Sometimes during caterpillar identification email exchanges things can take an unexpected and very pleasant turn. Having sent an email to Marion Pellon from near Twickenham in response to receiving the image below of a Mullein Moth caterpillar found on Buddleia … Read More
Nicrophorus investigator, also known as the Banded Sexton beetle, is one of several large orange and black banded beetles found in the British Isles. These brightly coloured beetles can be up to 25mm long and are strong fliers, often being … Read More
Identifying Necrodes littoralis and Nicrophorous humator, two large black British beetles, is not as difficult as it might appear at first glance. Although both these beetles have black truncated elytra, orange tipped black antennae and are of similar size, between … Read More
Cockchafer or May Bug are a large flying nocturnal beetle that are attracted to light and consequently appear regularly in moth traps. Insight into Cockchafer or May Bug (Melolontha melolontha): Identification of these large brown beetles and determining their sex … Read More
The Heather Ladybird has been common in our garden for the last few weeks and doesn’t seem to show any great preference for any particular shrub despite there being abundant heather. This image is taken on a Bottlebrush Tree. Insight … Read More
Insight into Thick-legged flower beetle (Oedemera nobilis): a common beetle that can be identified by its dazzling colour and gap in the elytra (wing case). This gap in the elytra is not always so obvious but generally gives the appearance … Read More
This ladybird settled high on my arm as I was standing in the National Trust car park at Lizard Point. This made photography even harder than usual especially as we were actually looking for a Hoopoe and the camera had … Read More
The identification of the two most commonly seen British oil beetles is something we’ve been trying to get to terms with in recent days as part of Bug Life’s oil beetle survey, just as we did last year – see … Read More
In recent days several 7-spot Ladybirds have appeared in the garden. This species is by far the most common ladybird we see both in the garden and in the surrounding Cornish countryside. Insight into 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata): Although it … Read More
This large British beetle is called a Rose Chafer. It was sitting in the Heather or Ling (Calluna vulgaris) on the slopes above Kynance Cove in bright sunshine making it look very green and metallic. Insight into Rose Chafer (Cetonia … Read More
While watching birds at Marazion Marshes, near Penzance in Cornwall, a couple of adult 2-spot Ladybird and many 7-spot Ladybird larvae were noted on Common Nettle and Bramble. Although both these species are considered to be the most common ladybirds … Read More
“What’s that huge red ladybird?” I hear you ask. In actual fact it’s the Poplar Leaf Beetle and not a ladybird at all. We came across several of these British leaf beetles last week on Creeping Willow (Salix repens) at … Read More