Summer is upon us (we hope) and signs have been emerging despite the weather. Today, whilst in the Harris Garden apart from the bees buzzing, the Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma), a regular immigrant to the UK, was extremely common … Continue reading
The Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is a charming faded orange butterfly of the UK countryside, with a black then white margin that fades into the orange of the wings, see image 1. With a wingspan up to 28mm.
As is routinely seen across the web, the Hesperiidae (the Skipper butterfly family) suffers from misidentification as moths. So when you’re out and about, and think that’s a day flying moth, stop and double-check, it could be a charming skipper … Continue reading
From our roving reporter: seen here are two swarms of bees found on campus recently. We are lucky enough to have a large colony in one veteran oak on campus but there are also other colonies around. Swarms form when … Continue reading
Its that time of year…. the Othosian explosion, it’s happening somewhere near you! This involves quaker moths and willow trees This is the time of year to spot some of the most abundant moth species in your garden, as well as … Continue reading
For these pictures you need to use some lateral thinking and have a reasonable general knowledge of entomology – the formal keys are often not much use here! What follows below is an entomological stream of consciousness (eat your heart … Continue reading
You may have seen all sorts of reports about citizen science and the ability of panels of naturalists to be able to identify insects from photos sent to them. Below are two photos of insects in the Harris Garden taken … Continue reading
Chewed leaves on the rosemary bushes outside the potting shed were the sign of damage from the alien Rosemary Beetle, Chrysolina americana. This species is spreading rapidly through the UK after introduction around 1990. The RHS are surveying it’s distribution And … Continue reading
Wending my way to the Earley Gate on the evening of Thu. 13th, I found a small plant of Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) in grassland with Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) not far from the Psychology building. What caught my eye … Continue reading
This gallery contains 1 photo.
Whilst looking for galls on oaks last month I was lucky enough to come across this scene, some insects hatching out. Quite simple, but there is actually a lot going on here. First, what species is this? Looking at the … Continue reading
