Cricket, Grasshopper or Giant Greenfly?

I have a book called  ‘A Field guide in Colour to Insects‘. (over 800 species illustrated in full colour – nice drawings and paintings). I have had it for years, since the ’70′s anyway. It cost £2.95 then.

It is the first place I look to identify insects I find.  Trouble is – some of the insects I find and photograph do not look the same as those in the book!   Even doing a ‘google’ does not help at times.

I found this insect yesterday:

Cricket, Grasshopper?

It looks like a giant greenfly – it’s not though!

If some-one could help me identify this insect I would be grateful.

I also found this pair ‘up to no good’ :

Soldier Beetles mating.

I found this pair wandering on the grass locked together like this but I had difficulty photographing them so I put a leaf in their way and they climbed on it and I placed them on our garden table where they continued their behaviour as I photographed them.

Please click on an image to see it full size.

This is why I like wandering around the garden in the early evening. I just never know what I may find in our back garden.

test Filed under In The Garden, Insects, Photography | Comment (1)