Mastodawn

And then this hairy, sparkly beauty flew into my life this morning, taking me completely by surprise.

It's Trichodes alvearius (🇩🇪 Zottiger Bienenkäfer), the bee-eating beetle, that parasitises bees and wasps in their nests & hives. Eep 😱

The related Trichodes alvearius looks similar, but lacks the longitudinal black stripe.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🦋

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Mark McCaughrean 1h ago

Returning to one of my favourite subjects – the many species of striking red & black bugs in the garden.

This one's my Moby Dick – I caught a brief glimpse a few days ago, but only got the chance to grab a few photos today. Then it was gone again.

It's a ringed assassin bug, Rhynocoris annulatus (🇩🇪 Geringelte Mordwanze).

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🦋

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Mark McCaughrean 2h ago

More generally, it's complete Beetlemania out in the garden today – so much activity, including several new species.

First, a fourteen-spotted ladybird, aka P-14 (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata; 🇩🇪 Vierzehnpunkt-Marienkäfer).

Often yellow, they can some in other colours & the spots are often fused into different patterns, as here.

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🦋

Mark McCaughrean 2h ago

"There were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded." 🪲🪲🪲

The UK doesn't have lèse-majesté rules, AFAIK, & besides, these are beetles – a trio of rose chafers (Cetonia aurata; Goldglänzender Rosenkäfer) at it in the garden on this warm, sunny day 🌞

#Heidelberg 🏰
#Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
#BugOfTheDay 🐞
#MacroPhotography 🔬
#InsectsOfMastodon 🪰
#BackGardenEntomology 🦋

Diego Pastor 3h ago

[ES] Dice la NIA de observation.org que esto es Chorthippus apicalis (familia Acrididae). Yo no tengo ni idea de saltamontes, la verdad. Me gustan esas franjas blancas flanqueadas de negro a los lados del pronoto y el color verde general del bicho.
Fotografiado el 22/04/2026 en la provincia de Cáceres en una pradera que me pareció prometedora para buscar orquídeas, aunque solo encontré Serapias lingua.
Equipo: Canon EOS 400D + Tamron SP 90 mm f/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1

[EN] According to observation.org's NIA, this is Chorthippus apicalis (family Acrididae). I don't know much about grasshoppers, sincerely. I like the white stripes edged in black at the sides of the pronotum and the general green colour of the bug.
Photographed on 2026/04/22 in Cáceres province (Spain) in a grassland which I thought it was a good place to look for orchids, but I only found Serapias lingua.
Equipment: Canon EOS 400D + Tamron SP 90 mm f/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1

#orthoptera #caelifera #acrididae #chorthippus
#insecto #saltamontes #bicho
#insect #grasshopper #bug
#macro #macrofotografía #macrophotography

markus84 8h ago

A flower in Thailand. A country with so much to discover.

Life moves at a fast pace, but the people are so kind, open-hearted, and always willing to help.

Always worth a visit...

#photography #bwphotography #bnw #sony #35mmObjektiv #35mmpohtography #lumiar #mistical #misticart #flowerphotography #flowermagic #naturelovers #naturephotography #flower #flowers #nature #macrophotography

Hank 14h ago

This is Ceratosoma trilobatum in the act of oviposition—laying a delicate egg ribbon as it’s carefully deposited onto the substrate. You can see the fresh spiral forming.

https://scubahanknyc.com/2026/03/04/ceratosoma-trilobatum-laying-its-egg-ribbon-in-lembeh-strait/

#MarineBiology #Nudibranch #LembehStrait #MacroPhotography #OceanLife

Ceratosoma trilobatum Laying Eggs — Lembeh Strait

Underwater footage of Ceratosoma trilobatum — the Ribbon Nudibranch — caught in the act of laying its egg ribbon on the black sand muck of Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.

Scuba Hank NYC