A freshly hatched nymph looks out on a new world.
I was pottering around the herb garden looking for some buggy subjects for my ever-hungry macro lens when I thought I saw a greenfly. Closer observation revealed this pretty little speckled bush cricket nymph. Speckled bush cricket (leptophyes punctatissima) nymphs shed their skins six times. Each version is called an instar. I think this tiny nymph is a newly emerged first instar.
The full adult version, as pictured below, can be found in the garden from about late July onwards. I have found the little nymph in the same place every day since I took its picture. I will follow its progress and try to get some more shots as it grows.
For more information on speckled bush crickets and some super shots see this blog.
Focused Moments 
What lovely images! It looks brilliant! =)
Thank you. It is. 🙂
Add this one to my list of things-to-find-before-I-slip-this-mortal-coil-and-call-it-a-day!!! Awesome organism and awesome nymph photograph!
With your eagle eye for wildlife I am sure you will succeed!
Love the top shot Rachael, the detail and composition is lovely, They look quite “cute”. I took a shot of one of these last year, I was not sure what it was then, so it is nice to now know 🙂
Thanks, Karen. They are very cute!
I love how it seems as though he is ‘looking’ at the camera, the detail is fantastic 🙂
Thank you. He did keep his beady little eyes on me the whole time.
Bokeh to die for !
Thanks, Helen!
Great macro shots! Love the perspective and composition on the first image.
Thank you, Gracie. It was kind of him/her to pose for me 😉
You must HATE mowing the lawn in Summer.
Nah. It’s mostly moss anyway. No need to mow moss 😉
You must have the eyes of an eagle to have spotted that! Anyway, great composition and focus! You definitely have a good eye when your taking photos!
Thanks. I found another one yesterday. I am happy to see these pretty little critters in my garden.
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