iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

@lbflyawayhome.bsky.social I took my uncle (94) to Mansfield today. Thank you for the exhibition. He trained at Derby College like Harry Wingfield and his uncle was at the RCA with Tunnicliffe. He worked as a graphic artist for the gas board, he loves illustration, family card image attached.

An man standing in front of a wall of ladybird books.

A short, old man in front of a display case in a gallery, there is a wheelchair in the foreground.

A cartoon of two dogs carrying a cat on a pole. A piece of doggerel above them says

“A huntin’ we have bin’
A huntin’ we have bin’
We met a great big ginger cat
and we did the b____er in.”

The cartoon is by Roger Bliss from a family card.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Post a picture that should have been an album cover

A picture of three cows on a grassy hill with blue sky behind them. Two cows are looking at the camera which is below the cows. The hill has bare limestone rock showing through the grass in places. One could conclude the photographer is walking through a gully that passes through the cow’s field.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A female Ectemnius sp wasp, these are taken in almost exactly the same place in my garden on two different days but looking at the white patch by the eye, could it be the same individual? Is it possible to get to species? #wasps #bwars

A close up of black and yellow wasp resting on a leaf. This is a type of solitary wasp.

A close up of black and yellow wasp resting on yellow flower. This is a type of solitary wasp.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

OK, so how similar are my prescription sunglasses to pervert glasses. Am I going to have to invest in a new pair. They are varifocal so not cheap.

A photo of just part of a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses on a table. The arms are out, the lenses have a slight reddish tinge to them.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

#InternationalCatDay There is this rather impressive cat mosaic (my photo) from Palazzo Massimo.

A roman mosaic consisting of two images. The top
shows a tabby like cat with a duck and the bottom
shows a male and female duck.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Apparently even mammals get it wrong sometimes ( 📷 mine)

A photo of a doe, a female deer, apparently mounting a stag in a reversal of the commonly accepted and functional position that such a couple of cervidae would usually take.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

There is this to make you really depressed profmusgrave.github.io/anotherday/ This is mine

Text from the page https://profmusgrave.github.io/anotherday/

This one reads “Your birthday is closer to the invention of penicillin than today” set for 31st December 1965.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

@mothiduk.bsky.social I failed to get individual photos of these before they flew off. I assume the orange one is a dusky thorn and the large dark one is a beauty of some kind?

A group of two large and two small moths on a white background. The large ones are a dark grey one and an orange one, the two smaller ones are white with black spots.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

@flygirlnhm.bsky.social Two new soldier flies for me today, on the same hydrangea in my stepmum’s garden. Both recorded. Thanks to you, although I didn’t recognise them. I knew they were soldier flies immediately on seeing those abdomen.

A pale cream coloured fly on a white blossom. The fly has black markings on the proporionally large abdomen. Apparently it is a female Oplodontha viridula, Common Green General.

A large black and yellow, almost bee like fly with what appears to be a disproportionately large abdomen. It is resting on a white blossom. I’m reliably informed that it is a Stratiomys potamida, Banded General.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This is Luna, my stepdaughter’s Springerpoo.

A black dog with a rainbow bow in a group of bluebells. The dog had a cute face and a small white blaze on her chest.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Is this what he gets in the results?

A labelled image of a computer motherboard with PCI, AGP, SATA, BIOS, IDE, North Bridge, South Bridge, Processor Socket and Memory labelled with red indicator lines.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Funnily enough this one got trapped in the house today, I am more confident this is Nomada flava.

A was like bee on a finger tip. The bee is yellow with black striped and orange antennae.

A wasp like been on a window pane. The bee has orange antennae and legs, yellow and black stripes on the abdomen with a splash of red in some yellow segments.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I don’t suppose anyone I know can id this Nomada bee from my Leeds garden today? I realise this is a tall order, particularly as the wings are hiding features.

A quite hairy small wasp like bee on a green leaf. The bee has antennae that are dark changing to orange at the ends, dark femurs on the hind legs but otherwise orange to yellow legs. The wings are folded across the back, concealing the yellow and black abdomen.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

This map used to do the rounds in the other place, I’m not sure who created the map but it is my recollection that a @mooseallain.bsky.social thread collected the data.

A map of England and Wales showing names for woodlice. The list includes Slaters,
Dampers,
Slatey Beetles,
Billy Buttons,
Nutbugs,
Moch coed,
Pryfaid Lludw,
Crunchy Bats,
Pishamares,
Granny Greys,
Woodpigs,
Monkey Peas,
Woodywigs,
Granny Granshers,
Tick Tocks,
Grandads,
Chisel Pigs,
Chickypigs,
Gramfy Croojers,
Gramfer Gravies,
Chisel Bobs,
Sowbugs,
Chuggy Pigs,
Doddamees,
Billy Buttons,
Belly Buttons,
Flumps
Grammasows and Chooky-pegs.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

I still don’t understand why we aren’t building solar on supermarket car parks? This is the White Rose Centre in south Leeds, is it technical, political or financial restrictions?

A google map satellite view of the White Rose Centre at South Leeds showing the huge amount of car parking.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

This is the Mosaic of the Seasons held in the Palazzo Massimo in Rome. #MosaicMonday My photo.

A roman mosaic in mostly shades of brown featuring 9 panels and a border of stylised waves. Four of the images are head and shoulders shoulder portraits of women who I understand are personifications of the seasons. Each corner panel includes a bird and a stylised image of what I thought might be a jellyfish or medusa but could be something else entirely. The central panel is two men but I’m not certain what they are doing and I can’t find a description.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

I’ll just check my unique and witty take really is unique before I post it!

The results of a bluesky search for the words “I’ll bet he’s sweating now” This shows a number of people had the same idea at about the same time.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

I wondered if anyone knows what this is, I thought I might irecord it but there are a few similar crystal brain fungi. I’m guessing it is the common Myxarium nucleatum, Leeds today #FungiUK #Fungi

The image shows some jelly like blobs on a piece of dead wood. Each blob is cloudy white with perhaps a touch of yellow. The blobs have ridges and dips vaguely reminiscent of a brain.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

“Bath in the Nursery” by Phyllis Dodd 1935

A well executed painting of a mother and child in front of a fire. The child is being dried by the mother, they are bathed in a yellow glow from the fire. There is a metal railing guard around the fire.
Thwre is a tin bath to the right in the picture with a toy duck floating on the bathwater. The mantelpiece over the fire has a clock and a number of carved wooded animals. There is a childs dress hanging to the right of the fire.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

I’m not sure this advert for @theguardian.com is that effective. It is November, 10 articles a year is 2 a month so arguably I would be paying £6 an article. I would consider a subscription to a group of international centre left journals including one US, an Australian, a French and a Spanish one

A screenshot. Text reads “An incredible self-own
You've read 20 articles in the last year
In 1936, John Scott gave up his £62m stake in the Guardian to protect its independence, a legacy that keeps us free from billionaire influence and thriving through reader contributions. Please support us
today.”

There are then two selection boxes, one for £4 a month with no benefits listed and the other for £12 a month promising less “asks” (requests) for support and ad free reading. The £12 is already selected and says recommended.

I’m not sure I’ve even read all the articles I have clicked on.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Last day of #Arachtober and I have posted one of my spider pictures every day. I started with a Pardosa sp carrying her spiderlings and I’ll finish with a different one. I have to admit to being particularly pleased with this one from my garden as I managed to get to eye level with her.

The image shows a spider on the end of the dead stem of a plant. Her forelegs are just hanging over the end. Her eyes are in focus and her abdomen is covered in little baby spiders. They are all pointing inwards with just their little bodies and legs showing.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Another predation photo, this is a Flower Crab Spider, Misumena vatia in an evening primrose. Apparently they can change between pink, white and yellow to match the flower they are on, though this takes time. We don’t get them in Leeds yet so I have to go down south to see them. #Arachtober

A yellow spider on a yellow petal. It has a fly at least as big as itself in its jaws. The fly is brown and really stands out in this image.The spider is well enough camouflaged that many people won’t notice it in the thumbnail as they scroll past.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Just an iPhone shot but this shows just how big a prey a small spider can take. This is an Enoplognatha sp with a large hoverfly, Volucella pellucans I think, on marjoram. #Arachtober.

A small greenish spider with a black and white fly, the fly is possibly four times larger than the spider. They are resting on pink/purple marjoram flowers.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Wolf spider semaphore, I posted earlier in #Arachtober a picture of a male and female wolf spider where he is trying to get her attention. This is a different image of the male showing the type of position he places his palps. The palps are also used to transfer sperm to the female.

A male wolf spider standing on a stone, from the rear. The head and eyes are in focus and he has one black palp horizontally to the side and the other raised so from the back it would look like he is pointing to 10 to 3.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

This is another bin spider, this time on a green bin. This is a Clubonia sp. Again a tiny little thing and harmless to humans but those jaws are effective. #Arachtober

A grey spider looking straight at the camera, this has small eyes and big jaws, it is resting on green plastic.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

We have a brown bin for garden waste. Regularly I have to check the lid for accidentally binned insects and spiders and relocate them. This is a candy striped spider, Enoplognatha ovata or latimana, the two are very similar, with an egg sac. #Arachtober

A huge close up of a small spider with two pink stripes on a cream background on the abdomen, hence the common name. It is resting on a bluish sac of eggs ans the background is the brown bin lid.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Here is a short video of a harvestman on my arm. I picked it up while gardening. Not a spider but still an arachnid, I’m not very good at identifying harvestman but I think this is Opilio canestrinii, a recent invader that has become very common. They are totally harmless to humans. #Arachtober

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Yesterday for #Arachtober I posted a Salticus species Zebra jumping spider today a slightly smaller but beautifully coloured Evarcha falcata. Often not noticed but lovely spiders.

A spider on a bit of bark covered wood, the spider is black cream and orangey brown. It has an orange band around its two large main front eyes, almost like a superhero mask ( in my opinion). It has large fluffy palps.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

I admit, I have a lot of Zebra spider pictures like this, they are so cute and they often sit and watch you rather than run away. #Arachtober

A spider on brickwork. The scale of the image is clear as the spider is the same width as the grout between the bricks. The spider is black and white, hence the name and is looking straight at the camera with big eyes.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Another Salticus jumping spider, this one in the garden, I’m not quite sure of the prey here but I’m pretty sure the spiders in my garden are the best kind of pest control. #Arachtober

A black and white spider on a piece of wood with some sort of prey in its jaws. There is a strip of blue sky at the top of the image.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

All the better to see you with. This Salticus jumping spider was in my bathroom. You can see how those eyes are adapted for a visual hunter and look at those jaws. Perfectly harmless to humans though, it is a tiny spider. #Arachtober

A super close up of the face of a spider. You can see four large front facing eyes, almost like car headlights and one on each side is just about visible. There are palps in the front which are just out of focus, but in focus are the edges of two relatively large jaws and a paid of large fangs is crossed between them.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Another predation photo, Philodromus dispar with a hoverfly prey, it was hunting on the petals of an agapanthus. #Arachtober

A brown and cream soider with a fly in its jaws. The red eyes of the fly are visible. It is resting on a blueish background.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Not a spider but a harvestman, which is also an arachnid. It is carrying mites, the orange spots. I took this 11 years ago and I don’t know as much as I should. I don’t have an id for the harvestman or know if the mites are phoretic or parasites. #Arachtober @megabunus.bsky.social

A close up of a long legged harvestman taken from just under eye level. It looks like a spider but the head, thorax and abdomen are one segment. There are five orange dots which are mites hanging on to it, four on the body and one on a “knee” joint. There are a few bits of green leaf around it.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

I was talking to someone the other day about how beautiful new conkers look. I think this false widow, Steotoda nobilis in my garage has that same lovely brown shine. #Arachtober

A shiny brown spider with a large abdomen and faint cream markings on grey concrete.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Earlier in #Arachtober I posted a Pardosa sp with spiderlings, before she carries the babies she carries around an agg sac, like this.

A long legged spider with an abdomen sitting on a white “bag”. The bag is an egg sac made of tightly woven spider silk and tied on to the mother with more silk.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Yesterday’s was about rescuing a big spider and putting him out, this is about rescuing a much smaller spider from the gardening, this is a Clubonia sp, a sac spider. #Arachtober Fortunately I don’t use my fingerprints for id anymore.

A tiny little spider on a finger tip. It is facing downward.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Generally I don’t like putting house spiders out and am happy to live with them. Unfortunately, occasionally they are too big for my wife to put up with, like this gorgeous fellow, Eratigena sp. Very much a gentle giant. He will be fine, we have a few around. #Arachtober

A large spider on the arm of a man, the spider’s legs cover most of the width of the hairy forearm. There is a rather blurred bit of garden in the background including what might be a garden gnome.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Sometimes a spider turns up in your kitchen and you have to photograph it before putting it out. This Xysticus sp Crab spider will have been better outside anyway, it certainly won’t do it any harm. #Arachtober

A brown and cream crab spider on a white background. The spider is demonstrating it’s common name with it’s crab like stance, the two front legs are curved around forwards like crabs legs. This is a male as it has enlarged palps.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

As I quite like spiders I have bought some spider cufflinks as well. There are from Becka’s Insects although this specific pair isn’t there anymore. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Beck... #Arachtober

A spider shaped cufflink in the cuff buttonhole of a white shirt. The spiders legs are crafted from silver wire and the body is a black bead.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Date night. Male wolf spiders like this Pardosa sp attract females by waving their palps (adult male spiders have these enlarged palps - “boxing gloves”) in a kind of semaphore. If they get it right they get to mate. This one has her attention. #Arachtober

The image shows two spiders on some rocks. The male is pointing downwards above a crevice with black palps - appendages that look almost like extra legs - spread out. These are raised and lowered and vibrated in a complex dance or signalling system. The female is resting close to crevice, if she is discontented she will back into the crevice where she is unreachable except going through her jaws. Wolf spiders have good eyes and are visual hunters so it makes sense they have visual signalling for mating as well.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Yesterday I posted a male nursery web spider, today a female. Pisuara mirabilis. These are lovely spiders and I often seem them in gardens where there is a little bit of wild space. #Arachtober

A close up of a largish brown spider with a whitish stripe along the side of the abdomen. She is resting on a leaf with a tightly woven web near her feet. This is actually part of her nursery web and was full
of spiderlings.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

This is a nursery web spider, Pisaura mirabilis. They build a we in bushes or low grass and the mother guards the babies for the first few days of their lives. This one is a male though and despire the cream stripe is well camouflaged. #Arachtober

A picture of a largish grey spider with a cream stripe on the back. It is resting on a grey branch and blends in well. If you zoom in on the head there are foreward facing eyes and it has large palps which show it is a male.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

She looks like she will be a mini version of my step-daughter’s Luna. (SpringerPoo or Sproodle or something like that)

A cute black do sitting in some long grass looking straight at the camera.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

#Arachtober A long jawed orb weaver, Tetragnatha sp. These spiders often settle like this looking very long when they have been disturbed.

A long thin spider resting with four legs pointing straight forward and two legs pointing backwards with two to the side. It is on a spiky teasel head, a green one before it has flowered. Usually all four back legs pointing backwards but perhaps that was difficult on the teasel.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Identifying baby spiders is difficult but this big ball is probably garden cross spiders, Araneus diadematus. Most of these won’t make it but the ones that do grow into those lovely spiders that are hanging in webs in your garden, particularly at this time of year. #Arachtober

A ball of yellow spiderlings. Each little spider has a black mark on its bum. If the web is disturbed they will scatter.

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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Day 7 of #Arachtober another spider with prey. I thought ladybirds (ladybugs for Americans) tasted foul so aren’t predated but it appears not to bother this one. I think the spider is a lace web spider, Amaurobius sp. They often build these lacy webs in windows of garages and sheds.

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