Bugs and Stuff

From time to time I find creatures and plants that I have been unable to identify from my limited supply of reference books or the internet.  I shall be posting pictures here in the hope that I can get answers from the members of the Wildlife Newsgroups.

Here is the first.  This caterpillar was found on a small beech tree in our garden by my granddaughter.  It was approx 5cm long.  If you click on any picture, there will be a larger version.

I have had some ideas for the ID of these 'bugs'.  Keith Edkins wrote:-

"I think the green & yellow caty is a Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)
http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/Caterpillars%20submitted/slides/Buff-tip.html

 Here is another that she found in the garden.  We used to call them "Woolly Bears".  She also found a black one about the same size; 2.5cm long.  I thought I had taken a picture of it but I can't find it!

Ned said:-
"Yes, the top three caterpillars are Buff tip Moths.
The woollies could be one of several look-alikes, e.g. Buff Ermine moth.
Spider 1 could be Tegenaria domestica.
Spider 2 is Pholcus phalangiodes.
Spider 3 could be Tegenaria gigantea
And Spider 4 could well be the Garden orb, Araneus diadematus"

These three spiders are next.  We cleaned out a garden shed and found these beauties.  The first is about 6cm across from front left to rear right leg.  These are my fingers this time.  The second has huge legs and we thought it might be a harvest spider?  The third one has a body similar to the first but its legs are shorter.

Spike wrote:-
"House Spider (tegenaria gigantea)
I think is a Harvestman (opilio parietinus or odiellus spinosus or leiobunum rotundum)
I think is a Amaurobius fenestralisand the last is a garden spider (araneus diadematus)
I have no idea about the caterpillars. but my guess would be that the really hairy ones are moths. 

Spike

With this information, I Googled and found these links:-

This spider was also in the garden.  Robyn took this picture herself.

Here is what I believe is a hummingbird moth.  It was hovering around our security light while I was watching the Brazilian Grand Prix this afternoon.  When I went to find it with my camera, I found this under the eaves.  It is clinging to the pebble-dash wall with the overhang above its nose.
My wife and granddaughter saw a couple of moths in the garden during August.  Is this one looking to hibernate?  If you click on the picture, there is a larger version.

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