the next few days, as they mature, they gradually lose their spots until their abdomens are almost entirely black.
mature male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
mature male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
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