The sunny side of the fence

The outside of our garden fence is east facing. Many insects and spiders like to bask on it: even normally ground loving invertebrates climb up on it to get the sun a bit earlier. In the last few days I have been watching (mainly) spiders on the fence early in the morning. The male Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) on the top shot, warms up on the side of the fence, in almost the same spot every day.

After warming up yesterday he went down to the weeds at the base of the fence to hunt, and caught a greenbottle fly

A crane fly resting, legs outstretched on the fence.

A male Xysticus cristatus, much darker in tone than the female. This is a ground dwelling crab spider and he was basking about 10 cm from the ground, but it is much easier to spot on the fence.

And an eager male Wolf Spider displaying to the female. Alternatively lifting each palp, trembling and getting closer to her very slowly on tiptoes. She kept tapping the ground with their front legs, and didn't miss a movement. When he got very close, almost touching her, she retreated cautiously, tapping regularly.

Red Mason bee male checking out Melecta

A Melecta albifrons male has been feeding lazily on the Erysimum in the afternoon a sunny day.  Clambering over the flowers, not bothering to fly, this cleptoparasitic bee behaves in a very different way to its host: the buzzing, hovering, always alert Anthophora plumipes. Red Mason bee (Osmia rufa) males are patrolling the flowers and they check everything vaguely looking like a Red Mason bee female. With their contact, they scare away females A. plumipes - which I guess feel harassed like they do when their own males jump on them. A male Osmia rufa sees the Melecta and jumps on it. Just a quick contact, presumably chemical cues are checked and if not right, the bee flies away. The Melecta stays on. And when I check the camera, I am thrilled I got the shot!

Melecta albifrons male (photos 26/03/2012). They are handsome bees.

Food for the queen wasp

Queen common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) are very active at the moment. After emerging from their overwintering sites, the queens must build their paper nests, lay eggs and raise the first batch of larvae. They also need to feed themselves. Wasps do not have long tongues and need accessible nectar or other sugary sources. The wasps in my garden love the spurge for that very reason (above), and later in the season they feed on Fennel and Ivy flowers, which have easy reach nectar. They act as pollinators like bees and hoverflies.
They also like ripe fruit and sap from tree trunks.
 The hunting wasps do later in the season (insects, spiders or scavenged meat from sandwiches or carcasses) is not for the adult wasps to eat but for their carnivorous larvae, which will feed on chewed up meat or insects and exude a sugary substance for the adult wasps.

 I do not really know what wasps are up to in my cherry tree (photos above from 28th and 29th of march). They do not visit the flowers but the emerging leaf buds. Are they searching for the nectaries? I doubt it. The photos show they seem interested in the bud covering leaflets. I'd be interested to hear if you know what wasps are getting out of it.

Lay them and eat them

During the past week, Harlequins have become more noticeable. I spotted a few walking on a tree trunk in my street. Today, passing by the same tree I had a look and saw many clusters of bright yellow-orange eggs laid on small crevices on the tree trunk, they are not wasting time! One of the Harlequins seemed to be laying (above). I also noticed that some egg clusters looked like they had been partially predated. The culprit is not hard to find: Harlequins are known by their cannibalistic tendencies, so - hungry after winter - , they may turn to eat eggs laid by other ladybirds. They also may be able to eat their own unfertilised eggs.

A Harlequin stretching its wings in the sun

A cluster of eggs

Harlequin near cluster with predated eggs

A close up of another cluster. Note the chewed up egg on the top right hand side.

New resident male nursery web spider

We have spent much of the day out, sorting out the garden and pottering about the house. In one of the comings and goings I noticed a male nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) sunbathing by our garden gate. By its size I think it is a subadult. I have blogged on this spider before because of its peculiar mating behaviour. The male offers the female a wrapped up prey and plays dead. The females carry their large egg sac in their chelicerae until the spiderlings hatch, but they build a 'nursery web', in the shape of a tent, which they guard and where her spiderlings develop before dispersing. This is an obvious spider that likes to sit in the open with its legs stretched, relying on its camouflage to remain undetected. The photo above, taken by my 9 yr old daughter with her Canon Powershot A495, shows the eye arrangement and striking colour pattern nicely. A beautiful spider, I hope to come across it more often.

A close up of the spider, showing the enlarged palps

Typical posture of Pisaura mirabilis with outstretched pair of front legs