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 […]
Cuckoo bee, Nomada lathburiana. The term cuckoo bee is used for a variety of different bee lineages which have evolved the kleptoparasitic behaviour of laying their eggs in the nests of other bees, reminiscent of the behaviour of cuckoo birds. Cuckoo bees typically enter the nests of pollen-collecting species, and lay their eggs in cells provisioned by the host bee […]
Dock bug, Coreus marginatus. A large and mottled reddish-brown squashbug with a broad, oval abdomen. The two small projections between the antennae are diagnostic. Picture shows two bugs mating on a dock leaf. There is one generation per year, adults mating and laying eggs in spring. The nymphs feed predominantly on dock so you are likely to find them easily […]
False blister beetle, Ischnomera cyanea. This beetle is about 12 mm long with bright iridescent blue/green elytra (wing cases), which sometimes gape to expose the body or wings. The top sections of its back legs are quite swollen.
Ferruginous bee grabber fly, Sicus ferrugineus. The larvae are endoparasites of bumble bees of the genus Bombus. They pupate and overwinter in their victims.
Garden spider, Araneus diadematus. The garden spider is one of the UK’s largest spider species identified by a distinctive white cross on the abdomen. Its overall colour can vary however, ranging from red-orange to almost black. The female lays her eggs in a silken cocoon which she never leaves, protecting them until the late autumn when she will succumb to […]
Hairy-footed flower bee, Anthophora plumipes. This species is one of the first solitary bees to emerge in spring (as early as February) and people often confuse them for small bumblebees, although their quick darting flight motion is a good way to tell them apart. Males and females look very different from each other. Although they are solitary bees (with no […]
Hoverfly, phaerophoria-Scripta. Hoverflies are true flies in that they have only one pair of wings compared to most other insects such as bees and wasps which have two pairs.Many hoverflies mimic wasps or bees with markings of black and yellow. Hoverflies do not bite or sting. Adult hoverflies are important pollinators.
Leafhopper, Issus coleoptratus. These insects are part of a wide group – so much so that many don’t even have common names. They live on shrubbery and on foliage of various woody plants and common deciduous trees and in mixed forests. They’re not big hoppers like grass hoppers and tend to shuffle along quite slowly.
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 […]
