My favourite bug

You’ve probably noticed already, but I adore all bugs. I’m happy to photograph anything that isn’t too small for my gear and I especially love longhorn beetles in general, green leaf weevils, jumping spiders and damselflies. There are still so many that I have yet to meet, but my favourite so far has to be the golden bloomed grey longhorn beetle. I found my first one in a local park last summer and I was lucky that he stuck around for long enough to get the image I wanted. Once I had a few satisfactory shots, I began weeding the background to remove unsightly bits of grass. He was clutching a thick stalk and due to his position, kept slipping round to the far side where I couldn’t get access. In the end, I was able to lightly turn him back without disturbing him. It remains my favourite encounter in 2019.

So when I was back in the same park this year, buried deep in the undergrowth, I was amazed to find myself in the same spot. There is so much left wild there and I had been wandering all over the place. It seemed an amazing coincidence and of course, I instantly recalled my little bug friend. I turned to the grass where I found him previously and instantly thought it was ridiculous to look for him a year later. Within seconds, there was my favourite bug, less than two feet from where I had knelt before. I have no idea how long they live, but there are reports of adults emerging from wood beams after remaining dormant for more than two decades. I would like to think this was the same individual.

Sadly, this time he didn’t hang around for long and I had perhaps 30 seconds to grab a few shots before he flew off.