Tiny Little Guys

Photos taken:
Late June to Mid July

Rainy days are my favourite part of the summer, partly because I don't cope well with the heat, but also it's when the tiny little bugs come out to drink a few droplets of moisture and have a wander about. Here's some of the tiny little guys I've found recently!

Nothing major to start things off with, but I thought this aphid was cute. It's a nice shade of green.

Found some more springtails! This one was about half a millimetre long, which was just big enough for the camera to capture the its abdominal markings and a few hairs. I think the bumpy texture it's crawling on here is a slime mould.

I also got what is probably my best picture yet of Orchesella cincta, one the springtails I photographed last month. I'm glad springtails can grow this large, it makes it easier to appreciate how pretty they are.

This next one might also be a springtail but I can't find a good match for it. Its simple patterning is cute, kinda like a tiny sheet of nori.

And this last springtail should be Neanura muscorum, which is very commonly found under decaying wood. Interestingly this species lacks a furcula, maybe because it has evolved to live in small crevices where jumping wouldn't be useful?

I love this one because it looks just like a sweet we have in the UK called Rainbow Drops — they're small bumpy pieces of puffed rice and maize that are sugar-coated in a variety of bright colours. Wikipedia describes them as being "renowned for their scintillating appearance" which I think is also a nice way to describe springtails and the sheer variety of colours and patterns they come in.

And finally, it's extremely hard to tell for sure but this tiny spec of dust might be a lacewing larvae!! They're alligator-like creatures that trundle around devouring aphids and collecting bits of dead insects and detritus to stick on their back, which is probably the clump you're seeing in these images.

I wish these were clearer photos so I could be sure this is a lacewing, but it was in an awkward spot where I had to cram my phone up against decaying wood just to get something half in focus. The camera probably wouldn't have been able to get much more detail anyway tbh. This guy really was tiny.

[EDIT: I've found what I'm pretty sure is a lacewing larvae! I took this photo of one near the end of July 2023. They appear to be eating somekind of grub!]

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Once they've consumed enough aphids, they turn into these beautiful beasts! Though lacewing flies are fairly small, their wings and antennae are very long which made it hard to get the whole thing in frame. I think this might be the widest image I've ever uploaded.