Tag: paul leyland

Paul writes: Orange-tip is a great early spring butterfly. It is one of the first butterflies to emerge that hasn’t over-wintered as an adult, so is always beautifully fresh at this time of year. In Yorkshire, over the last ten years, the first sighting has ranged from 22 March in 2011, to 23 April in…

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…

Paul writes: This is a small longhorn beetle, averaging about 14mm body length, commonly known as the Wasp Beetle. This mimicry of the Common Wasp (amongst others) helps protect it from predators, mainly birds, even though it is harmless. It’s a good pollinator of flowers as it likes sunbathing in hedgerows and woodland rides in…

Paul writes: at the start of the new year I get to thinking about spring and when the first hibernating insects will appear. Some of the most visible starters are bumblebees. Despite its name the Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is not necessarily the first to appear but it usually awakes from hibernation in early March,…

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: It’s always good to find a Scorpion Fly when out looking for insects, I generally see them from around mid-May to mid-July. They’re really strange looking creatures but their appearance and name are deceptive as they are completely harmless, to other insects and humans. The scorpion tale is not a sting but is…