It is Easter Sunday and a time of rejoicing for many. For me it was a day of realisation that the waistline can’t expand indefinitely, whatever the ailments that plague me. Indolence is no excuse. Actually its a jolly good one but not in the eyes of Mr. Scales. Mr. S and I have something of an on-off relationship. I rarely like to step on but I am all too quick to step off. Mr. S it may have been who first uttered the immortal words “one at a time please”.
So with gammy knee, neck and probably a few other things that creak and groan, I resolved to walk UP the hill. Of course a camera went with me. And here are a few record shots. No tripod, light a bit gloomy into the shade but useable under duress. This colourful little chap is not a butterfly or moth cat. No, this is a sawfly larva. I saw dozens of them on a tree, Celtis sinensis. Ripped it to shreds they did. I am indebted to Blackdog To Chan for identifying the larva and the foliage. I had worked out that it was a sawfly but I would have groped in vain for Agenocimbex jucunda. Note how the larvae curl up when they are so full they can’t move. Nature’s answer to Mr. Creosote? 
Next a rather attractive wasp, an ichneumon. It is possible that it belongs to the Hadrocryptus species which belongs to Cryptini tribe. [Source FB entomology group, Kamil Einbacher].
Note the small red parasites on the thorax.
These are final three, the first being a cicada that you have seen before.
And this little chap is a firefly, possibly Vesta sp. Not to be confused with Swan Vesta of course. Or Vesta curries. 
And last but not least Lethe confusa, a common flutterby in HK. Not a very good name as even I am not confused by this one.
I took this by the cunning approach of putting the camera on the road and using AF. Saved me getting down to butterfly level. And that was it. I felt much better for the walk and as the saying goes, we must do this again sometime. I hope you feel suitably bugged up.
All downhill from here 
Andrew, I want to ask permission to use the photo of the wasp with parasites in my personal blog. It will of course be credited and linked.
AV
Granted without hesitation, AV. I shall be honoured.
Thank you, the deed is done on my Labyrinth blog.
AV
Enjoyed the bugs very much, though it is all out war on various saw-fly, blackly and lily beetles here. Sadly, recently I found four dead bumblebees within a week; one of them had little mites on it.
I think in Herts we were asked to report lily beetles as they were a major pest. I tolerate most larvae and won’t spray chemicals but they can wreak havoc. Someone found a honeybee with mites in HK recently. I think they are common and hopefully not the ones that are devastating bees elsewhere.
I can see I need a new lens. A macro is next on list. Love the ground shot. Our weather is gradually warming, perhaps we will have a few bugs soon. It’s just not photography weather here yet. So it’s great to have these to loo at.
Your camera and “bugs” are best friends, Andrew! These are great images. The comparison between your waistline and insects exploding made me smile, but the photographs were awe-inspiring!
Thanks Marylin. I need to walk more and hopefully I will find more bugs etc.
Brilliant photography, Andrew ! – what lens ? As for Nature’s answer to Mr Creosote – doesn’t that mean they’d have to explode ? Or is that a frightfully clever reference to the larvae’s ‘exploding’ into something else ? Wot a pity it’s only sawflies. And DO NOT give me a lecture about “all things their place in the food chain” ! [grin]
This is a very old 100mm F2.8 canon macro lens, M.R. Long since overtaken by a new model with image stabilisation. Indeed they would have to explode and probably turn into something very different. I need to find out what the imago looks like.
How nice to be able to just curl up and take a nap wherever, whenever after having had too much to eat!
Indeed. And in the fresh air too.
Cool but creepy critters. I’m a bug-a-phobe, give me a nice cuddly alligator any day. 🙂
No ‘gators here, Phil so creepy crawlies will have to do me.
Great photos as always. Never thought of wasps having parasites…
AV
Parasites are everywhere AV. Many become politicians.
Sawfly eat my plums. And oh what a sight to see those parasites. Poor wasp.
Hi Denise. I’m sorry about your plums. Maybe the parasites get parasites too. Poor wasp indeed.
I feel very bugged up Andrew, thanks for the opportunity, :D. And Mr Scales talking to you eh? Please, take the settee,….now .. for how long have you been hearing his voice? Does he talk often? Is it always about weighty problems? …. (I’ve always fantasised about being a psychiatrist…) … I love the colours of the insects above, powder blue, salmon pink, a veritable feast for the eyes.. (If not the leaves… ) Flutterbys are always a favourite, delicate, dainty looking… And such striking markings. xPenx
)
(Hope this posts, Norbert’s reacting badly and I’m having to be patient, which is a virtue I know, but not one which this flippin’ Tablet encourages..
Norbert? You name your computer? I think you need to join me on the couch and get some help. I call my computer many things but none of them is a name. ;-o
Possibly the original namer betook the namee as confused, Andrew. It may have been unsure as upon which nectar to feed.
I had the same, well similar, experience here in the yard a few years back. Thought I had found a fine moth cat only to discover it too was a sawfly, Macremphytus tarsatus in my case.
I’ve often been seen as performing my own Mr. Creosote impersonation post gluttonification…..the curl up and not the wall splatter thing.
I am very happy you will be getting more exercise, Andrew. It is very important and is, as Mary Beth constantly quotes various articles and other sources of intelligent advice for my encouragement, one help for almost anything that ails you. I believe it will also help fight off all the deadly sins as well. 🙂
Steve, I had a quick trawl through my books and didn’t find it and then the penny dropped. It reminded me of the larvae I used to see on my pond back in England. They were all sawfly larvae and that set me on the right track. We have some very knowledgeable specialists in HK if you know where to find them. Exercise? I could watch it all day.
Wonderful images. I hope the discomfort abates enough for you to do much more!
Thank you Victor.