Martin Lavelle
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martinlavelle.bsky.social
Martin Lavelle
@martinlavelle.bsky.social
190 followers 270 following 420 posts
Humanist, interested in invertebrates, retired theoretical physicist owned by two cats.
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martinlavelle.bsky.social
Aglais urticae, Small tortoiseshell, flew onto me last night. Escorted out. Flew back in. Escorted out. #Butterfly
A richly patterned Small tortoiseshell butterfly that had landed on a red tee shirt.
November 23, 2025 at 8:50 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Our elderly rescue #cat Dora often hisses at our longer term rescue Snowy. So seeing this felt like progress.
Cat sniffing tail of other cat Cat sniffing different part of tail of other cat Cat has now paused sniffing other cat
November 14, 2025 at 9:49 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Think male Phalangium opilio on wall.
#Arachtober #Harvestman
Think male Phalangium opilio on paler wall. Thin long legs.
October 21, 2025 at 10:31 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Does anyone know why Rhododendron #Leafhoppers seem to line up like this? Makes them look bigger? Using the same leaf vein to feed? Precursor to mating? #Entomology
Three Rhododendron Leafhoppers, with green and red markings, lined up on a green Rhododendron leaf.
October 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
A #Moth resting on a supermarket wall in #Plymouth. Sadly couldn't get close to the wall. Is ID possible, @mothiduk.bsky.social ? Thank you #Entomology
Dark grey Moth with some patterns on a pale grey wall. Plymouth, Devon
August 29, 2025 at 4:51 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Has she just decided she can't be bothered with all the licking?
#Cat #Rescue
Cat, white with grey markings, decided to climb into our front loading washing machine.
August 29, 2025 at 8:07 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Large white, #Pieris brassicae, #Butterfly eggs and #caterpillars on the underside of #Cabbage leaves. #Entomology #Lepidoptera
Yellow caterpillars with black heads emerging from white, ribbed eggs Yellow, ribbed eggs (with the caterpillars inside them).
August 27, 2025 at 8:28 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
On underside of Beech leaf at edge of #Plymouth park backing onto wood. Might they be Paidiscura pallens #Spider egg cocoons? Thank you to @britishspiders.bsky.social for any comments. Would iRecord if correct.
Two white, irregularly shaped objects under Beech leaf that may be Paidiscura pallens egg cocoons. Described as "distinctive white sputnik-shaped egg cocoon" on British Spiders web site.
August 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
At least three Orange #ladybird, #Halyzia sedecimguttata, on a small #Sycamore sapling in #Plymouth today. #Entomology #Coccinellidae
A pale Ladybird larva with black spots and some pale yellow marks. This corresponds to Halyzia sedecimguttata. On underside of Sycamore leaf. Pale Ladybird larvae with black spots and some pale yellow marks. This corresponds to Halyzia sedecimguttata. On underside of Sycamore leaf.
August 25, 2025 at 7:37 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Female Anomoia purmunda #Fly in Plymouth garden this morning. #Tephritidae #Diptera #Entomology
A small Fly with a distinctive wing pattern and two stripes across her green eyes. On the leaf of an espaliered Pear. The same Fly from the rear showing what I think is called the oviscape.
August 23, 2025 at 7:52 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
On espaliered #Pear tree. #Sawfly larvae (Caliroa cerasi) munching away. #Invertebrates #Insects #Symphypta
A dark, glossy Sawfly larva on a Pear tree leaf. Caliroa cerasi larva on Pear leaf. I'm not sure how the pattern emerges,
August 14, 2025 at 11:39 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Perhaps something like Hedya pruniana but maybe the photos are so bad that it cannot be identified. Thank you for any help, @mothiduk.bsky.social. Would iRecord. Plymouth, 13/8/25.
August 13, 2025 at 7:39 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
A #Damselfly on my hand that my camera strap was wrapped around. Thank you to @timpurches.bsky.social for the photo! Think may be #Chalcolestes viridis. #KewGardens
Green Damselfly on my hand that was holding the camera and had the strap wrapped around my wrist.
August 10, 2025 at 6:11 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
#Lacewing larva today in Plymouth. Not able to ID any further. Apparently they are voracious. The legs look much more "normal for insects" than, e.g., Butterfly larvae.
On a cultivated Acillea (yellow flowers) were two rapidly moving larvae with insect standard issue type legs. Long gripper mandibles. Hairy tufts along body. Blackish marks on head. Pattern along brown and cream body. As with first pic, on a cultivated Acillea (yellow flowers) were two rapidly moving larvae with insect standard issue type legs. Long gripper mandibles. Hairy tufts along body. Pattern along brown and cream body.
August 1, 2025 at 9:42 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Is this perhaps a Monopis #micromoth? Plymouth garden, 31/7/25. Seemed to have white face, whitish markings over top of wings away from head. Apologies if pics too poor. Thank you once again to @mothiduk.bsky.social for any comments.
Small moth on espaliered Apple tree. Grey with white face and upturned rear tip. Small moth on espaliered Apple tree. Grey with white face and upturned rear tip. Can see fold. Small moth on espaliered Apple tree. Grey with white face and upturned rear tip. A white leg visible.
July 31, 2025 at 9:23 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Male Emperor #dragonfly, Anax imperator, in Plymouth on @plymuni.bsky.social campus today
A male Anax imperator Dragonfly. Mostly blue but some green around thorax. Resting with outstretched wings.
July 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
A sticker indicating how much many people despise the Sun "newspaper".
July 29, 2025 at 5:57 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Obsidentify says this #Spider is Steatoda grossa (100%). Would the experts at @britishspiders.bsky.social disagree? Thank you. (It's now out of the bath which will make the morning shower easier for all involved.)
A Spider in a bath with Steatoda like markings. Think male boxing gloves.
July 23, 2025 at 11:00 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
One of two #Leptura aurulenta #Longhorn #beetles in Devon #WildlifeTrust Warleigh Point #reserve by #Plymouth, 17/7/25.
A Longhorn beetle (long antennae) with black and yellow markings that could be one of two Leptura species but the red legs, antennae and shoulders say Leptura aurulenta.
July 19, 2025 at 1:15 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Blood sacrifice for a photo of a #Haematopota (perhaps pluvialis) Horse fly. (Pic taken by a friend.) #Plymouth #Diptera
A richly patterned, in subtle shades, Horse fly with long antennae on my arm and a small blood droplet from an earlier bite.
July 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
It's been a damp night in #Plymouth. #Fly on #Figwort. #SurfaceTension #Diptera
A "Bluebottle" Fly (Lucilia sp?) on Figwort with multiple water droplets attached. A "Bluebottle" Fly on Figwort with multiple water droplets on it.
July 16, 2025 at 8:13 AM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Speckled #bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctissima, in #Plymouth garden. Adult males have the brown markings. On Sage in plant pot. #Insects #Orthoptera
A green Speckled bush cricket on Sage in a plant pot. The brown markings indicate it is an adult male.
July 15, 2025 at 8:56 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Is this perhaps safe for Agriphila straminella? Seen in Herefordshire on Sage bush near River Wye. Thank you to @mothiduk.bsky.social for any correction. Will iRecord. #TeamMoth
A plain Moth on Sage. An elegant trim at the end of the wings and a pales pattern on part of the wings narrowing around halfway towards the head. The same Moth. Similar pic.
July 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
Is this perhaps safe for Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata? Thank you as ever to @mothiduk.bsky.social for any comments/correction. Plymouth garden, 11/7/25.
A pale Moth against a short concrete wall Same pale Moth against a short concrete wall
July 11, 2025 at 2:37 PM
martinlavelle.bsky.social
A different shiny Fly day! The Broad centurion Soldier fly.
The Broad centurion Soldier fly, Chloromyia formosa. Female as the abdomen is blue. On flowering Fennel.
July 11, 2025 at 8:46 AM