Latest Updates

I’m so thrilled to announce that today, NaturalSciences’s paleontology #citsci project cretaceouscreatures had its NATIONAL launch 🚀 🤩 inside the community where our microfossils derive—Garfield County High School in Jordan #Montana! We’re honored to be partnering with and giving …back to the community that hosts us annually for our scientific research. And we’re grateful to the_dinosaur_cowboy for donating the cretaceouscreatures microfossils and bankofamerica for financial support. cretaceouscreatures will be taking place in 45 schools in 15 states across the USA this year alone! Look for it in a school near you! 🤩🥳🍾

Black Rustic moth 🖤
Such a beautiful autumnal moth, and quite possibly one of my favourite rustics!
Not just black in colour but blue, green, purple- with a beautiful yellow kidney mark on each wing.

Wide-footed Treehopper (Enchenopa latipes)

Here's one of my favorite shots from Canada, and it's another Treehopper! This was from the only short macro walk I managed in Montreal, which turned out to be one of my most successful of the whole trip! This Treehopper was one of the …highlights, along with a Jagged Ambush Bug which I can't wait to share.

📸: Fujifilm X-H2, Laowa 65mm f/2.8, flash with #cygnustechdiffuser

🔧: 320 image focus stacks at iso 125, f/5.6, 1/200 second

#treehopper #insect #insectphotography #macrophotography #makrofotografie #cupoty #wholelottabugs #insectguru #fujifilmxh2 #fujixh2 #fujifilm #laowa65mm laowa.deutschland venuslaowa #laowa #macro #focusstacking #inaturalist #citizenscience

There’s not many moths I’d stumble around in the dark for during a power cut at 1.30am, but for a Convolvulus Hawkmoth…I most certainly did! ✨
Our streets power went out last night which (thankfully) triggered some shop alarms which woke me up. I figured my moth trap light would also be… out (it was) so I fumbled around with my phone torch light to see which moths were still around. As light rain was forecast I had put my trap out in my porch as it helps trap more moths in, and keeps everything/everyone dry. As soon as I unlocked and opened my kitchen door a huge WHOOSH went over my head as something very large flew into the kitchen. I knew exactly what it would be.
I had no moth pots big enough on hand to catch it, so had to make do with a small Pyrex container.
It (of course) landed on the highest point on the ceiling, meaning I had to climb on the counters in the darkness. With great success I held one of the biggest moths I’ve ever caught in the UK ✨ I promptly popped it in the container into the fridge next to my leftover casserole, to observe and lose my shit over in the morning 🌅 . Which is exactly what happened 5 hours later ✨✨
Moth trapping is seldom this dramatic 😂
Please note how huge their eyes are…I had no idea until I took this photo!

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean there isn’t still some colour out there ✨
I very rarely try for a staged group photo, as it can be a pickle getting everyone to sit still and I like to release them as soon as I can…but it was so chilly this morning that no one seemed to be in a …hurry!

Each has adapted in their own way to live in this world. Isn’t that marvellous 😍
Photo one: September thorn, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Burnished Brass, Ruby Tiger
Photo 2: Ruby Tiger, Burnished Brass
Photo 3: Rosy Rustic (because they’re ❤️‍🔥)

September ✨
It’s been feeling a bit autumnal over the last couple of weeks, which has mostly been reflected in the moth species!
Green Carpets, September Thorns (which oddly emerge sooner than the August Thorns), Sallows…

Image 1 Green Carpet
Image 2 September Thorn
…Image 3 Canary Shouldered Thorn and Green Carpet
Image 4 Centre Barred Sallow and Setaceous Hebrew Character
Image 5 Light Emerald and European Hornet

Large Wainscot ✨
The wainscot moths are all so subtly marked and have this beautiful colour.
Otherwise it was a very quiet night due to the low temperature. Just a handful of the last Large Yellow Underwings of the year along with some Setaceous Hebrew Characters.
🍂🍂