Local Macro Ecology Logs Heavily Document Heidelberg Fauna, Including Leafhoppers and Specific Spiders

Wind of change 🙂 Colder & blustery today, with intermittent bright sun & dark clouds ⛅️ Still, nice to see a scorpionfly for the first time this year 🦂🪰 From the wing markings & lack of the large male genitals that give these species their name, this is likely a female German scorpionfly (Panorpa germanica; 🇩🇪 Deutsche Skorpionsfliege). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

As befits its name, the cabbage bug is on evergreen candytuft flowers (Iberis sempervirens), part of the Brassicaceae family. The bug also comes in a vivid red, black, & white form, like a sports jersey, so I'll look out for that. For comparison, here's another red & black bug, this time a cinnamon bug (Corizus hyoscyami; 🇩🇪 Zimtwanze). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

Next, yet another species of bug with a firebox red & black pattern. It's not a fire bug (Phyrrocoris apterus) or a cinnamon bug (Corizus hyoscyami) – this is a cabbage bug, genus Eurydema. Most likely, given the pattern & my location, a red cabbage bug (E. ornata; 🇩🇪 Schwarzrückige Gemüsewanze). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

https://inaturalist.org Observation of the Day for Apr 13, 2026: New Zealand Glowworm [Insecta], by user: leptonia [via @inatrepostbot] https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/348137627 Stratford Rd, Arnold Valley, West Coast, NZ 2026-04-03T22:17:40+13:00 Credit: (c) Christian Schwarz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) See more: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/inat-observation-of-the-day #inaturalist #inaturalistorg #citizenscience #newzealandglowworm #arachnocampaluminosa #stratfordrd #arnoldvalley #westcoast #nz #insecta #animals #arthropods #hexapods #insects #wingedandoncewingedinsects #flies #nematoceranflies #gnatsandallies #fungusgnatsandgallmidges #predatoryfungusgnats

https://inaturalist.org Observation of the Day: New Zealand Glowworm [Insecta], by user: leptonia [via @inatrepostbot] https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/348012130 Stratford Rd, Arnold Valley, West Coast, NZ 2026-04-03T22:17:40+13:00 Credit: (c) Christian Schwarz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) See more: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/inat-observation-of-the-day #inaturalist #inaturalistorg #citizenscience #newzealandglowworm #arachnocampaluminosa #stratfordrd #arnoldvalley #westcoast #nz #insecta #animals #arthropods #hexapods #insects #wingedandoncewingedinsects #flies #nematoceranflies #gnatsandallies #fungusgnatsandgallmidges #predatoryfungusgnats

Third, a very brief encounter with a small spider that was whizzing from plant to plant along a network of silk. I think I managed to get good enough pictures to identify it though – it's a cucumber spider, genus Araniella, & most likely A. cucurbitina, the cucumber green spider (🇩🇪 Gewöhnliche Kürbisspinne, aka common pumpkin spider 🙂) #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArachnidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

And while this isn't a new species for me this year, it's always good to see one of the bigger garden arachnids – the European nursery web spider (Pisaurus mirabilis; 🇩🇪 Listspinne). #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #ArachnidsOfMastodon 🕷️ #BackGardenEntomology 🪲

A few more from today & yesterday, starting with this rather inconspicuous leafhopper, Penthimia nigra (🇩🇪 Mönchzikade). I've been seeing the brown larvae in the garden since mid-January, so it's good to know that they've grown into adults. I hope to get some decent pictures of their red eyes from the front in the coming weeks. #Heidelberg 🏰 #Photography 📷️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ #BugOfTheDay 🐞 #MacroPhotography 🔬 #InsectsOfMastodon 🪰 #BackGardenEntomology 🪲