Ourapteryx sambucaria

I had a walk alongside the Exeter Canal this morning in the hope of seeing some interesting insects. I spotted a few of the usual Hoverfly species and Large Red Damselfly as well as these interesting Caterpillars. The first is a well grown specimen of "The Drinker" named because of the habit of dew drinking by the adult moth. I am really pleased with this picture because it has brought together all the elements of my new equipment and approach to photography. I am striving to Blog the very very best of photographs and it isn't just a case of pointing the camera at your subject and "hey-presto" there is a good shot. First find your subject and then set about planning the photo with the help of the firm tripod, good light and fill flash.

More about the Drinker here
Next we have a fascinating caterpillar that looks to escape detection by pretending to be part of a twig which is obviously a very convincing strategy and almost had me fooled. The adult moth is a stunner and I will try and find one in July when they are on the wing. It's a Swallow Tail Moth.

Swallow tailed Moth - Ourapteryx sambucaria

What a great Scientific name – Ourapteryx sambucaria!

This Frog Hopper had me stumped but I now know it as Cercopsis vulnerata. The Black and Red Frog Hopper.

That would be just about it but I also took a great picture of an Orange Tip Butterfly, one of my favourites. Look at the coiled tongue just protruding. The mottled markings are really interesting. When it was perched on Cow Parsley it was almost impossible to see it.

All in all quite a nice haul of sightings and pictures to match. Welcome if you are visiting my blog from one of the 70 different countries that have visited in the last 5 months. The latest countries are Pakistan yesterday, and today the United Arab Emirates. Welcome to the Blog , my hope is to show you something of the wildlife that we live alongside here in the United Kingdom, a green and pleasant land!