Bush Cricket

A speckled bush cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima (Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae). Called speckled (and punctatissima) because of the tiny black dots covering its green parts. The brown 'saddle' is actually the (much-reduced) wings.  This is a male; in the female of this species the wings are even smaller.

In the USA, bush crickets are known as katydids.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-10-11.

Alderfly

An alderfly, probably Sialis lutaria (Megaloptera: Sialidae).  This was on the railings at the northwest corner of the large lake.  As I said here, the other two UK species of Sialis tend to be found near running water.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-04-19.

Sciomyzid Fly

From August 2008: a Sciomyzid fly (Diptera: Sciomyzidae).  I am unable to identify the genus and species, at the present, at least.  [Note added 2011-05-16: this looks to be the same species as the one here which I identified as Limnia unguicornis.]

This is the same fly from the other side:

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2008-08-30.

Marbled Beauty Moth

I noticed this rather splendid little moth on our living room wall one day back in August.  It is a marbled beauty moth, Cryphia domestica (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).  The larvae of this species feed on lichen and, presumably, this is the reason for the lichen-like pattern on the wings of the adults.

Photo taken in Reading, UK, on 2009-08-10.

Another Soldier Beetle

Another soldier beetle, possibly Cantharis nigricans (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), but it could be one of the other similar Cantharis species, so I will just call it Cantharis sp. for the time being.

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-20.