A short vid of a Female Violet Oil Beetle eating a Celandine flower

Learn more about the Oil beetle family at BUGLIFE.ORG.UK

It is a female Violet Oil Beetle in the video, she has a swollen abdomen as she has just emerged to find a male and is full of eggs. If you look carefully you'll see little flies on her body, they're feeding on the oil she exudes. When she's mated she digs a nest and lays her fertilised eggs, up to a thousand of them!

When those eggs hatch the larvae set about finding a solitary bee by climbing into a flower and waiting. When the bee arrives to feed on the flower the larvae hop on to it's back and get a lift to the bees nest. In the bees nest the larvae pupate and begin to feed on the bees eggs and food stores. Quickly growing and pupating again. They stay in the bees burrow until emerging in the spring the following year as adults like the female in the video.

An amazing life cycle!


hen xx

Bee Draggled & other beautiful things...

I rescued a Bumble bee from drowning! I scooped him out of a trug of water and held him in my hand, in the sun, till he started to move.  Then I gave him some of our local Exmoor honey. He started scoffing straight away! He's almost dry now & fuelled up ready to fly away!

Even in his bee-draggled state he was beautiful. It felt amazing having him crawl on my hand. I've never been stung by anything before (not including cleg bites!), so it doesn't worry me holding a bee.  I know as long as I'm calm, gentle & my movements are slow it's very unlikely I'll get stung.

**UPDATE**

The bumble bee has flown away & some opportunistic honey bees are helping themselves to the Exmoor honey I left out! I caught these two, tongues out, lapping it up!

Our meadow is amazing at the moment. The grasses have gone a crazy pink & red hue! No idea what variety of grass this is or why it's this colour! If anyone knows I'd love to learn.

This is another pic of a meadow brown butterfly.  It's different to the one I posted on here the other day. You can see clearly the crazy circular markings on the underside of the wings. So pretty.

Well, the ducklings are coming on strong, growing at least an inch a day! Believe me I know, I've been measuring them *blush*! I had to share this picture as they were both using their stumpy, un-developed, wings to rest their beaks under! Sweeeet :)

My gorgeous friend Lizzie came to stay with me for a few days. It was very restful & we explored Watersmeet.  It was a stunning day & the woods were looking amazing. I ate too many bilberrys on the path & spent the evening.. well.. I'll leave it at that... ahem..

:)

hen xx