Insects - Western Isles Insects
There are so many Insects to be seen here in The Western Isles. From butterflies, moths,dragonflies,beetles,spiders and other creepy crawlies, there are endless occasions to photograph close up insects. Often when you view your photographs, its only then that you see the true complex nature and beauty of the Insects.
Bees - Western Isles
There are five species of bumblebee that frequent The Western Isles or Outer Hebrides
The garden bumblebee, the Great Yellow Bumblebee, The white - tailed bumblebee, the Heath bumblebee and the Moss Carder Bumblebee. The Great Yellow Bumblebee has of recent years been declining as indeed have many of the bumblebees in Great Britain
Many of the bees are quite spectacular when you view them up close
INSECTS - WESTERN ISLES
The Western Isles is a great place to look closely at the various Insects that frequent the islands.
From Dragonflies, Butterflies, Bees, Beetles, spiders, moths and other creepy crawlies - there is plenty to hold your interest.
There are several bees - the The garden bumblebee, the Great Yellow Bumblebee, The white - tailed bumblebee, the Heath bumblebee and the Moss Carder Bumblebee.
There are around seventeen different butterfly species that have been seen on The Western Isles and many different types of moths.
There are highland darter dragonflies, large red damselflies, black darters and four spotted chasers.
Dragonflies
There are 8 dragonflies seen in The Western Isles - Large Red Damselfly, Four Spotted Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Hawker, Common Darter, Black Darter & The Highland Darter (a species that isn't recognised by all authorities- some of whom see it as a form of the common darter ).
The Golden-ringed Dragonfly & the Emerald Damselfly also recently said to have been spotted but really are most rare.
Butterflies - Western Isles
There are around seventeen different butterfly species that have been seen on The Western Isles and many different types of moths.
The common blue butterfly, the meadow brown butterfly (which is Scotland's most common butterfly) the small tortoiseshell and the painted lady and the green veined white butterfly are just a few I have seen around the Isles.
Burying Beetle
This gruesome but lovely beetle is the Nicrophorus (Necrophorus) vespilloides commonly called the Burying Beetle or Sexton Beetle.
It has the curious habit of burying dead birds, mice, shrews, voles and other animals by digging the earth away beneath them.
A male and female Burying Beetle work together to bury the dead animal, then the strip away the fur or feathers and coat the animal in a special saliva. The Burying Beetle (also called the Sexton Beetle carries out this odd behaviour to provide food for its young.
The female beetle lays her eggs in a tunnel dug near the dead animal, and when they hatch the larvae eat the whole animal. The Burying Beetle is unusual for insects as not only does it bury dead animals but the male and female beetles also stay behind to look after their young, and to help them feed. The bury beetle shown in the photo was on the Tolsta - Traigh Mhor beach
