Derek Binns
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arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Derek Binns
@arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
1K followers 120 following 780 posts
Amateur naturalist - parasitic wasps (and other tiny insects) specialising in UK Trichogrammatidae and Mymaridae. All posts are my own finds, and all are found in Sussex (unless otherwise stated).
Born at 317.68ppm.
Posts Replies Media Videos
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
#TheArchers
Presenting a united front was a good idea to show George that he can't play one against the other any more. But giving him no choice knowing he has no options was wrong. Instead of guidance they have turned him into a loose cannon when he has just acknowledged he can't control himself.
December 30, 2025 at 9:25 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
First leaf moult of a Lithops dorotheae seedling sown in February this year. The tiny plants that have come through the year successfully are now just starting to split and to grow. New life in the midst of winter is a joy.

#Lithops
An oval shaped tiny plant. Its pair of pinkish leaves are starting to part in the middle to reveal a new pair of leaves emerging beneath. The plant is seen against a background of grey stone chips.
December 27, 2025 at 12:35 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
The remarkable wings of a tiny wasp. These are the fore-wings and hind-wings of a Litus cynipseus wasp of the Mymaridae. The wasp is only 0.4mm long, and its wings are very narrow. Wasps are amazing!

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae
Slide image of a set of wasp wings; from top of picture are alternating fore-wing, hind-wing, fore-wing, hindwing. The wings are extremely narrow, and they have very long fringe hairs.
December 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A rather fine 0.6mm long female Anaphes crassicornis wasp of the Mymaridae found 19.11.2025 at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #RyeHarbour
Side view of a tiny brown wasp. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture, head has a large red eye. Blade-like fringed wings are held vertically above body. Ovipositor is horizontal below abdomen to the right of the picture.
December 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
17.12.2025.
8.12am
this morning's sky; the sea is still dark, and there is a line of dark cloud obscuring the horizon. At the top of the cloud bank the sun is peeking through, illuminating wispy bits of high level cloud with orange light
December 17, 2025 at 9:40 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A seven-spot Ladybird in the garden today.

#UKWildlife #Ladybird #Coccinella
Looking down on an orange-red oval Ladybird with seven small black spots on its back. It is walking along a grey-white dried stem of a plant.
December 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.9mm long female Chaetostricha similis wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 10.8.2025 in the garden birch tree.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae
side view of a yellow wasp with paddle-shaped wings held over body, its head with large red eye is to the left of picture
December 11, 2025 at 1:43 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A very handsome Echiniscus testudo Tardigrade found in lichen on a branch blown down in the winds in Alexandra Park, Hastings.

#UKWildlife #Tardigrade
view from above of an orange-brown Tardigrade. Its head end is to the right of picture, and its eight sets of claws are to either side of the body.
December 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
One of today's fruiting bodies emerging in the garden.

#fungi
A toadstool growing out of grass, surrounded by fallen birch leaves. The toadstool has a white stem, creamy white gill edges at the side of the cap, and is maroon on top
December 8, 2025 at 12:57 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Help needed please!
Have been asked by my brother what these two insects in amber are.
I can tell they aren't wasps, but ...
Anyone got any thoughts?

#entomology #amber
December 8, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Reposted by Derek Binns
united24media.com
Watch the magical moment as a Ukrainian choir performs the famous Ukrainian carol in Austria’s Parliament.
December 6, 2025 at 8:56 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Aren't wasps wonderful?
A beautiful Mymar pulchellum wasp of the Mymaridae found 22.8.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #HighWeald
View looking down onto a tiny orange-brown wasp with long-stalked wings that have a spoon-shaped end portion that is half-shaded, and fringed.Head and long antennae are to the top of picture. Long thin legs are to either side of body.
December 7, 2025 at 10:46 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
@ologies.bsky.social This is such a good series. Essential listening.
December 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
It's that time again. #RyeHarbour
A rural landscape with a pale grey sky above a green grass mid-ground above a brown wind-burnt rough grass foreground. In the centre of the picture there are five yellow haul trucks that are driving from left to right. The haul trucks are transporting shingle dredged from the river mouth at Rye Harbour. They are depositing it between Winchelsea Beach and Pett Level in order to replenish the beach after shingle has been eroded by storms. If the beach weren't replenished in this way it would result in the sea wall becoming undermined, and thence the inundation of Pett Level.
December 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Reposted by Derek Binns
poorfrankraw.co.uk
Small 🧵

You may know that in 2014 I had a rare type of #cancer - Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in my windpipe. The amazing #NHS team in Nottm & Derby saved my life. Later I met other patients through SalivaryGlandCancer.uk and I am proud to say I am now a trustee of that charity...
Logo for Salivary Gland Cancer UK, a small charity. Hand carved #lettering - FECK
December 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A beautiful Oligosita nudipennis wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 20.8.2025 in the garden birch tree. Love those wing fringes!

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
View from above of a bright yellow wasp against a dark background. Its head and antenna are to the top of picture. Its fringed wings are held out to either side of the wasp.
December 4, 2025 at 11:01 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.22mm long female Megaphragma noyesi wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 28.8.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny yellow-grey wasp. Its head and antennae are to the upper left. Ovipositor is at the bottom of picture. Fringed narrow wings are to the upper right.
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Early morning late November sunlight on the most studied birch tree in England?
A birch tree lit up by low-angle early morning winter sunshine. The orangey leaves are highlighted by the angle of sunlight.
November 30, 2025 at 9:16 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Fluffy Bum Friday?

Found this little beauty wandering around on the bathroom floor. Relocated it to the sunny roof outside so it could warm up thoroughly before flying away.
Rear view of a very hairy Bumblebee on a roof tile.
November 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
The remarkable wings of a 0.3mm long Alaptus minimus wasp of the Mymaridae. If you look closely toward the left end of the pair you can see the hamuli (hooks) that link the hindwing to the forewing.

#wasps #entomology
A pair of wings (forewing and hindwing) of a tiny wasp. Each wing has a very long fringe, and the fringes of the forewing and the hindwing overlap.
November 26, 2025 at 10:05 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.8mm long female Paracentrobia pulchella wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 15.5.2025 on the saltmarsh at Rye Harbour. This is a very common species around the Nature Reserve, with large populations throughout the summer.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #RyeHarbour
Side view of a tiny yellow wasp. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture. Its head has a large bright red eye. Clear, paddle-shaped fringed wings are held vertically above body.
November 25, 2025 at 10:03 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Corncockle.

#seed #Corncockle
A black seed that is rounded-triangular in outline, and is covered in blunt spikes.
November 20, 2025 at 3:59 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A lovely Green Shieldbug in bright November sunshine this morning.

#UKWildlife #Shieldbug #Hemiptera
A Green Shieldbug on a background of green foliage in low-angled sunlight. The Shieldbug is facing to the left of picture, and is viewed from above.
November 20, 2025 at 11:52 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A beautiful 0.22mm long female Megaphragma noyesi parasitoid wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 29.7.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.
Very pleased with the detail in this picture, probably the best one of this species thus far.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny wasp; its head and antennae are at the top left of picture, its long-fringed narrow wings are to the right
November 19, 2025 at 3:16 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A female Polynema waterhousei wasp of the Mymaridae found 21.7.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny brown wasp, its head and antennae are to the left of picture. Clear, fringed wings are held above body.
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 AM