Vanna Bartlett
@vannabartlett.bsky.social
1.4K followers 670 following 1.8K posts
Artist, naturalist, author, cyclist. Loves insects/invertebrates especially solitary bees & harvestmen. County Recorder for Harvestmen and Pseudoscorpions. Hefted to Norfolk. Website https://arthropedia.co.uk/
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Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
pbeasleyhall.bsky.social
Field crickets (Gryllinae) aren't just plain brown chirping things in backyards - the group is actually pretty diverse, with >3,000 species. Maybe the weirdest are in the genus Sciobia, which all have these delightful Pikmin-like "hats" 🥺

📸: Sciobia barbara, Pierre-Henri Fabre

#EverydayEnsifera
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
transportenvironment.org
NEW: Biofuels globally emit more than the fossil fuels they replace, our latest study shows.

The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
rickmalad.bsky.social
How fortunate am I, that not 100ft from my back door this wonder of evolution decided to post up. She—a bolas spider, Mastophora stowei—spent her nights luring in moths from the low branches of a sassafras tree in our yard. Luckily she picked ideal spot to capture her with a bolas at the ready
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
vannabartlett.bsky.social
Yes, that pair could have turned the country round, reversed privatisation of utilities, invested in public services. Instead pfi for hospitals and deregulation of banks.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
I've seen them along the river at Sweet Briar a couple of times but that was a few years ago. T. salignus is almost annual there.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
norwichbirder.bsky.social
Something else found on willows at Whitlingham today was this Marbled Orb-weaver, Araneus marmoreus var. pyramidatus (srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p...). Very noticeable against green leaves, but you can see how it might blend in once the leaves start to yellow in autumn.
A spider with a round yellow abdomen with a brown area near the back. The legs are banded dark brown and white. It is resting on the underside of some willow leaves, with a yellowed willow leaf to the left of the picture.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
They are often tucked up out of sight in a refuge of spun together leaves. I look for big orb webs in likely habitat and then seek out the refuge, usually diagonally up from web.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social
A profound rethinking of the history of #biodiversity.

"In new view, plants did not colonize a barren wasteland, but rather world prepared for them over eons by the ancient and persistent activity of the fungal kingdom."

scitechdaily.com/earth-was-a-...
Earth Was a Fungal World Before Plants Existed
Fungi arose long before plants, shaping Earth with early soils and nutrient cycles. Their hidden legacy shows they may have prepared the world for life to flourish on land.
scitechdaily.com
vannabartlett.bsky.social
Must check out the willows in my bit of Norwich. Haven't seen this species for a few years now.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
I'm with you there! I look at fungi purely aesthetically and don't worry about what they are, gives my brain some time off!
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
hydaticus.bsky.social
Eastern Black-necked Gartersnake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ssp. ocellatus), Travis County, Texas

#herps #snakes
A slender snake stretched out along a tree root on a mossy slope.  The snake has a gray head, a tan body with black spots, and a neon orange stripe along its back.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
We rarely cut our mini meadow as we are on sandy soil and it is never particularly vigorous. The Yellow Meadow Ants have created mounds that give patches of bare soil for things to seed into. Clumps of vegetation get removed whenever I have to clear up cat poo from visitors...
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social
Bramble associated species: Broom Moth, Ceramica pisi. Wing length up to 20mm. Flies late May to July. Larval foodplants include Bramble, Broom, Heather, Bracken, Sea-buckthorn, larches and sallows. Common across GB and Ireland.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
commonbynature.bsky.social
Scarlet Caterpillarclub (Cordyceps militaris) growing among the Waxcaps on today's wander. #fungi
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
robyaxley.bsky.social
From Marsham Heath yesterday, this looks to be Absconditella delutula, a tiny lichen that was found on a piece of dead wood. The spores are divided (1-septate) and the disc is pale and waxy-looking. First county record!
vannabartlett.bsky.social
Gardening always requires a bit of tinkering as some plants do well at the expense of others. Assume you leave an area of long vegetation for critters to over winter in.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
norwichbirder.bsky.social
Whilst carrying out my WeBS count at Whitlingham today, I spot-checked lots of willows, hoping to find one of the Chaitophorus aphids that I've not seen yet. The most numerous aphid found were these ones, Giant Willow Aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Tube...
A large winged aphid resting on a thin green willow stem. The aphidis pale grey, spotted with black. Aphids on a green willow stem. In the centre is a large grey aphid with black spotting. To the rightare lots of small reddish-brown nymphs. A cluster of black-spotted, grey aphids along a yellowy-green stem.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
ajcann.bsky.social
Paroligolophus agrestis.

#Arachnids #Opliones #VC55 #macrophotography #macro #OMSystem
Paroligolophus agrestis.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
I often see Wood Pigeons in UK raise a wing up during light rain showers to wash their 'wing pits'.
vannabartlett.bsky.social
Typical - write a piece on decline of wild bee species and use a photo of Honeybees.
Reposted by Vanna Bartlett
vc28wildlife.bsky.social
Some miners from the Norfolk Brecks today. Phyllonorycter comparella and Phyllocnistis xenia on White Poplar. Ectoedemia hannoverella on Black Poplar. Coleophora argentula on Yarrow 1/2
Phyllonorycter comparella - two mines in this leaf as pale green yellow areas. Also the snail trail mines of Phyllocnistis xenia Ectoedemia hannoverella mine in green island Petiole mine of Ectoedemia hannoverella Coleophora argentula case
vannabartlett.bsky.social
Posting this just because I can - Large Tree Chernes (Dendrochernes cyrneus) from September. Haven't found a pseudoscorpion for a while, hoping for better luck in the coming week. #Arachtober
A large, dark pseudoscorpion on a piece of wood. It has robust, shiny almost black claws giving it a formidable appearance.