It's amazing what's out there in the back yard.

I got myself a digital camera a couple of years ago. It has a brilliant macro focus ability that lets you get to within 2cm of the subject. The opportunity to go on lots of  wildlife photo-safaris in my own garden was just too good to resist.  Below are a selection of insects and spiders that share my garden with me. Click on the thumbnails to see the photograph.

The cameras used are a Nikon Coolpix 950 & 4500  

Soldierfly

Chloromyia formosa

A bright, shiny fly that frequents the garden compost heap. Brilliant, iridescent green and bronze coloured. Handsome boy ain't he?

Figwort Weevil

Cionus scrophulariae

Doing an amazing impression of bird droppings are these two mating weevils. This weevil feeds on Mullein and Figwort plants

Ichnuemon Wasp

Unknown  species

This parasitic wasp is busy drilling through the sealed entrance to a leafcutter bee's nest cells. The wasp lays its eggs on the host larvae and when the wasp larvae hatches it eats the host. Nasty, but ingenious!

Mason Bee

Osmia rufa

A common bee in many gardens. The lovely, foxy red haired Mason Bee, nests in all sorts of holes in timber and masonry. I drilled holes in old fence posts and within days there were loads of Mason Bees taking up residence.

Hoverfly

Merodon equestris

The much maligned Narcissus Bulb Fly. Reviled by most gardening books for its habit of eating your garden bulbs. Personally, I think such a handsome beast is well worth toleration.