Green Winged Orchid, Sawflies and yet another Salticus.

It's not very often that I can say "I'd rather have been at work than out and about" but Friday was that sort of day.  How things can change in the UK. Today Saturday, not too hot but plenty warm enough for a bit of arthropod action.  However main quest of the day, off to Woolsthorpe in the Vale of Belvoir to take a look at the Green Winged Orchids (Anacamptis morio). Not a lot to say really, a herb rich meadow with lots of nice flowers of which the orchids are probably the star attraction. However as usual the flowers had to wait, one of the old wooden  gates leading into the field held a very healthy population of my Favourites "jumping spiders".  It's the eyes that do it for me, it makes them look rather intelligent and the fact that their other six eyes gives them 360 degree vision means they pretty much know your getting close and want to photograph them. However hope you like the pics, one eating a small hoverfly and one hiding in the mark left by a hammered nail. Also photographed is a not too common Sawfly, I think it's Tenthredo temula, but again as with all my sawfly determinations if someone knows better please let me know.  Found the Sawfly feeding on Cow Parsley "Anthicus sylvestris" but I observed it successfully ambush and devour a dipteran fly. On a non natural history not I also attach a "macro" photograph of Phantom of the Ruhr", or sometimes named "City of Lincoln" our last airworthy Avro Lancaster.

Salticus with Hoverfly meal, Woolsthorpe Leicestershire 25 May 2013 

Salticus at Home. 

Tenthredo temula, Woolsthorpe Leicestershire 25th May 2013

Lancaster and fighter escort Vale of Belvoir 25th May 2013