IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S......

A really big moth. The resident reaction to this pic was "Yeuk! Horrible!" Oh, dear. I thought it was quite amazing. It's about 3 inchs -- 7 1/2 cms -- long. Am confined to quarters today so I oozed outside to photograph the detail on the concha, a huge terracotta container. There it was snugged just under a rim. I went back and got the macro lens in order to join the brigade of bug blippers.

I have been urged to use a pretty pic of a giant squash blossom, instead. No, bug it is.

CORRECTION: Several people have pointed out that this is actually two moths. I had another look and they're absolutely right. So halve the dimensions shown above and excuse me for invading their privacy!

Wasp update. On 20th July I blipped a little plastic watering can full of lively wasps. I left them there because they were not out to get me, personally, and I believed them to be quite beneficial insects. And then, I didn't want to lift the watering can with them in it.

I went out onto the balcony this morning and they were all motionless, some fanned out on the top of the can. They looked smaller. They were dead. It was if some toxic cloud had passed over them. I looked more closely and the can was half full of water. They had been drowned by the heavy downpour of rain. Those on top had tried to escape but were too water logged to fly. I found it immensely sad.

Luigi and Himself wish to thank all the birthday wishes received yesterday. They were quite chuffed, really.