Allotments 4 All

There were plenty of insects around at Wilton House Gardens yesterday and here are three of them.

The first I believe to be a female Brimstone butterfly but I stand to be corrected if I am wrong.   ;D

The second one is of a bee but I cannot identify it from my book on insects.  Perhaps RB can help?

The third one is of a hornet and I apologise for not getting nearer when I took the picture.   I had already been buzzed by one flying off the flower.   :D

Definitely a brimstone :)

Pauline7. Great pics, really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing.
Lorna

Great photos Pauline, especially the butterfly.....beautiful :)

Fantastic pictures Auntie P, you should be proud, you've really go tthe hang of that camera  8)

Kathi

Quote from: prink13 on August 16, 2006, 14:40:45
Fantastic pictures Auntie P, you should be proud, you've really go tthe hang of that camera  8)

Kathi

Thanks to your OH Kathi for his explicit lessons.   ;D

1st pic is missing :(
nice pics :)

Quote from: GREENWIZARD on August 16, 2006, 15:03:34
1st pic is missing :(
nice pics :)

I don't understand why you cannot see it GW.   :o

There are 3 pics in all, the Brimstone, the bee and the hornet. 

Can everyone else see them?

I can see all three nice and clear.

Excellent pics, Pauline.   ;D

G x

Well, well, well.  I have just heard back from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust regarding the identification of the bee.  It seems too that my hornet was a hoverfly!  This is their reply.

Unfortunately I can not identify the bumblebee as it is a terribly worn specimen. All I can say is that it is one of the cuckoo bumble bees, formerly placed in the genus Psithyrus (now lumped into Bombus with all the other bumbles). In all probability it is a male B. vestalis, but really I am not prepared to give that as a firm determination.

What I can say is that the "Hornet" in one of the other pics is certainly not a hornet - in fact, it isn't even a wasp at all but the very convincing mimic Volucella zonaria (A hoverfly). Records of genuine hornets in Wilts are rather few and far between, with only the wooded areas of south Wilts and Savernake providing a regular stream of records.

Sorry I can't be of greater help, but bumbles are not always easy to determine from photos!]