Friday 7 January 2011

Some Bugs and Insects Found in our Charente Garden

Here are a few pictures that I have taken during the year, both in our French garden and inside the house!  I am not good at identification, so any help that I receive will always be welcome.  Thank you Joan , Susan  Noushka and lejardinlucie for the advice you have given me with some of these little critters.

  Found in the house.
Noushka has identified this as Trichodes apiarus
My guess here is that this is one of the Rhinoceros beetles. Joan says I am correct :) family Scarabaeidae (Scarab) 


This little guy was really small but with beautiful markings, so it should be easy to identify, but I have no clue at all what it is!
Noushka has identified this as Lygus pratensis. Lygus bugs are known for their destructive feeding habits - they puncture plant tissues with their piercing mouthparts, and feed by sucking sap. Both the physical injury and the plant's own reaction to the bugs' saliva cause damage to the plant. The females insert their eggs directly into the plant tissues using piercing ovipositors, and the newly emerged nymphs are voracious consumers of plant tissue juices.
Susan identified this butterfly for me -Your butterfly is a Comma-Polygonia c-album (Robert-le-Diable in French). The V shaped nicks out of the bottom wings tell me it's had a narrow escape or two from a bird.


Just look at the damage this guy is doing chomping away in my vegetable garden!


Loved this photo but again I am left wondering!


Now this I would call a cricket but...........  I have to be right don't I?

and  I am certain I am wrong if I say grass hopper :) Yep I knew it - Joan says A Katydid - either a Meadow or a Grass Katydid.  (also see notes at the end)


So this has to be a green spider - LOL (Joan has her spider book packed, she is on the move)
P.S. I have just seen Noushka's  post and this looks very similar to me; I have asked Noushka to confirm when she sees my post.  Maybe my spider is a bit more hairy!   It is about the same size.
From Noushka the answer is: Your green spider is not mine!  It is: Araniella cucurbitina, also green.


This minute little beetle is similar to a ladybird in shape; you can see how small it was, as I found it in the husk of a hazel nut.
Joan says this may be a baby Ladybug family Covvinellidae.

Yet another beetle that looks similar to the ladybirds. 
OK so I was close! Joan says it looks similar to the South African Humbug Ladybird same family as above.


I thought this fluffy moth had a cute little face!
Noushka says this: The cute little face fluffy moth is:the Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus




I suppose this slug's mother would call it beautiful? This I think is the red slug, also known as the chocolate arion or the European red slug, Arion rufus. The adults can grow up to 175 cms (7 inches) in length - can you just imagine what they eat from my garden to get to that size??

This smallish snail is quite attractive but it does a lot of damage in my garden.  I suspect this is Cepaea nemoralis -  if my research is correct.

This I have discovered is NOT a spider but a Harvestman.
These arachnids are known for their exceptionally long walking legs, compared to body size, although there are also short-legged species. The difference between harvestmen and spiders is that in harvestmen, the two main body sections are broadly joined, so that they appear to be one oval structure; they also have no venom or silk glands.
Last, but certainly not least, I believe this to be a beautiful Tiger Moth.
Yep I know I have to buy a book on Insects in Europe - In English!
Lejardindelucie has given me some further identifications- thank you
Your "cricket" is a young cricket of the Woods, Nemobius sylvestris.

The first picture is a checkered apiarius.

"" Your "Grass Hopper" is young, he must still 3–4 molts to become a 'grass Hopper" adult.

"Ladybird" Ladybug is a Hippodamia variegata.


Noushka's further comments are: Your black ladybugs look at lot like these:

http://1000-pattes.blogspot.com/2010/12/coccinelles-dans-le-buis.html
The grasshopper is a indeed a grasshopper but at a larvae stage!
And the catterpilar is most probably a Tenthredo!




50 comments:

  1. What fabulous detail! Your camera must be a really good one.
    Your comment re: cheap flights to France before - we go camping a la our own tent, so we have to take the car, but also we have to go in school holidays still, when cheap flights disapear until the kids go back to school(annoyingly!). xxx

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  2. Diane it is a £70 camera from Tesco. I have to take many photos to get something good and it is fine while the bugs hang around a wait for me! Butterflies are generally just too quick for me.

    Yes I understand school holidays and prices are not the best. N has been looking at Easter fares and of course the airlines are already taking advantage!!!

    You can always visit us and the kids can camp as we only have one spare room :) Diane

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  3. You've got some fabulous photos of the critters. I'm afraid I can't help with identification, though I do recognize a few like the grasshopper.

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  4. Diane, I love this post! Such variety of nice little guys. The Rhinocerous beetle is my favourite.

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  5. Joyful I am hopeless at identifacvation but I am learning a few of them with help. Diane

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  6. JM thanks, it just takes me a long time to build up this sort of post as I have not got the eye that some of my blogger friends have, or the camera for that matter! Diane

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  7. I like the butterfly, the ladybug, the moths and even the snails. The rest of the little crawly guys upset me. But your pictures of them surely are pretty. I see you're already dreaming of spring, Diane!

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  8. All the insects are interesting...but...that snowy header is stunning!

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  9. That's what you get with a £70 camera from Tesco??!! Wow, I can't even begin to imagine what photos you could get with a camera in the 3 digits bracket. You have a gift. x

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  10. I particularly like your assembly of creeping things! I just love to carve them in fruit and vegetables to scare the kids, for a split second, at least. I' ll be referring to them soon enough. Thanks for this post. You are a fabulous photographer Diane!!!

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  11. Eeek!!! - and I thought all the world's bugs were in Africa ...

    Loved the Ladybug and the slug, even if it is trying to appear menacing ...

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  12. Une belle collection Diane!
    Votre "cricket" est un jeune Grillon des bois, Nemobius sylvestris.
    La première photo est un Trichodes apiarius.
    Votre" Grass hoper" est tout jeune, il lui faudra encore 3 à 4 mues pour devenir un "grass hoper" adulte.
    La coccinelle "ladybird" est une Hippodamia variegata.
    Bravo pour avoir rassemblé toutes ces photos
    Bonne continuation.

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  13. Margie I have a permanent dream of summer, no other weather suits me. LOL. Diane

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  14. Thanks Carol, that header was quite honestly a lucky shot. My husband always asks me why I take so many photos! I find if I just keep clicking, I may be lucky enough to get a couple that are fairly good :) Diane

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  15. Magnificently detailed shots, Diane. My wee home is on the edge of the inner city green belt so I get spiders all year round (fine by me) and scarily huge beetles at night over summer - these I loathe.

    Zebby is purring madly behind me: catnip!

    Sending warm, sunshine filled huggles, Michelle xxx

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  16. Happy Frog and I, I really have no idea what I am doing, most of my photos are taken on auto!!! If I had a fancy camera I would not know what to do with it. I have to admit I would like to have a macro setting. Diane

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  17. michelangelo in the kitchen, as I have said previously, many are just lucky shots and usually I take many to get one good one. Looking forward to seeing your carvings. Diane

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  18. Graham we have plenty of bugs in France including many biting ones as well!! Our wildlife is not quite the same as Africa though :( It would be fun to see an elephant walking down the road LOL. Diane

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  19. Hi Diane!
    Sorry, I was deep into my photos in Photoshop yesterday so I wasn't present on the blogs!
    Your green spider is not mine!
    It is:
    Araniella cucurbitina
    Also a green!
    The cute little face fluffy butter fly is:
    the Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus
    http://1000-pattes.blogspot.com/search/label/Bombyx%20du%20ch%C3%AAne
    Your black ladybugs look at lot like these:
    http://1000-pattes.blogspot.com/2010/12/coccinelles-dans-le-buis.html
    The grasshopper is a indeed a grasshopper but at a larvae stage!
    The black criquet is Gryllus campestris
    And the catterpilar is most probably a Tenthredo!
    I hope this will help you Diane!
    Much love have a great day!

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  20. lejardindelucie - Je vous remercie pour votre identification. J’ai mis une note sur mon blog. Diane

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  21. Noushka thank you for your effort and comments. I have put a note on the blog with your identifications. I see that you and lejardindelucie have different ideas on the cricket! Will chat soon. Diane xx

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  22. you're good in capturing! Both the mother slug and snail look beautiful!
    Happy★ 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
    •。★2011★ 。* 。
    ° 。 ° ˚* _Π_____*。*˚
    ˚ ˛ •˛•*/______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
    ˚ ˛ •˛• | 田田|門| Happy New Year!!!

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  23. We just got another few inches of snow... how wonderful to look at lady bugs and bright leaves! You know how it is in winter... you feel there will never be green, after a while! Wonderful photos of bugs I have never seen. Thanks for all the work finding out what they were!

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  24. Lovely photos, I like the ladybirds best!

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  25. Diane, I suspect you are one of those people who is never bored. I love your broad range of interests and your ability to share them with others. Today's photos are remarkable for their detail. Have a great weekend. Blessings...Mary

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  26. Thanks Lani for your comments and the beautiful New Year message. Diane

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  27. lostpastremembered, it cheered me up a bit looking at summer insects :) I am fed up with grey, cold and damp!!!!! Diane

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  28. Cuisine de Provence, thanks for the comment, I am happy with any bug so long as it has not got 8 legs!! I do not like spiders but as long as they stay still I am happy to take photos of them! Diane

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  29. Mary you are so right, boredom is something that I have never experienced LOL. I am happy to try doing anything. Have a great weekend. Diane

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  30. Michelle, thanks for the warm sunshine, we certainly need it :) I am happy with the beetles but I don't like the spiders. The thing is though they keep the mosquitoes down. Hugs to you and Zebby. Diane xx

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  31. Such interesting little bugs! Never have seen such an array!

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  32. Thanks Peggy, I have got a lot more interested in bugs since I have been in France and started blogging :)) Diane

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  33. Diane, you are an amazing photographer! Who knew bugs could be so cute!

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  34. Linda thanks for your comments but my photos are really trial and error :) Diane

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  35. sorry, I only have their latin names but you can search on the Net from those!

    N°1: Coleoptera...
    Trichoides apiarus

    Photo N°3: A bug...
    Lygus pratensis

    XXXXX

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  36. Thanks Noushka, I have updated the website further. I am very grateful for everyone's help in identification. Hugs Diane xxxx

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  37. ps:
    I think Lucie is right about your cricket being:
    Nemobius sylvestris
    instead of gryllus campestris!
    But they are very much alike except one lives in the wood (yours) and the other in open areas!

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  38. Thanks Noushka, I have learnt much with this post, it has been very educational for me. Diane xx

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  39. Diane, how nice of you showing us all these lovely photos! Though some is quite ye....kkk! :o) Thanks again. Hope you're having a lovely day.
    Cheers, kristy

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  40. fantastic photography!! well done you xxxx

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  41. My Little Space I am far less squeamish now than I used to be in Africa, not sure why, but I still do not like spiders!! Take care. Diane

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  42. Thanks Roz, hope all well over there. Diane

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  43. I love these photos of an exotic world unknown to many!

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  44. kitchenStories thanks for your comment. There are so many places in the world I would still love to see, but unless I win the lottery it is not going to happen :(( Diane

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  45. This is an extremely interesting post!!! Aren't these little creatures just amazing... what great photos you took of them too. I notice that you didn't have a scorpion in the bunch...when I lived in a Greek mountain village years and years ago we had those in our house!! They would come in on the firewood...but although they packed a mean sting I was told that they weren't the dangerous type. But they sure looked daunting walking across the floor!
    Thanks so much for your lovely comments...they mean so much to me!
    Ann

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  46. Ann I have only seen scorpions in Africa and those can be quite dangerous. I gather that they are about in parts of France but I have to say I have never seen one around us. This of course does not mean they are not there!! Take care. Diane

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  47. Your first photo is what the Frogs call a 'gendarme' - I have no idea of its Latin name. We used to have loads of them - they aren't harmful and I think in fact they are good for things - but what I can't remember!

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  48. The Return of the Native, thanks for visiting and the interesting bit of info. If you look at lejardindelucie's site, link on the blog, she has a full article on them today and it seems that they eat the honey bees which is not good!! Diane

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  49. Wow you have so many of them and they are al look pretty.

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  50. chubskulit, I agree that some of them are very pretty. Diane

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