Derek Binns
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arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Derek Binns
@arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
1.1K followers 130 following 860 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.
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arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Cravat + wine bottle = thwack.
Seems unlikely.
#TheArchers
February 13, 2026 at 12:13 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.3mm long female Trichogramma sp wasp found 2.5.2023 in Brede High Woods.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny yellow wasp. Its head has large red eyes, and is to the right of picture. There are grey stripes across the wasp's back. Paddle shaped wings are held vertically above body.
February 11, 2026 at 3:24 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
One year on from sowing: Lithops verruculosa and Lithops vallis-mariae are now 4mm and 7mm across and their first moult is underway. They are looking good.

#Lithops
February 10, 2026 at 10:03 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.4mm long female Alaptus pallidicornis wasp of the Mymaridae found 24.9.2025 in the garden birch tree.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae
Looking down onto a very pale tiny wasp. Its head is to the top of picture, and it has large red eyes. It has outstretched wings that have very long fringe hairs.
February 9, 2026 at 12:36 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Found this morning in Brede High Woods (in horrible weather). Some kind of Mite. Am thinking it is probably one of the Uropodidae, a mesostigmatic mite.
Can anyone help with id?

#Mite #Acari #HighWeald
Looking down on an orange-brown oval creature. It has a translucent shell through which are visible some paler orange-brown pits. Looking on the underside of the same orange-brown creature. There are four pairs of legs arranged such that the head end of the creature is to the lower right of picture.
February 5, 2026 at 11:46 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
First proper moult of a Lithops dorotheae sown in February last year, hence just shy of one year old. The new leaf pair is clearly visible, and is strongly patterned. A hopeful sign at the end of a long January.

#Lithops
Looking down onto a tiny round succulent plant. It is pinkish in colour, and it has an oval split in the middle of the surface that shows a growing new patterned leaf pair underneath. The tiny plant is pictured against a ground of grey stone chips.
January 31, 2026 at 5:44 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
One of the garden visitors.

#Badger
A badger entering a garden under a hedge. The badger has a black and white striped head, and a grey body.
January 31, 2026 at 10:17 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Who doesn't love a Tardigrade?
One of three found in a clump of moss under pine trees in Brede High Woods. Could be Macrobiotus cf hufelandi, but if anyone knows better ...

#Tardigrade #HighWeald
Viewed from below; an elongate tiny tardigrade. Its head end with mouthparts is to the right of picture. there are three pairs of stumpy legs with claws to along the sides of the body, and a further pair of stumpy legs with claws at the rearmost part of body (left side of picture).
January 29, 2026 at 4:09 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.3mm long female Trichogramma sp wasp found 28.10.2024 in the garden birch tree. Unusually, females of this genus are almost impossible to get to species. Identification is done from the male.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny yellow wasp. Its head has a large red eye and is to the right of picture. It has paddle shaped wings held vertically above body.
January 25, 2026 at 10:13 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A female Ooctonus vulgatus wasp of the Mymaridae found 11.4.2025 on the saltmarsh at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #RyeHarbour
Side view of a brown wasp with yellow-ish abdomen. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture, head has a large red eye. Wings are together and held at a diagonal angle above the body. Ovipositor can be seen going from abdomen toward lower right corner of picture
January 24, 2026 at 10:57 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Wing fringe Wednesday?
A 0.4mm long female Litus cynipseus wasp of the Mymaridae found 19.11.2025 at Rye Harbour Nature reserve. This is a very commonly found species, but (like most things in the natural realm) it is rather wonderful when you look closely.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #RyeHarbour
Looking down onto a tiny brown wasp with its head and antennae to the top of picture. It has very narrow wings that have long fringe hairs.
January 21, 2026 at 11:22 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.6mm long female Mirufens longicauda wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 19.7.2023 in the garden birch tree.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny brown wasp. Its head is to the right of picture, and it has a large red eye and yellow antennae. Paddle shaped wings are held vertically above body and have an iridescent sheen.
January 20, 2026 at 2:44 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A female Chartocerus subaeneus wasp of the Signiphoridae found 29.7.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.
It was very good year for Signiphorid wasps.

#UKWildlife #Signiphoridae #wasps #HighWeald
Side view of a tiny brown wasp. Its head and antennae are to the left of picture, its ovipositor is pointing to the right. Wings with shaded bands are held above the body.
January 15, 2026 at 2:11 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A 0.8mm long female Ufens hirticornis wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 1.8.2023 in Brede High Woods.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #HighWeald
View looking down on a tiny wasp with wings outstretched. The wasp's head and yellow antennae are to the top of picture. Its body is brown with a couple of yellow patches. The paddle-shaped clear wings have rows of hairs along each wing disc.
January 15, 2026 at 9:52 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A beautiful 0.5mm long Uscana princeps wasp of the Trichogrammatidae found 5.9.2023 at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Trichogrammatidae #RyeHarbour
Side view of a tiny wasp. Its bright yellow head with a large red eye is to the left of picture.Its body is predominantly a smoky grey colour. Its wings are held vertically above the body; they are paddle-shaped with long fringe hairs, and they have a smoky area at their bases.
January 13, 2026 at 11:09 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A beautiful little Tardigrade - Ramazzottius aff oberhaeuseri found in lichen growing on a wind-blasted tree trunk in Warrior Square gardens yestrerday.

#UKWildlife #Tardigrade #St.Leonards
A brown chequerboard patterned Tardigrade viewed from above. Its head end is to the left of picture, and the internal mouthparts can be seen. Legs are clearly visible with their claws along one side and to the rear of the animal.
January 12, 2026 at 12:01 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
11.1.2026
07.51 am
A dramatic skyscape as the sun is still just below the horizon and is uplighting clouds in various shades of orange and red
January 11, 2026 at 9:31 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A female Anaphes globosicornis wasp of the Mymaridae found 10.9.2025 in the old meadow at Great Dixter.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae #HighWeald
Looking down onto a tiny brown wasp with outstretched wings which are clear, and have long fringe hairs. The wasp's head is to the top of picture
January 9, 2026 at 4:47 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A faded Ooctonus hemipterus wasp of the Mymaridae found in Combe Valley 31.7.2024. Love those brachypterous wings!

#UKWildlife #wasps #Mymaridae
Side view of a tiny brown wasp with disproportionately small wings. Its head is to the left of picture and has a large red eye and long pale antennae.
January 6, 2026 at 11:39 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
08.14am, 4.1.2026.
The sun in a clear sky is just above the horizon on a calm sea observed between two houses.
January 5, 2026 at 1:16 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
Whither goest thou Mr.Fox?
a trail of footprints in the snow leading from bottom of picture to top, the prints were caused by a fox
January 4, 2026 at 1:53 PM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
8.19am, 3.1.2026.
Sunrise from the sea. The sea is dark and there is a strong horizontal line marking the horizon. A thin line of cloud is just above the horizon, and the sun is shining through the cloud. There is a strong gradation of colour in the sky from dark orange near to the sea, rising to a clear blue at the top of picture.
January 3, 2026 at 10:28 AM
arnoldtortoise.bsky.social
A female Microterys tricoloricornis wasp of the Encyrtidae found in the garden bay tree for New Year's Day.

#UKWildlife #wasps #Encyrtidae
View looking down on a tiny wasp. To the right of the picture it has black and white antennae, an orange-brown head with green eyes, an orange-brown thorax with a light metallic sheen, and banded wings folded across its body.
January 1, 2026 at 3:19 PM
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