Thursday, 9 April 2026

Insects on Camellias and other garden plants

 Frances alerted me to there being interesting insects on our full-flowering Camellia.  Of course this included a good number of European Honeybees.

But as Frances advised there were other species.  The first was what iNaturalist has suggested to be  Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus, the Red-headed Spider Ant.  It has a red head and looks like both a spider and an ant!


The third species was (again suggested by iNaturalist) Polistes humilis, Australian Paper Wasp.  I picked it as a wasp of some form, from the narrow waist.



Let us see how other experts go on confirming (or otherwise) these names.  There were other insects around - my first guess is Hoverflies - but they were not cooperative in posing.  I shall try again.

I failed again on the Hoverflies but a nearby Daisy attracted a small bee for which Genus Exoneura (Reed Bees) was suggested.







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