Mid October Bugs

It is not something I normally do in October, but I decided to go bug hunting with my Canon MPE-65mm lens.  Normally this time of year I go photographing fungi or birds.  However, the warm weather this year in October, meant I was still seeing flies about.  So a trip to my local nature reserve (Blashford Lakes) was undertaken on the 16th October.

The entrance to the path saw several Rust Flies about – I captured this pair mating on the nettles.

There is a small wooden bridge that crosses a small river.  On this bridge, I found a wide variety of small creatures.

Firstly a bark fly nymph.  The second shot is a high 4x magnification image.

Then a couple of bugs that I have yet to have any clue as to what they are.  So I am calling the first one ( in next two shots) Long bug.

And this odd thing Jaws.  I suspect it is a nymph of something.

Also on the bridge were a number of small orange ladybirds.

This next one seems to have met an unfortunate end.

There were no leaves on the bridge – but this leaf hopper did not seem put off.

And nor was this Dock Bug.

The last subject on the bridge was a tiny black fly.

Further around the reserve, near some water and willows, these Giant Willow Aphids were patrolling a fence post.

And this one of them with wings posed nicely and I was able to take a couple of shots to stack in Photoshop.