---

Found this little thing ambling about on this flower in the Rockery this morning. Any Idea what it is, or family?

---

Hey Rogaldine,
Clearly your camera is better than mine, or you've been developing your skills. The last probably with help of all the beauties on the Shetlands, Diptera or otherwise:D......
But, anyway, your insect is a thrips, so Order Thysanoptera!
Greetings

---

Thysanoptera?


Edit: Gerard was faster

---

Hey Geraldine
All of the above....:P. Except the beauties bit. I have my own one of those. 35th Anniversary yesterday :). I checked out Thrips on Wikipedia, seems they are food for these little ones.
http://www.dipter...d_id=24824. I wondered what they ate. The hard part about getting this image was spotting the insect in the first place. Like a speck of dust that was moving about. Let my Samsung GX20 Cameraphone do the rest ;).
Hi Hakon
Geraldine wasn't faster....faster connection I bet. Yours will be like mine...snails pace :|
Thanks for the ID...:)
Rogaldine or whatever :D

---

for information:
two days ago a checklist of Thysanoptera has been published'

Zootaxa 2412: 21–41 (29 Mar. 2010)
Thysanoptera of Great Britain: A revised and updated checklist by DOMINIQUE W. COLLINS (UK)

---

The Checklist for Shetland has the following written information:
"Thrips or Thunderflies certainly occur, but have not been studied."
So about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. :|

Roger

---

You could start collecting! The first Thysanopterologist of Shetland! They are to be collected in alcohol, as I recall first to alcohol with some detergent (washing-up liquid). Than transfer them to 70% ethanol. This will make them to pull out the ovipositor. Then they can be stored or studied. Always note host plant.

I have some dozens of different specimens but only 2 could I determine :)

Regards, Walter

---

I mean the thrips. Not the Thysanopterologists. :P

---

Morning Walter
I would need to be looking through the bottom of a Rum or Beer glass with very good magnification properties to find it again. The type of glasses I normally drink out of usually have the opposite effect. They are commonly called Beer Goggles. :) Or is that just the effect????

Roger
PS. Re; Cathedral.... I thought you were more a Thrash Death Metal Freak than a Stoner Doom kind of guy....or something :D

---

Not really :) More into something with a little Folk in it. :D