Dock Bugs

Have you ever seen or heard of a dock bug? Well if you've been walking in the countryside and passed by dock plants (Rumex) then chances are you have also walked right passed families of dock bugs as these are their favourite plants! But you have to really look for them as they blend in very well with the seed heads.

What are dock bugs?

Dock bugs (Coreus marginatus) are strange little critters belonging to the family Coreidae. In the USA they are known as squash bugs as many of the species are pests of squash crops. They are commonly found in small groups that consist of both adults and larvae with adults hibernating through winter.

These weird looking creatures are wonderful to photograph as they have so much character and their colours blend in beautifully with their favourite dock plant. 2014 saw me spend time with these wonderful little critters for the first time and I will certainly be spending more time with them this year as part of my Forgotten Little Creatures Project.

This first photo is of a mid instar life stage making its way over a dried leaf

All the following photos are of adult dock bugs in various locations around the dock plant. But there are not standard identification images, I wanted to capture some of the character of these bugs especially as seemed to play hide and seek around the plant!

This last image I think is my favourite, not only do you have the main adult bug framed by the leaf but if you look closely you can see the antennae of two other bugs round the other side of the leaf!

I am really looking forward to spring and being able to get back out and about working on this project, bringing more fascinating bugs (plants and reptiles) to you in all their charm and beauty.

Next up is African penguins. 

Just before I go, last year I was delighted to be asked to do an interview for Bokeh Online, a magazine dedicated to the art and lifestyle of photography. Well, that interview (A Fusion Of Science & Art) was published in early January in Issue 26 and is now available to purchase through iTunes just follow this link: bokehonline.com issue 26

Buy for now. Victoria xx

Forgotten Little Creatures

Hello and welcome to the Forgotten Little Creatures launch post!

Although I am only really launching this project now, I have actually been working on it for a while gathering images to have something to launch! This is a project that I have been thinking about doing for quite a while now and with other major project commitments now completed I can concentrate on this. 

So what's it all about? 

It is a celebration of the smaller things we share our world with, so although it is called Forgotten Little Creatures there will be images of wild flowers and other plants in there as well as invertebrates and reptiles. It will come as no surprise to many of you that I love insects and the challenge they present, not just photographically but also in terms of getting people to maybe not love them but have an appreciation for them and their importance. 

What Is The Plan? 

Well, I am looking for the project to culminate in an exhibition of work with the potential of an accompanying book in 2016. This won't be just an exhibition (and book) of pretty pictures it will be filled with funny stories surrounding the images and how I took them along with information about the species. The images won't be the standard identification images, they will be artistic and creative aimed at making the viewer think about the whole picture rather than just the main subject.

Why Am I Doing It?

Over the last few years I have become increasing fascinated by all the smaller things that I see people walk past, in particular insects and snakes. So, over several months I challenged myself to just photograph and enjoy these smaller species and the enjoyment I got from spending time with them has ultimately lead to this project. A huge part of this project is about raising awareness of the smaller things around and the important role they play in the ecosystem and ultimately our lives.

What's Next?

Well, over the winter months I will be making lots of plans in preparation for next spring, in the meantime here is the promotional video for the project.

I hope that you will take this journey with me as I document the lives and beauty of all the smaller things. I will post regular updates and images from the project and towards the end of next year will post information about the exhibition and talks.

At the moment I am still looking for an exhibition venue, so if you are able to help in any way I would really appreciate it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope that you enjoy the images and videos to come.

Victoria