Tag: paul leyland

Paul writes: It’s a pity that the appearance of this beetle isn’t quite as dramatic as its common name suggests. The name comes from the beetle’s defence mechanism, which is that when threatened the beetle releases a bright red fluid from its mouth. It’s a slow moving domed beetle, up to 20mm long, coloured black…

Paul writes: This is an early spring fly, which I’m hoping to see in the next week or so, however the recent cold weather may put things back a week or more. This one I found last year, on 30 March, at Burton Riggs Nature Reserve, near Scarborough. The Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) occurs throughout…

Paul writes: This is one of my favourite bees, mainly because it’s one of the first solitary bees to emerge in Spring. This is a freshly emerged female and is wonderfully striking with its rich orange fur and dark black legs. Its common name is the Tawny Mining Bee. It’s very easily spotted in late…

  Paul writes: This is a beautiful brightly coloured hoverfly. It is sometimes known as The Footballer, probably from the days when lots of teams wore striped shirts! It’s one of the commonest and most widespread hoverflies and is seen throughout the UK. It has a long flight period. I usually see them from the…

Paul writes: This strange looking creature, with a marvellous name, is a parasitic wasp. It is quite harmless to humans as the appendage to its abdomen is not a sting but an oviposter. The wasp searches out for nests of solitary wasps or bees. Once a nest is found the wasp bores its oviposter into…

This is a great hoverfly to come across on a summer walk. In a good year it is widespread throughout England & Wales but more thinly spread in Scotland. It occurs in a variety of habitats where nectar rich flowers are growing. It is very active and an expert flyer, so is easily seen amongst…

  Paul writes: This solitary wasp is a pretty fearsome looking beast, especially if you are a honey bee. Females are estimated to collect over 100 bees, mainly honey bees, during their flight period between July and mid-August. Thirty years ago in the UK the Bee-Wolf (Philanthus triangulum) was restricted to a few locations in…

The Tansy Beetle Chrysolina graminis is a wonderfully iridescent leaf beetle about 1cm long. It was once widespread in the UK but now has a severely limited range. The main site is along the banks of the River Ouse as it flows through York, with a much smaller, recently discovered, population at Woodwalton Fen. There…

Not many hoverflies have English names and even this one has a fairly recent history. Due to its long proboscis, up to 13mm, it can apparently reach the parts other hoverflies can’t, this coupled with a popular beer advert, made the name inevitable. However I think most hoverfly enthusiasts will still use its Latin name,…