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Head of a female Trichogramma sp wasp. The entire wasp is only 0.3mm long, so the head is tiny. #Wasps #Trichogrammatidae

The head of a tiny wasp. It is viewed 'face on'. Two large black eyes are at either side of the head, and between them is the point where the head attaches to the wasp's body. Below the head are the two antennae, formed of five unequal segments.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

You can see glow-worm larvae during the daytime along woodland rides, they are quite distinctive. To see the glowing adults you need a properly dark night during warm weather. #TheArchers

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Merothrips brunneus found in Brede High Woods this morning. #Thysanoptera #HighWeald

An elongate brown tiny insect. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Presume this to be a young female Parthenolecanium corni. Does anyone here know their Scale Insects, and are able to advise? #Sternorrhyncha

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Lithops otzeniana is flowering for the first time. It was sown in July 2024. #Lithops

A bright yellow daisy-like flower emerging from a grey-green leaf-pair that is growing in a gravelly medium.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Lithops julii ssp. Fullergreen has flowered for the first time. It was sown on 1.3.2024 and each leaf-pair is now 15mm across. #Lithops

A white daisy-like flower has emerged from a succulent green leaf-pair that has mottled tops.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A beautiful female Oligosita engelharti wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found at Woolston Eyes SSSI in Cheshire in August 2016 by Dawn Painter. #wasps #Trichogrammatidae

Side view of a buff coloured wasp. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture. Its paddle shaped, fringed wing is held vertically above body.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

@pseudoliam.bsky.social Does this look right for a Lamprochernes nodosus? Found in compost heap. Pointed body setae. Fourth tarsal trichobothrium sort of middle-ish, but unsure as it wouldn't stay still! #Pseudoscorpion

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

One of three Hypoponera punctatissima ants found in the garden today. #Formicidae #Ponerinae

Looking down onto an elongate orange-brown ant. Its head and antennae are to the right of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A female Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) in the garden this afternoon. #Dragonfly

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

One of two beautiful Dimple-clawed Chthonids in the garden this afternoon. Any day with a Pseudoscorpion is a good day. #Pseudoscorpions

A tiny Pseudoscorpion on a piece of wood. Its pincer-like claws are held out in front as it heads to the left.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A Spotted green pine needle aphid (Eulachnus agilis) found under Scots Pines in Brede High Woods this morning. #HighWeald #Aphids

An elongate oval bright green Aphid with tiny black spots covering its uppermost side. Head and antennae are to the left of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Hide and Seek. Corizus hyoscyami on a poppy flower stalk this morning.

An orange Rhopalid Bug is hiding behind a green poppy stem. The Bug's black legs are angled to grip the plant's stem.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The wonderful wing fringes of Epoligosita nudipennis, a wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found in November 2025 by Jon Cole. #wasps #Trichogrammatidae

Looking down onto a yellowish tiny wasp with outstretched paddle-shaped wings that have long fringe hairs. Its head is to the top of picture and has black eyes.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A beautiful 0.22mm long female Megaphragma noyesi wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found at Castle Water of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in July. This wasp is a parasitoid of the eggs of thrips, but we don't yet know which species of thrips. #wasps #RyeHarbour

Side view of a tiny wasp. Its oar-shaped wings have long fringe hairs. Its hewad and antennae are to the right of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A handsome Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) on the garden birch tree. Unfortunately it has a couple of Tachinid eggs on the pronotum. #Shieldbug

An elongate True Bug is sitting on a birch leaf. The Bug is bright green with chestnut banding. Its head and black antennae are facing to the top of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Lithops pseudotruncatella looking rather fine. This plant is now 13 years old and 22mm across. #Lithops

A pair of pinkish-grey oval plants growing out of a stone-rich medium. Each plant comprises a pair of leaves that are flattish and mottled. There is a single yellow daisy-like flower emerging from one of the plants.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Does this look right for Convulvulus Hawkmoth? Crossing the pavement first thing this morning (and safely relocated to the hedgerow). #Moths

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

A perfect exuviae of a True Bug found in Brede High Woods this morning. #HighWeald

A buff coloured shed skin of a true bug. Its head end (and antennae) is to the right of picture, and its legs are to either side of the elongate oval body.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A beautiful female Chaetostricha dimidiata wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found in Dinton Pastures by Jon Cole. #wasps #Trichogrammatidae

Looking down on a tiny wasp, its head is to the right of picture. It has paddle shaped wings, each of which has rows of tiny hairs.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A handsome Merothrips brunneus found in Brede High Woods this morning. Very distinctive genus that is a recent inhabitant of this side of the planet. #Thrips #Thysanoptera #HighWeald

An elongate brownish-grey Thrips. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture. Its six yellowish legs stick out to either side of its body.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Wonder how many of those black-shirted thugs would volunteer to go out in a horrific storm in order to save someone in trouble. It takes a lot to capsize a lifeboat, and the RNLI deserves our support and thanks. Their bravery was tested in February 2020 during Storm Ciara, and we don't forget.

Two pictures of the Hastings Lifeboat battling a raging sea during Storm Ciara in February 2020. The first picture shows it rearing out above a wind whipped wave, and the second picture shows the lifeboat on its side in a position that you never want to be in.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It seemed appropriate to mark the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry on these shores in the only fitting way.

A drawing by the great E.H.Shepherd in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Eeyore, and Roo doing battle with the invading Norman army.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A handsome Vespula vulgaris on a bay leaf. The bay tree is thronged with Common Wasps at the moment. #wasps

A yellow and black Common Wasp is sitting on a Bay leaf. Its head and antennae are facing to upper right of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Lithops hallii has come into flower, and is a very handsome plant. #Lithops

A white daisy-like flower is growing from the central split of a grey succulent leaf-pair that is in a gravelly medium. The grey leaf-pair has brown mottling on its upper surface.

looking down on a white daisy-like flower that nearly covers the grey plant from which it has grown

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The beautiful lacebug Kalama tricornis found in Brede High Woods this morning. #Tingidae #HighWeald

looking down on an elongated oval bug that is on a green leaf. The bug has lacy wing cases folded on its back. Its head and antennae are black

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The remarkable wings of an Oligosita pallida wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found in the garden this morning. #wasps #Trichogrammatidae

picture of the wings of a microscopic wasp. Forewings are above, hindwings below. Thorax of the wasp is at the left edge of picture

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Another visitor, this time in the bathroom. A Common Plume Moth (Emmelina monodactyla) resting on the window frame before flying to freedom. #moth

A buff-coloured moth with very narrow wings against a white background. The moth is facing toward the top of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Lithops verruculosa, eighteen months old. #Lithops

A pair of small plants in a gravelly ground. The plants each comprise a single leaf-pair, and each leaf-pair is a mottled flat topped oval.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Another kitchen visitor! This bush-cricket was wandering around last evening, no doubt looking for Godot. Could it be a Southern Oak Bush-cricket? #Orthoptera

side view of a pale green cricket that is facing to the right

looking down on a pale green cricket that is facing to the right, it has a pale yellow stripe along its back

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Lithops gracilidelineata var.waldroniae sown in February 2025. The larger plants are now 16mm across and looking very strong. #Lithops

A pot containing five oval plants, each comprising a single leaf-pair.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Two months of growth from the Lithops julii 'Kikushogyoku' sown in February 2025. The smaller plants have caught up considerably. Markings show good variation across the species. #Lithops

A pot containing eight plants, each comprising a single leaf-pair.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A female Spilopsyllus cuniculi (rabbit flea) found at Castle Water of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. #Siphonaptera #Flea #RyeHarbour

Side view of an orange-brown Flea. Its head is to the left of picture, and its legs are toward the bottom of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

A third instar larva Semidalis aleyrodiformis of the Coniopterygidae found in the garden.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

From First Contact to Maximum, it was a corker! Home made camera obscura to view the eclipse safely. A magical spectacle. #Eclipse2026

First contact when the moon starts to move in front of the sun's disc

Maximum coverage when the moon was obscuring 92% of the sun's disc

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

A beautiful Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) that had made its way indoors. Was safely relocated to the birch tree after posing for its portrait. #Shieldbug

A green bug with chestnut markings on its upper surface, the bug is facing the camera.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

And by way of contrast, a female Paraceras melis melis found on a male badger cub at New Romney. #Siphonaptera #Fleas

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

A female Pulex irritans flea found on a fox that was rescued at Rock-a-Nore. #Siphonaptera #Fleas

Side view of a slide-mounted Human Flea, its head is upper left, legs are to the bottom of picture.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Another one of the 2013 sown Lithops pseudotruncatella has come into bloom. The plant is now 42mm across and looking strong. #Lithops

Side view of a grey succulent plant that comprises a single pair of leaves. The sides of the leaves are pale grey, and the top surface is speckled with darker grey dots and pale brown lines. From the cleft between the leaf-pair has emerged a bright yellow daisy-like flower.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Peaches and Figs - summer bounty!

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

A very handsome Common Blue feeding at heather flowers in the garden this afternoon. #butterfly

side view of a butterfly perched on the pink flowers of heather; the butterfly's wings are closed and show many white spots centred with black, the spots toward the edge of wing have orange triangular blobs, the wing margin is fringed with dense white hairs

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Interesting behaviour. This Volucella zonaria perched in several positions around the air-brick and watched wasps flying in and out (there is a wasps' nest in there). After about ten minutes of watching, the hoverfly crawled in through one of the holes. #hoverfly #wasps #behaviour

A hornet-mimic hoverfly is perched on the air-brick of a house, and it is watching common wasps fly in and out f the air-brick.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A handsome 0.22mm long Megaphragma noyesi parasitoid wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found at Castle Water of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve this morning. First of the year, and quite a relief to find one (because I can still see it)! #wasp #Trichogrammatidae #RyeHarbour

side view of a microscopic wasp; its head and antennae are to the left of picture, and its oar-like fringed wings are held diagonally above the body.

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Thought this Lithops pseudotruncatella was too small to flower as it is only 17mm across. Was surprised to see the bud emerge, and then this beautiful flower. It is only one of two plants in the collection that has a small crevice (except for seedlings). #Lithops

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

A beautiful Painted Lady on Hemp Agrimony in the garden today. #butterfly #PaintedLady

An orange butterfly with black markings, and black and white tips to the forewings, is seen with wings fully open on a flower head. The butterfly is facing toward the top of the picture

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DB @arnoldtortoise.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

A very handsome Birch Shieldbug that was in the bathroom this morning. Photographed after relocation to the garden birch tree. #Shieldbug

A green and brown bug on a brown twig; the insect's head is to the top as it is walking up the twig

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