Bugs, bees and beasties- Bio-diversity matters

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I had the good fortune to be sat inside a lean to with a grape vine last year, it was teaming with hoverflys. It became apparent that wasps where coming in and taking the hoverflys, they would strip the wings and wing case to ease the load and leave the inedible bits then fly away to their nest!

 

It was a massacre played out on a macro scale, I then realised there where literally thousands of wings and cases heaped on the floor beneath my feet.

 

we have no idea of just how hard nature is working away unnoticed, I sometimes wonder if people have any idea whatsoever of the tremendous work that is done within the eco systems of the world, work that we all benefit from in ways we often do not appreciate, and probably will not until it is too late.

[sean freeman]

Saw this lovely spiral rib on an Oak (don't know the species sorry) in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne...and near the base of it was a bubbling frothy flux which was providing a feast for what looked like fruit fly (Drosophila sp) and a great many ants.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Saw this lovely spiral rib on an Oak (don't know the species sorry) in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne...and near the base of it was a bubbling frothy flux which was providing a feast for what looked like fruit fly (Drosophila sp) and a great many ants.

 

 

looks to me that this tree is suffering from over extension and side loading from winds, the helical fracture is the evidence and the bacterial bleed exiting the active (see increment strip) force flow is a sure sign there is air getting in here.

[sean freeman]

Wind loading was my thoughts too however not really all that likely it is an area called the oak lawn completely surrounded by older larger oak canopies...not impossible just very unlikely to be wind related.

 

Wish I could have ID'd the tree no plaque and I'm afraid I see so few oaks these days.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Wind loading was my thoughts too however not really all that likely it is an area called the oak lawn completely surrounded by older larger oak canopies...not impossible just very unlikely to be wind related.

 

Wish I could have ID'd the tree no plaque and I'm afraid I see so few oaks these days.

it wouldnt take much wind to do that to a tree that has such a form, and wind does funny things when it finds an opening.

 

I thought that purple oak was a joke you posted before, never even knew such a thing existed!

[sean freeman]

Yes it was odd wasn't it thought the little beauty would appeal to Ted, I had a double take myself.

 

To be honest only the pin oaks and a couple of the Algerisn oaks really looked happy, don't know why...the effects of years of drought perhaps, they are very young trees (relative to yours!!!) so given better conditions I'm sure they can grow through this bad patch..I've only been to the Gardens twice so perhaps I'm drawing a long bow. They would certainly be getting better care in the gardens than on the streets of Melbourne.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

all day on the eden channel, sir david and the invertebrates! awesome

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

this thread has gone pete tong, there has been some issues with the site and this was a 30 odd page thread, so something is well iffy round here at the moment.

[RobArb]

Two threads tony:lol:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

so I see, but i only started one, the other is a mystery