Post by Moths in a human suit (they/them) / Redsky

6. Non-biting midges. I didn't know these existed until I got a moth trap. But we welcome our new non-bitey flapping friends. #InverteFest

Bear with me cos I'm not quite sure how to describe this. It's a long thin insect with the shape of a mosquito about it. But I'm sure it's a midge, not a mozzy. Long thin bum, short wider body, teeny head, short fuzzy things that I'm not if they're antennas or some kinda palps? Anyway. It's two front legs seem a lot longer and finer than the other four, and it has long slender transparent wings. It's sitting on a grey cardboard egg tray from my moth trap.

aug 31, 2025, 12:43 pm • 28 0

Replies

Huh. I didn’t know those existed either.

aug 31, 2025, 12:57 pm • 1 0 • view

7. Not sure what this red mite is? But it snuck in on a moth. #InverteFest

Close up on the top half of a fluffy brown moth, with a tiny red mite latched onto it's shoulder. The moth has round black eyes, and wirey antennas with short comb-like teeth. It's sitting on a grey cardboard egg tray from my moth trap.

aug 31, 2025, 2:58 pm • 19 0 • view

phoretic mites are so cool...

aug 31, 2025, 3:01 pm • 0 0 • view

8. Green lacewings. Very lovely visitors. Not sure what else to say about them TBH, they're super pretty tho. #InverteFest

A lacewing with a long slender green body, large delicate lace-like wings, thin legs, round brown eyes, and long wirey antennas. It's sitting in a jar lid on my hand.

Another lacewing with a long slender green body, large delicate lace-like wings, thin legs, round brown eyes, and long wirey antennas. It's perched on the edge of a jar in my hand.

Another lacewing with a long slender green body, large delicate lace-like wings, thin legs, round brown eyes, and long wirey antennas. It's sitting on a grey cardboard egg tray from my moth trap.

aug 31, 2025, 3:03 pm • 35 2 • view

9. Eared leafhopper. Amazing bark camo, I love it. Crypsis and mimicry are my favourite things when it comes to both spotting and drawing bugs. #Invertefest

Top down view of a small ovoid leafhopper insect, with a bark-like colour and texture. It's wings have a lacey pattern, and it has 2 protrusions from it's shoulders that seem a bit like ears. They are not ears. But that are where it gets the name eared leafhopper.

Side view of the same bark-mimicking leafhopper, in which okay yes the two protrusions do look a bit like Mickey mouse cartoon ears if I squint right. Whatever you can then it is a splendid tiny beast.

aug 31, 2025, 3:24 pm • 25 3 • view

10. Sometimes the lolling chafers give the optimistic spiders a treat... #InverteFest

Two brown chafer beetles like the ones up-thread have wandered into a cell of a moth trap tray that is occupied by a small green spider. The spider is poised to try and web them I guess? Two giant beetles must be a pretty exciting catch if you're a spider.

aug 31, 2025, 8:28 pm • 16 0 • view

11. Brown lipped snail. Probably the most unexpected visitor to the moth trap yet. 🙃🤷 #InverteFest

A little snail with a golden stripey shell, asleep in a cell of one of the grey cardboard egg trays from my moth trap. I'm not sure how or why, but I'm impressed it got in there.

aug 31, 2025, 8:32 pm • 16 1 • view

12. Assorted wasps. As well as the classic jasper, a range of other things that I guess are wasps (?) drop by. #InverteFest

The classic common wasp, AKA jasper with pointy stripey bum, somewhat fuzzy head and body, chonky antennas, and long slightly spiny legs. Best stripey girl on the dead fruit clean up crew, A+.

An unidentified insect that I'm guessing is some kind of wasp. It has a long thin abdomen, a teeny tiny waist, a boxy body, small head and long antennas. It has long transparent wings and thin legs. It's black all over apart from the wings.

A long gangly orange wasp on the fabric shelter above my moth trap. It has a really long body and very long thin legs and antennas. Its wings are transparent.

Another unidentified presumed wasp. Sorry, I'm very bad at Hymenoptera ID. It has a long abdomen, tiny waist, chonky body, small head, and long antennas. It's wings are long and slightly tinted brown. It's long legs are orange and its body is black.

aug 31, 2025, 10:19 pm • 10 0 • view

13. Assorted caddisflies. At least I think these are caddisflies. I know very little about these bugs, but they're delightful guests. #InverteFest

A tiny, long thin flying bug, with orange and black wings that are folded and hide its body, a tiny head, and long impossibly thin antennas. I think it's a caddisfly but don't quote me on that.

Another presumed-caddisfly, with very lacey patterned wings folded over its body, long and thin antennas on its tiny head, and a dark colour.

Top down view of a salt and pepper coloured speckled probable caddisfly with a long thin shape, small head and long thin antennas.

A very orange caddisfly with folded mottled orange and brown wings, a tiny head with round black eyes, and long orange antennas.

aug 31, 2025, 10:28 pm • 20 0 • view

14. Lastly… - water boatman (I didn't know they could fly til I saw this'un) - one of many different ladybird visitors - unidentified fly (we get a lot of those, I'm bad at fly ID) - burying beetle & attached mites! Only every had one of these beets drop by, so cool to see. Happy #InverteFest!

A lozenge shaped bug with two long paddle-like legs sticking out to the sides, big black eyes, dark on top and light underneath. It's a water boatman I think.

A ladybird beetle, a pleasingly round and shiny hemispherical beet, classic red with black spots. Delightful.

A tiny fly of some kind with a round-ish shiny black body, big red eyes, and long transparent wings.

The back end of a burying beetle poking out of an egg tray from my moth trap. It's got quite a boxy shape, a pointed bum and spiny legs. You can't really see its head. It's black but dotted with orange mites.

sep 1, 2025, 12:17 am • 16 0 • view

Gorgeous color, wow! And some of the best eggs in the business.🤩

aug 31, 2025, 8:34 pm • 2 0 • view

Their wings are just so perfect!

aug 31, 2025, 8:50 pm • 2 0 • view

I've been assuming any I spot with no bitey parts are males. Went off to wiki for some reading and er... wow. Starting to debate if intelligent design is in fact real and the designer is just an asshole.

Screenshot of a portion of a Wikipedia page. Text reads; People infected by malaria produce relatively large amounts of Plasmodium-induced aldehydes in the skin, creating large cues for mosquitoes as it increases the attractiveness of an odour blend, imitating a

aug 31, 2025, 9:22 pm • 0 0 • view

Heh! This isn't a mosquito though.

aug 31, 2025, 9:34 pm • 0 0 • view

Oh, sorry, you did say midge. I always thought midges looked entirely different to mozzies. Back off to wiki!

aug 31, 2025, 10:47 pm • 0 0 • view