A few from last Autumn Winter in the UK

[davholla]

These are from Bromley
A caterpillar with I guess a parasitic grub on it. I found this in my house so I don't know what its foodplant is but probably bramble or hypericum. I have never seen or heard of this happening to caterpillars but I have heard and seen spiders with this.
Has anyone else seen caterpillars like this?
CaterpillarIMG_3411 by davholla2002, on Flickr

Mite
MiteIMG_3396 by davholla2002, on Flickr

Silverfish another unusual one
SilverfishIMG_3190 by davholla2002, on Flickr

Another mite
MiteIMG_3202 by davholla2002, on Flickr

These are from Martin Mere

First time I have found a hoverfly in leaf litter

HoverflyIMG_3350 by davholla2002, on Flickr

SpringtailIMG_3369 by davholla2002, on Flickr

 

[alfbranch]

Nice set
I guess the parasite is a wasp was the Caterpillar still alive and moving?
The mites are great.

 

[davholla]

Nice set
I guess the parasite is a wasp was the Caterpillar still alive and moving?
The mites are great.

It was moving very fast, faster than normal. It was in my house (I guess it had been on bramble or hypericum which my stick insects feed on,so after photographing it, I put it on a hypericum bush, near some bramble). I should have tried to rear it.

 

[alfbranch]

It was moving very fast, faster than normal. It was in my house (I guess it had been on bramble or hypericum which my stick insects feed on,so after photographing it, I put it on a hypericum bush, near some bramble). I should have tried to rear it.

I never think of rearing this sort of thing but it has been suggested to me

Have a look here

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/body-snatchers-eaten-alive.html

 

[davholla]

I never think of rearing this sort of thing but it has been suggested to me

Have a look here

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/body-snatchers-eaten-alive.html

Interesting although of course these all refer to caterpillars being eaten from the inside. I wonder if this one could have survived - after all the parasite was quite small. I will have to keep an eye out for it this year.

 

[alfbranch]

Interesting although of course these all refer to caterpillars being eaten from the inside. I wonder if this one could have survived - after all the parasite was quite small. I will have to keep an eye out for it this year.

That is big enough for many wasps

Also look here

https://roadsendnaturalist.com/tag/parasitoid-wasp/

and here

https://www.flickr.com/groups/parasiticwasps/pool/

This is about 3mm long and there are smaller wasps

Very small wasp by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[GardenersHelper]

Well done with the small ones David. I find that sort of size really difficult to photograph.