Purbeck, Dorset
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I watched this mating pair of silver-studded blue butterflies (Plebejus argus) as the female fluttered around looking for nectar with the male firmly attached by his posterior.
I watched this mating pair of silver-studded blue butterflies (Plebejus argus) as the female fluttered around looking for nectar with the male firmly attached by his posterior.
DWT Higher Hyde Heath, Purbeck. The female was giving the male a right old pulling as she looked for nectar, reminded me of foxes interlocked. The male is on the right, with duller orange patches and fewer silver studs on them, I wonder why the males are less showy (in this specific area) than the females, although overall they are bluer in colour.
some more shots of the freshly moulted blue-and-pink female crab spider, Purbeck, Dorset
some more shots of the freshly moulted blue-and-pink female crab spider, Purbeck, Dorset
some more shots of the freshly moulted blue-and-pink female crab spider, Purbeck, Dorset
some more shots of the freshly moulted blue-and-pink female crab spider, Purbeck, Dorset
A blue pink (heather) crab spider (Thomisus onustus) fresh from a moult, I think.
A female heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) sporting blue rather than the usual pink colouration, probably a temporary colouration after a recent moult.
I found another blue heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) last year, I think it's a very temporary colour after a fresh moult. Interestingly her abdomen was the usual pink colour, making for a stunning spider. I'll pop some more up to show some different angles.
Sometimes there's a 'dead' giveaway!
males have a white patch on the front of the head, allowing for convenient sexing.
...at a heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) with her much larger prey. It amazes me how they can hold something so huge in their jaws.
the evening sun was catching the scales on this fresh individual.
Hartland Moor, Dorset
The time of year when not all heather blooms are what they seem... A heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) with bumblebee prey.
Last year I only caught up with these lovely wasps at the end of their season, so I was determined to be more punctual this year. I was rewarded with some very interesting courtship behaviour involving the male stroking the female's head with his antenna and then beating out an increasingly fast rhythm with his wings against her abdomen until there was some tail tip-to-tip caressing. I shot some video and will post it once I have worked out how to resize it for Flickr! Hartland Moor, Dorset
female heather crab spider (Thomisus onustus) with legs stretched out ready for interception of potential prey.
A female emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) clings on to a foxglove on Godlingston Heath, Dorset, amid strong winds.