Strange Bugs in the Garden

At this time of year all sorts of bugs appear in the gardens of Brittany sending us scurrying for the reference books to look up the species. It is possibly due to the large number of shrubs and flowers in the garden.  In the UK we were used to seeing moths of various types, especially at dusk. In Brittany the months seem to be subject to a growth hormone which appears to double their size making them easily visible 24 hours a day. In our garden we get quite a variety but the most spectacular is the Spotted moths of which there are many, a picture of one specimen is shown here. I think this one was Platyprepia virginalis - Ranchman's Tiger Moth although I think exact identification is best left to the experts as the similarity between species can be deceptive. According to the reference books I consulted this moth should be in North America, must have been some strong winds lately! Just to make matters worse they apparently feed on herbaceous plants.

By now you will have determined that I am not an expert on bugs, but I do enjoy seeing the various types passing through the garden, passing being the operative word. Our house sits on a hill bordered on both sides by two streams flowing through ancient woodland. This seems to ensure a ready supply of dragon flies passing through the garden some of which are spectacular. It is difficult to comprehend that the colours of some of them can exist in nature. As a novice in the area of bugs it came as a surprise to me that dragon flies come in two main groups, those with four wings and those with two. Examples of both types passed through recently and I managed to get the photos seen here.

Until I came to France I had never seen a glow-worm but in the summer months they seem to love the granite at the front of the house. They absorb all

the heat from the wall during the day and glow vividly at night; they must have incredible solar panels! I have tried to take photos of them at night without success, but I am determined to persivere

 

 

 

Comments

[lavenderbongo]

Very cool!