Borage, Borago officinalis. Flowers are normally blue but some pink examples can be found. The flowering season tends to be quite long from June to September. Can be confused with Green alkanet (also edible) but Borage flowers have pointed point tips at the end of each petal. WT
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa coccinea, Adults are short-lived and have a brief season, usually appearing in April and often seen under loose bark. Their red colouring, often a sign of toxicity, puts off other insects from predating on them.
Crab spider, Misumena vatia. They are called crab spiders because of their unique ability to walk sideways as well as forwards and backwards. They feed on common insects, often consuming prey much larger than themselves using venom to immobilize their prey, though they are harmless to humans. They have a complex visual system, with eight eyes, that they rely on […]
Wasp beetle, Clytus arietis, The wasp beetle, is a wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. It is harmless but is protected by its wasp-like colours and movements. The larvae live in dead wood. It also emanates a wasp buzz-like noise when threatened. They are not to be confused with another wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata.
Vestal Cuckoo Bee, Bombus vestalis. It is a brood parasite that takes over the nests of other bee species. Its primary host is Bombus terrestris (the buff-tailed bumblebee). A key characteristic is the lack of a pollen basket on the hind. This is because it does not make its own nests or collect its own resources. With its larger body […]
Thick legged hoverfly, Syritta pipiens. Adults are critical pollinators for a variety of flowering plants and the species supports parasitism by various parasitic wasp species. Thus, they play an important role in environmental functionality, and can serve as bio-indicators, in which their abundance can reflect the health of the environment. The eyes of Syritta pipiens span over almost the entirety […]
Sun Jumping Spider, Heliophanus Cupreus. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation. Most species are capable of very agile jumps. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes. Occasionally seen active on the surface but commonly within litter.
Speckled Bush Cricket, Leptophyes Punctatissima. Eggs are laid in late summer into tree bark or plant stems where they remain over winter. The nymphs emerge in May and June and mature as adult speckled bush crickets by mid August. They are most active at dusk and at night.
Rhopalus subrufus. Length 7 to 7.5 mm. This genus of bug closely associated with shield bugs comprises four species in the UK; all are rather hairy bugs with largely membranous forewings. It is usually found in association with St John’s-worts in rough grassland, brownfield land and woodland clearings.
Red tailed bumble bee, Bombus lapidarius. One of the Big 7 widespread and abundant species, found in a wide range of habitats across the UK. Queens and workers are jet-black, with a bright red tail covering up to 50% of the abdomen. Males have yellow facial hair and bright yellow bands at the front and rear of the thorax, along […]
