Jane Thomas

Retired chocnologist / science technician, macro photographer, always curious about the natural world, especially the small stuff.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Checking on my tiny marine tank today I was very surprised to find I have a minuscule stalked jellyfish in there! It must have been hiding in the weed. This is only about 5mm long, so I guess a juvenile as they do get a bit bigger than this! I'll have to see if I can grow it up..

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@botany_beck @bernoid Most likely Glyphotaelius pellucidus, I found a blob that'd been laid over concrete, so took it home and raised them 😊 The larvae are real little characters. Full story and photos here: https://t.co/ASeJHUapqD

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@jesika55551 @BC_Yorkshire @savebutterflies @MOTHIDUK @StNicksFields @ynuorg @YNET4 @YorksWildlife @rewildyorkshire Loads of them in the moth trap this week, so lots about at the moment.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Iron Prominent seem to be having a good year in my garden - I've only had 1 before and that was 2 years ago - this year so far I've had 6, and 3 of those were today! I wonder if they get hot with all that fluff? 🤔

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

An interesting selection of moths last night, including a Maiden's Blush and 15 Marbled Beauty moths! I normally see 1 or 2 Marbled Beauty at a time. And this Ypsolopha scabrella which had found the perfect place to sit, matching the weathered wood so well I nearly missed it.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@BrianE_Cambs They were pretty well grown, I've not seen real youngsters. I noticed them in my garden this year as there were so many strikingly grey slugs. I don't think you'd miss them.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@BrianE_Cambs I had some juveniles, they were grey too with slight darker bands

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

I've just had confirmation that the large grey slugs that I've found in my garden this year are indeed Arion sp. "Davies" - a species with very few records and yet to be formally described. Probably the first record for my area 😊@BrianE_Cambs

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@markweb29890220 🤣 They are quite good as beetle traps, but the beetles do get covered in moth scales.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

I do so like a Buff Arches ☺️ And under the egg boxes a couple of sexton beetles - a huge black Nicrophorus humator and a (comparatively) tiny red and black Nicrophorus investigator.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@Helen89658648 Possibly Pyrausta aurata, or the Mint Moth - I have them fluttering about the Water Mint in my pond - such beautiful colours 😊

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

I've been getting an interesting selection of micro-moths this year - there seem to be a lot of new ones about, well, new to me anyway.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

I do so like getting a Canary-shouldered Thorn - not only are they fluffy and bright yellow, but if you look closely they appear to be blowing a tiny raspberry 😂

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

I've got my tiny marine tank on the go again, and I'm always interested to see what turns up. I think these are both foraminifera - single-celled organisms that make tiny exquisite shells. One on Coral Weed that's seen better days, the other on a minuscule bivalve's shell.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Diamond-back Moth - I've had many of these in the past, but I don't think I've ever had such a fresh, smart example - I've never noticed the black spots on the antennae or the wing fringes before ☺

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@markweb29890220 It's very hard to capture that gorgeous metallic sheen in all its glory 😊 I had the first record for 100 years in my area 3 years ago, but since we've been looking my friend and I have found them fairly easily, so we suspect they are uncommon but under recorded.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

@markweb29890220 Looks good to me! Here's one from York a couple of weeks ago. We usually find them ovipositing into Teasel flowers - they ignore the Scabious nearby.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Infant Woundwort Shieldbugs in their seed-cup nests 🥰

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Another #laboulbenia infected beetle - a Harlequin Ladybird with what I assume is Hesperomyces virescens sl @dhaelewa . I have the specimen for you in alcohol.

[Jane Thomas @JaneVThomas]

Those fluttery moths that fly out of the grass can actually be quite fancy! Catoptria falsella and Crambus pascuella from my trap last night.