My morning leaf-litter hunt didn't result in any springtail photographs today, but I did snap this little psocid (barkfly) that was under a Laurel leaf. #psocoptera #Staffs #garden #macro #photography

The globular springtail Sminthurinus aureus (dark form) in the garden this morning. Very small (< 1 mm). #Staffs #collembola #springtail #LeafLitter #mesofauna #macro #photography

I found a tiny little wasp (~2-3 mm) under a wet leaf on the lawn this morning (was looking for springtails actually). #WaspLove #Staffs #macro #photography

Still lots of social wasp workers collecting nesting material in our #Staffs garden. #WaspLove #macro #photography

I'm fortunate in knowing someone with a fine collection of vintage automobilia. He lets me borrow bits to photograph; here's a lovely old jack (apparently supplied with some early Rolls Royce and Bentley cars). #vintage #stilllife #torchlight

Female Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus arvensis), leaving her nest hole in our #Staffs garden. They're out hunting early today! #WaspLove #macro #photography

A globular springtail - Sminthurinus elegans - under a fallen Beech leaf in the garden this morning. I'm a bit out of practice photographing things this small (~0.5mm) but will improve as the damper weather progresses! #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photography #Staffs

Nice and damp in the garden this morning so thought I'd do a little springtail hunting. Didn't find many, but DID find this tiny (~2mm) wasp with a minuscule parasitic mite on it! #wasplove #acari #Staffs #parasitism #macro #photography

When it brightened-up a bit, I spent some time at the garden Ivy to see what visited; lots of things (naturally)! Just a reminder that if you really have to remove Ivy, please wait until it's finished flowering. #Staffs #biodiversity #pollinators #macro #photography

First Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) that I've seen in our #Staffs garden this year; a male. Lots of other invertebrates on the Ivy too, showing what in important resource it is. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #macro #photograph #biodiversity

Was having a tidy-up in the garden shed yesterday, so thought I'd do a bit of still-life photography. #photography #stilllife #still-life #vintage #flowers #dried

Attractive little sawfly in the garden this morning. The black head, "shoulder pads" and wing margins, suggest it could be the Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)? This individual was on a rhubarb leaf. #macro #photograph #Staffs #sawflies #Symphyta

A Dock Bug (by the look of it) in our #Staffs garden yesterday. It was very warm but unlike most insects in the garden, this was sitting-still on a plant. Makes life somewhat easier! #maro #photography #TrueBugs

A Honeybee (Apis mellifera) nicely positioned in the centre of a garden flower. She just had to be photographed! #macro #photography #bee #honeybee #pollinator

European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) as it should be; in our garden today. #macro #photograph #spider #Staffs

Female Coelioxys (sharp-tailed) bee in the garden this morning. These are cuckoo bees that lay their eggs in the nests of leafcutter bees. #macro #photography #Staffs #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination

Just a record shot, but first Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) that I've seen in the garden this year. #macro #photography #Staffs #butterflies #garden

Male Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus arvensis). This is the first time I've photographed one in July in our #Staffs garden. The first ones usually turn-up well into August. #macro #photography #garden #wasp #WaspLove

An attractive little wasp feeding on a garden Eryngium flower today. One of the Ancistrocerus species possibly? #macro #photography #Staffs #WaspLove #pollination

Another composite image of insects visiting our garden Sea Holly. I'm seeing various diptera, solitary and social wasps and solitary bees feeding. No social bees yet. Interesting to watch. #garden #diversity #pollinators #Staffs

I've been practicing for this year's Sea Holly composites in our #Staffs garden. This represents visitors over a 15 minute period. Lots of shots "blended" together. There'll be more! #macro #photography #garden #diversity #insects #Eryngium

Juniper Shieldbug on our garden summer-house this afternoon. #macro #photography #Staffs

No more Beewashing please! Why beekeeping doesn't help conserve bees. Pls RT if you agree. youtu.be/fiBYBmlKSYU

Long-cheeked (Dolichovespula) wasp worker on a garden Eryngium flower this morning. Note long gap between base of eye and mandible. Generally larger overall than Vespula wasp species too. #macro #photography #WaspLove

Tiny male Hylaeus (Yellow-face) Bee in the garden bee-hotel today. With the whitish colouration of the face, shape of facial markings, orange underside to antennae and suggestion of hairiness, this could be a Hairy Yellow-face Bee (H. hyalinatus). #macro #photography #bees #SolitaryBees

More Coelioxys (Sharp-tailed Bee) activity by the bee-hotel in our #Staffs garden. These are very difficult to differentiate (for me certainly), so no idea of species. According to @StevenFalk1's Flickr pages, I should have got a shot of the underside too! #macro #photography #Bees #CuckooBees

Female Coelioxys Sharp-tailed Bee on our garden bee-hotel just now. These are cuckoo bees that parasitise the nests of leafcutter bees. #Staffs #macro #photography#bees #SolitaryBees

Lots of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) drinking from the rock in our garden water-feature today. #macro #photography #summer #thirsty #bees

There noticed this swarm of honeybees in tree this morning and managed to get a photograph.

A Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula) pair; in our garden yesterday. #Staffs #macro #photography #moths

We have a Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) nest by the door onto the patio; the new queens and males are out-and-about today! #bees #bumblebees #garden #macro #photography #insects

A German Wasp worker, feeding on a Knapweed flower in our #Staffs garden yesterday. #WaspLove #macro #photography

First Coelioxys (Sharp-tailed Bee) of the year in our #Staffs garden today. It's a male and he was on a fence by our bee-hotel. These are cuckoo bees; the female lays her eggs in the nests of leafcutter bees. #bees #SolitaryBees #macro #photography

A male leafcutter bee, warming-up at the entrance to a hole in our garden bee-hotel. Looks like Willughby's Leafcutter Bee (Megachile willughbiella). Note the expanded ends to the fore-limbs; characteristic of this (and some related) species. #bees #SolitaryBees #macro #photography #garden

I've seen three long-cheeked Dolichovespula wasps in our #Staffs garden this year; a Median Wasp queen, a Tree Wasp worker and yesterday, this one. I THINK it way be a Saxon Wasp (D. saxonica) worker, but I'm by no means certain. They are not recorded very often in this neck of the woods. #WaspLove

I sat by the bee-hotel yesterday mid-morning to check activity. Most was from wasps; not bees. Bees are on top row. Best called a hymenoptera-hotel! I guess the spider was abandoned by the Dipogon wasp that nests here. The social wasp is a long-cheeked Dolichovespula species; D. sylvestris perhaps?

Some of the guests in our bee-hotel this weekend. We offer rooms 2mm to 10mm in diameter that attract mason and leafcutter bees; and other solitary bees/wasps (including parasitic/cuckoo species). Also get a range of interlopers that just need a room for the night. Hours of entertainment! #Staffs

Dipogon spider-hunting wasp dragging a spider up the wall to its nest hole. This was in a concrete section of my garden bee/wasp hotel. #WaspLove #macro #photography

We get a variety of bee/wasp species nesting in our garden bee-hotels. I can generally guess who likely completed the nests holes by how they are sealed; but I'm stumped with this one. Can't work-out what's been used! #macro #photography #garden

I tried to get a sequence of a wasp worker collecting wood fibres, rolling them into a ball underneath them, and then flying off. Almost managed it, but for final shot, I wanted the legs off the ground. I'll try again! I think it's a German Wasp (Vespula germanica). #WaspLove #macro #photography

Wasp worker collecting wood fibres in our #Staffs garden just now. #macro #photography #insects #wasps #WaspLove

I think this is a Dipogon spider-hunting wasp. Whatever, I've spent a lot of time watching its antics. It spends ages collecting mortar fragments and other debris to construct its nest. Action is in a cement-based section of my bee-hotel. #macro #photography #WaspLove #Staffs

A fairly large male leafcutter bee resting on the bee-hotel today. #bees #SolitaryBees #Staffs

Pretty cool in the garden and most bee-hotel visitors unsure whether to venture out or have an afternoon in. The narrow wasp (Ichneumon?) actively-searching rooms though. Also first male Willughby's Leafcutter Bee (bottom-left) that I've photographed this year. #Staffs #bees #WaspLove

A rather attractive Hawthorn Shield Bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) in our #Staffs garden yesterday. #TrueBugs #insect #macro #photography

In our Staffordshire garden this morning. iNaturalist suggests larva of Honeysuckle Sawfly (or similar). I don't remember seeing one before (but I don't remember much these days)!

The queens have been working hard and now there are increasing numbers of wasp workers appearing in the garden. I think this one is a German Wasp (Vespula germanica). #WaspLove #Staffs #macro #photography #insects

In the garden today; a rather attractive (and fresh-looking) hoverfly. Could be Xylota segnis; the Orange-belted Leaf-licker. I rather like the common name. #diptera #flies #Staffs

When I see flies in the bee-hotel, I always wonder if they're up to no good. Probably not ... #macro #photography #flies

I've managed to encourage this Carrion Crow to become more tolerant of me and to visit this branch in our garden (and pose rather nicely sometimes). The branch is positioned in front of a Copper Beech tree that gives a pleasant background. #wildlife #photography #staffs #garden