Ive decided to write about one of my favourite invertebrates for each day of National Insect week. First up its the Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum This is one of our largest species of solitary wasp (up to 18mm) that that hunts honey bees, which is the origin of the name bee-wolf (also sometimes referred to as…
One of the stranger finds from a stream kick sample taken in the Cairngorms was this hairy cranefly Pedicia sp. larva. When you mention cranefly larvae, most people will think of the leatherjacket found under lawns eating grass roots, but there are a number of aquatic species too. The thing that surprised me about this…
Species number 4 in my series to celebrate National dragonfly week. Today the banded demoiselle, Calopteyx splendens. This species is usually found slow flowing rivers with muddy bottoms, but they can wander far from these habitats, I’ve seen them a long way from any flowing water. The male (photo above) is metallic blue with a…
Species number 3 in my series to celebrate National dragonfly week. Today the Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula. This species is well known to UK odonata fans as the first species to emerge, usually with the first sightings in April, but in exceptionally mild springs they can emerge in March, as some did in 2012.…
Day 2 of my dragonfly species a day to celebrate the British Dragonfly Society’s National Dragonfly week. Today we’ll look at the Scarce emerald, Lestes Dryas Like other emerald damselfly species they are emerald green in colour and they have a habit of sitting with their wings at 45 degrees to the body, rather than…
As its the British Dragonfly Society’s National Dragonfly week I thought I’d celebrate by posting about a species a day of these marvellous insects. First Up the Magnificent Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Its our largest dragonfly growing to 78mm in length and with a wingspan of 106mm, though some argued the female golden ringed is…
Regular readers will know I photograph pond creatures on a fairly regular basis, but up until today I have never managed a shot I’m happy with of a Water louse Asellus aquaticus. I catch them on most pond dips, but because they are so common, combined with the fact they have the habit tucking themselves…
After the success of the Pond olive mayfly larva post I thought I post about another of the ponds amazing creatures: the Phantom midge larva. I took some photos of these creatures today. They are specialised predators that live a mostly planktonic life. Floating around in open water they would be easily spotted and vulnerable…
Here is an article I wrote for my old blog. I’ve gone through and checked for mistakes and added some bits: Green lizard is the common name that refers to two species that were formally one (Lacerta viridis). The new species, the western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), is now considered separate from the eastern green…
One of the most common finds in garden ponds this time of year is the Pond olive mayfly nymph Cloen dipterum. Mayflies usual conjure up thoughts of adults that mate and die after a day or two, and to those more familiar aquatic invertebrates of the larvae that live the the relatively oxygen rich flowing…