Standing up for Nature
Paul writes: If I’m in a wetland nature reserve in late summer I always look out for Darters sitting like this on a wooden railing. Darters usually hunt from a perch, where they fly off after a passing insect, before returning to the same place. Handrails must be at just the right height to give…
Myathropa florea is often known as the Batman Hoverfly, which is self explanatory if you look at the pattern on its thorax. Some are more marked than others, this is a particularly bright one. Size can vary, with a wing length between 7mm and 12mm. It’s quite a common hoverfly which occurs throughout the UK…
Hoverflies on Umbellifers Umbellifers, such as Hogweed and Angelica, are a great place to see hoverflies at this time of year, they provide a convenient platform for feeding and resting. Most of the hoverflies I see are the common orange and black striped ones or maybe yellow and black ones. Anything different immediately stands out…
Paul writes: This is a colourful night-time visitor to many gardens. The Brimstone (Opisthograptis luteolata) is smaller but a brighter yellow than its butterfly namesake. There are also a series of chestnut marks along the edge of its forewings, making it unmistakable. It’s a very common moth and can be seen throughout the UK in…
Paul writes: For the past four months I’ve been looking at insects in and around my garden and reporting what I’ve found. I’ve decided I can now spread my wings a bit so I don’t miss out too much on what is happening elsewhere. One of my favourite wildlife sights in Yorkshire, at this time…
Social Distancing Week 17. Ichneumon sarcitorius Paul writes: I am always finding ichneumon wasps in and around my garden. Often they are running through the undergrowth, all the time twitching their long antennae. Then they’ll stop on a leaf or a flower to have a search round. They take a nice photograph but unfortunately most…
Social Distancing Week 16. Syritta pipiens. Paul writes: Syritta pipiens is one of the commonest garden hoverflies. It isn’t as obvious as lots of its bigger or more brightly coloured cousins but once you know what to look for spotting it is quite simple. They’re about 7mm long, very narrow bodied with a rounded head…
Paul writes: I found my first Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) close to home on 23 June. They always appear along the field path which runs next to my house, this year a little later than normal. Even though I see them as close as two metres from the house boundary I have never seen one…
Social Distancing Week 14. Ruby-tailed Wasp. Paul writes: sometimes being confined to the garden to watch insects isn’t a hardship. I’ve been joyfully following these beautiful wasps for the past week and they should be around until the end of July. Ruby-tailed Wasps are one of the most colourful insects you are likely to see….
Social Distancing Week 13. Eyed Hawk-moth. Paul writes: I found this dramatic looking creature last week in my garden moth trap. It’s the first Eyed Hawk-moth I’ve seen, so I was really excited. I was immediately impressed by the size, the wing length is around 40mm. When resting normally it’s fairly drab looking and only…