Entomology – Page 4 – Hoopoe

Author Interview with Katty Baird: Meetings With Moths

In her debut book, Meetings with Moths, ecologist Katty Baird delves into the Scottish landscape in search of some incredible moths that have formed remarkable relationships, responses and adaptations in order to prevail. Meetings with Moths is a journey through all seasons, across a range of habitats and taking in each stage of the moth life cycle; investigating the ways in which moths utilise sight, sound, and smell in their lives, as well as their unique camouflage abilities and navigational skills. Along the way Katty meets with fellow ecologists, researchers and moth enthusiasts and draws on past research, records and recorders to explore the changing fates of these often overlooked (by their very nature) insects, and the intricacies of their fascinating lives.

Following a Zoology degree and PhD, Katty Baird continued in academia as a postdoctoral research fellow, studying insect-plant interactions. She now works as an ecologist, recording and monitoring invertebrates throughout Scotland. Since 2016 she has run the Hibernating Herald project and in 2019/20 she wrote a popular blog, recording moths on the Whittingehame Estate in East Lothian.

We were delighted to be able to ask Katty a few questions prior to the release of Meetings with Moths.

There are some beautiful ponderings throughout the book alluding to your early encounters and memories with moths. Could you tell us a little more about what got you hooked on moths, and how you’ve come to work so closely with them, both in the wild and in your work with museum collections?

I’m a big fan of all insects (and other invertebrates) and generally, as long as I’m learning new things, I’m happy. However, with moths, I love that you don’t need a microscope to enjoy their beautiful variety and a light trap means many species can be enjoyed relatively easily. It’s hard not to be impressed by the stature of a Poplar Hawk-moth or the delicacy of a White Plume Moth. They are also great insects to share with others; excellent ambassadors for our often-overlooked smaller fauna.

Moths are a relatively well-studied insect group in the UK which provides useful context for me to understand my own recording efforts. But at the same time, there is so much we don’t know, particularly about moth life cycles and ecology, leaving plenty of opportunity for making new discoveries!

As for museum collections, through my endeavours here, I’ve discovered a treasure trove of information waiting to be unlocked. Sadly, there just isn’t the resources to extract this data and make it available to all. I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to offer some time to help, though it wasn’t entirely altruistic – I have also learned much about moths and moth recording in the process; I only wish I had more time to give.

The book contains many fascinating introductions to prominent lepidopterists, ecologists and enthusiasts, some of whom are at the forefront of current moth research, and others from the early days of modern appreciation and understanding. Did you set out with clear influences to research and include in the book, and have some surprised you along the way?

I’m naturally quite shy and like nothing more than being outdoors on my own, but I think this book has highlighted how important people in the moth-ing community have been to me. An initial aim of the book was to share some of the wonders of our native moths through my own experiences of seeking them out, but as I got stuck into the writing, I realised that my best stories were those that included the people I’ve met along the way. Lots of wonderful characters, a few quirks here and there, each pursuing moths in their own way but ultimately for the same reason: because they love seeing these insects. Wanting to know more about the animals and plants around me has led me to an interest in moths, but my fellow Lepidopterists have definitely enhanced it.

From your experiences working among archives of invertebrate specimens, do you think the character of a collector comes through in their collections?

Yes, I think so, particularly in archives with accompanying notes and diaries. Just as contemporary recorders have slightly different motivations; for example seeing as many species as possible or understanding the moths of a particular area well, so did collectors from the past. The details that are written on the labels, the handwriting, the comments in notebooks all hint at the personality of the characters involved. I’m not sure our modern legacy of spreadsheets and digital photo archives provide the same back story. Of course in many cases – a bit like social media feeds – only the significant finds and achievements get documented for prosperity. Failures are brushed aside and conveniently forgotten.

As the title suggests, you meet with many incredible moths within the journey of this book, and you deftly extol their virtues while inspiring the reader to do the same. What initial advice would you offer to those wanting to start meeting moths?

Get out there and start looking! Try an early morning check of walls of buildings that have been lit overnight (toilet blocks are surprisingly good) or wandering around at dusk looking at flowers with a torch. To start with, just enjoy finding them but as your curiosity is piqued you will probably want to know their names. There are various guidebooks and online identification resources – try the ‘What’s Flying Tonight?’ app or join a social media moth group (there are many!). Best of all though is to learn from and be inspired by others. Many local Butterfly Conservation groups run moth events where you can see moths, and some have light traps to borrow if you want to try before you buy. Once you start using a light trap, you will wonder what took you so long.

It’s clear that moths face a myriad of existential challenges in our changing climate and with many unique habitats and relationships under increasing threat, the stories in your book of their adaptations and adjustments in life are remarkable and admirable. What do you see as the conservation priorities that would actively support greater moth abundance and diversity in the UK?

We need to improve, connect and protect habitats beyond the limited spaces within nature reserves so moths can move across landscapes more easily. This means things like limiting chemical use, reducing grazing pressures, flailing hedges and verges less frequently, and allowing areas for nature to do its own thing. It can be helpful to focus on saving a particular species of moth, or a particular habitat, but it is the wider benefits of that focus that will make the most difference.

It’s easy to feel a bit helpless, but planting gardens, balconies, window boxes with plants that insects can use, will make a difference to your local moth populations and has the bonus of attracting them to you.

I really enjoyed reading about how you return to certain species each year to check in with them in both new and familiar places. Could you tell us a bit about a species that calls you back, and why they speak to you?

It has to be the Tissue, Triphosa dubitata. In Scotland, this is sparsely distributed and quite hard to catch up with, but through seeking overwintering adults out in various caves and mines we are learning a bit more about its life here. They arrive in these overwintering sites in late summer, and for the last six years, I’ve got inexplicably excited when seeing the first ones of the year. Even though they are almost expected in some places, I still get a buzz from seeing them. It is a beautiful moth, with lovely patterns of silver, grey and pink. Each one has slightly different patterning which makes them individually recognisable and easy to follow over the winter (though I’ve stopped short of giving them names). A big part of the attraction of finding Tissue is exploring the caves and mines where they turn up. On a bleak October day, with the wind and rain lashing, the peace and restoration of being enveloped in the darkness of a cave in the company of beautiful moths can’t be replicated.

Is there a moth you can tell us about that you’ve not met that you’re eager to see?

There are many species I’ve still to meet. If I put my mind to it, I expect I could see a lot of them by visiting known sites at the right time of year but I’m not in that much of a hurry. In my home county of East Lothian, one of my most-wanted is Portland Moth. It’s a rather optimistic wish; this is a rare moth anywhere in the UK and hasn’t been seen for about a hundred years in East Lothian. They live in dune areas, but we don’t really know exactly how they like their dunes to be. We’re not even sure what range of plants the caterpillars will eat. It is one of the species that Butterfly Conservation Scotland is hoping to find out more about, so I’m hoping to join them on some of their planned searches for caterpillars at known sites further north. Nocturnal crawling around sand dunes with a bunch of moth enthusiasts can only be fun.

Lastly, I’d like to ask what you have in mind next, if there are further writing projects you’d like to tell us about or a new line of research on the horizon?

I would love to write more about Alice Balfour and other forgotten Scottish entomologists from the past. There are some interesting stories to be told. I would also like to do more moth science. Butterfly Conservation have a list of ‘priority species’, rare moths that they want to know more about. If I could, I would pick one of these, go and base myself somewhere in the middle of Scotland and spend my days and nights finding out all there is to know about them. Anyone is welcome to come and help!

Meetings with Moths
By: Katty Baird
Hardback | April 2023 | Forth Estate

The Big Butterfly Count: NHBS Staff Results 2022

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) sunning on a hazel leaf – Sabine Lang

Butterfly Conservation opened the Big Butterfly Count between 15^th July and 7^th August this year. This annual initiative sees citizen scientists taking to their gardens, local parks and verges, or heading out into the countryside to spend fifteen minutes counting the butterflies and moths in their chosen patch.

At the time of writing (15^th August) the results on the 2022 Big Butterfly Count page state an accumulation of just shy of 95,000 counts recorded by approximately 63,400 participants. Most counts were submitted from the UK but there was a scattering of submissions from elsewhere in the world. It’s a lower participation count than last year, but there’s still time to submit any counts you took between 15^th July and 7^th August at: https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/map

The results from the 2021 Big Butterfly Count suggested a continued decline of the overall number of butterflies across the UK and prompted some sobering thoughts on the diminishing appearances of these beautiful, remarkable and vital members of our ecosystem. “76% of butterflies have declined in abundance in distribution since 1976” heads one article on the Butterfly Conservation website, then goes on to state that “We may be the last generation to enjoy butterflies and moths in abundance.”

Some interesting results from the 2021 Big Butterfly Count were increases in the recorded numbers of some species such as Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) (33%), Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) (81%) and Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) (42%) and a whopping increase of 213% from 2020 for the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea)!

It’s hard to imagine that 2022 has been more favourable for the UK’s Lepidoptera. A prolonged winter of record-breaking storms that rattled the country was followed by low temperatures through spring that gave way in a burst to record-breaking heat, parching the soil for weeks on end and plunging us into drought and sporadic wildfires by the time the Big Butterfly Count came around.

Town centre meadow of dried grasses in Totnes – Oliver Haines

For one of my counts I took a lunch break trip to a local parkland meadow under a heavy humid sky where the grasses, thistles and cow parsley flowers have been allowed to grow all summer long. Allotments run along one field edge and private gardens with a variety of growing styles along the other. In my allocated 15 minute count a single Large White (Pieris brassicae) slipped past in a hurry, over the wall and away.

A second count along a hedge by the local river bank was a little more fruitful, sporting three Gatekeepers (Pryonia tithonus), one Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and five Ringlets (Aphantopus hyperantus) all skipping along the spent bramble flowers and sunning themselves on the leaves.

Results

Elsewhere within the NHBS team, counts were taken by Hana, Catherine and Sabine who spotted the following species in their chosen locations:

Hana:

1 x Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

1 x Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

1 x Jersey Tiger Moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

Catherine:

7 x Large White (Pieris brassicae)

3 x Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

2 x Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

2 x Gatekeeper (Pryonia tithonus)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) – Catherine Mitson

Sabine:

1 x Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

1 x Comma (Polygonia c-album)

2 x Small White (Pieris rapae)

2 x Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

1 x Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Comma (Polygonia c-album) – Catherine Mitson

Butterfly Conservation

There’s some interesting reading on the Butterfly Conservation website on their strategy to save and support the UK’s butterfly and moth populations here and a useful guide to ways that you can directly get involved and help out here.

The current top 5 Butterflies recorded in the 2022 Big Butterfly Count are as follows:

Large White (Pieris brassicae)
Gatekeeper (Pryonia tithonus)
Small White (Pieris rapae)
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Useful resources

NHBS sells a wide variety of helpful guides to assist in butterfly identification all around the world – some great ones to get you started in the UK include:

Britain’s Butterflies: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Flexibound | 2020
£12.50 ~~£17.99~~

Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland
Paperback | 2019
£8.99 ~~£11.99~~

Collins Butterfly Guide: The Most Complete Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe
Paperback | 2009
£13.99 ~~£18.99~~

Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland
Unbound | 2019
£3.99

Guide to the Day-Flying Moths of Britain
Unbound | 2006
£3.75

Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies
Hardback | 2019
£34.99

A Summer of Dragonflies

Seeing dragonflies swoop over water is a quintessential sign that summer is upon us. When in flight their movements are mesmerising – using their two sets of wings either in synchrony or beating separately, they are able to fly in any direction they choose, altering their speed and movement instantly in mid-flight to create a dance that is unlike any other organism. But while the flying adults are frequently seen during the warmer months, many of us know very little about their life during the rest of the year.

In this article we will take a look at the dragonfly life cycle, explore how climate change and other threats are affecting dragonfly populations globally, and offer some tips on how to attract dragonflies to your garden.

Dragonfly life history

Dragonflies belong to the order Odonata within the sub-order Anisoptera (meaning ‘unequal-winged’). This order is also home to the closely-related damselflies (sub-order Zygoptera). Although at first glance dragonflies and damselflies appear similar, dragonflies are usually larger and bulkier with significantly larger eyes when compared to the slightly built and rather delicate damsels. When at rest dragonflies hold their wings open whereas damsels keep theirs closed, next to the body.

There are three distinct phases in the dragonfly life cycle: egg, nymph (larva) and adult.

Dragonflies breed in or on water bodies such as marshes, swamps, ponds, pools and rivers; after mating the female will lay hundreds of eggs over the course of several days or months. Some species lay their eggs inside plant material, either on the surface of the water or submerged. Others encase their eggs in a jelly-like substance and deposit them directly into the water. Eggs usually hatch within a few weeks, although some remain in the water throughout the colder months and hatch the following spring.

The first larva that hatches from the egg is known as a prolarva, and this very quickly moults into the first proper larval stage. The larvae, or nymphs, then proceed to moult a further 5–14 times – typically taking place over 1–2 years, although it can be as long as five years in species such as the Golden-Ringed Dragonfly. Nymphs continue to live in the water and are voracious eaters, feeding on insect larvae, crustaceans, worms, snails, tadpoles and even small fish.

Southern Hawker undergoing the final moult from nymph to winged adult. Image by John Copley via Flickr.

Unlike many other flying insects, such as butterflies and moths, the final moult of the dragonfly does not feature a pupal stage – known as incomplete metamorphosis. This moult takes place out of the water where the winged adult emerges from the nymph skin, leaving behind an exuvia, or skin cast. A period of time is then spent feeding away from the water before the adult dragonfly returns to breed and begin the cycle again. Life expectancy of the adult dragonfly is short – typically only 1–2 weeks, although some will live for up to 5–6 weeks.

Conservation and climate change

An IUCN update in December 2021 stated that the destruction of wetlands is driving a worldwide decline in dragonflies. Despite their high ecological value, marshes, swamps and boggy areas continue to be degraded by intensified agriculture and urbanisation and, along with longer periods of drought, this is vastly reducing the amount of habitat in which dragonflies and damselflies can survive.

Clean water is also paramount for dragonfly nymphs – so much so that their presence is regarded as an useful indicator of wetland health. Pollution of waterways and water bodies by pesticides and effluent are problematic and are compounding the issue of habitat loss.

In their favour is the fact that dragonflies are highly mobile and appear to colonise new habitats relatively rapidly. With global temperatures on the rise, we are already seeing species shift to higher latitudes and altitudes. Even in the UK, Mediterranean migrants are being recorded with increasing frequency.

Which dragonflies are you most likely to see?

There are just under 30 species of dragonfly living in the UK. Identification of these is primarily achieved using the patterns and colouration of the thorax and abdomen, although a few similar species require the finer details, such as leg colour, to be examined.

Take a look at our article The NHBS Guide to UK Dragonfly Identification for ten of the most common and widespread species you are likely to spot in the UK.

Or why not check out this interactive map from the British Dragonfly Society where you can search for good places to look for dragonflies near you. You can also filter the results by species if you’re looking for something specific.

Dragonflies can often be found perching in a sunny spot in the morning, warming their wing muscles before their first flight. Image by Ian Preston via Flickr.

How to attract dragonflies to your garden

Water is an integral part of the dragonfly life cycle, so having a pond in your garden is by far the best way to attract them. If you only have a small outdoor space then sinking a bucket or trough into the ground is a low-cost and space-efficient solution. A larger pond with both floating and emergent vegetation, however, will provide dragonflies with somewhere to lay their eggs and for the nymphs to live once they have hatched. It is important to have some vegetation which extends out of the pond as this will allow nymphs to leave the water when they are ready to undergo the final moult into their adult, winged form. Ponds with carnivorous fish or those used by waterfowl will be less useful as these will both prey on the dragonfly larvae.

Having a variety of flowers and herbs growing nearby will help to attract other insects which the dragonflies will feed on. Providing some canes or small stakes will also give them a place to perch – this is particularly important in the morning when dragonflies need to spend time basking in the sun before their wing muscles are warm enough for flight.

Fun facts

• Dragonflies see the world in colour and can detect ultraviolet as well as blue, green and red.
• Dragonflies have been around for 300 million years. Their ancestors were some of the largest insects ever to have existed – some had wingspans of up to 80cm!
• Dragonflies are true acrobats and can fly both upside down and backwards.
• Although they can live for up to five or six years, dragonflies only spend a tiny portion of this time – between a week and two months – as the colourful flying adults that we recognise. The majority of their lives are spent in the water as nymphs (larvae).

Testing the Guide: An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe

Our second article in our Testing the Guide series looks at An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe, a photographic identification guide to 150 species of garden insects most commonly found in Britain and north-west Europe.

This guide includes an introduction covering how to attract insects to your garden, advice on photographing insects, a description of insect anatomy, the characteristics of the insect orders included in the guide, and the insect lover’s year, describing the best places to look for different species throughout the different months and seasons of the year.

From there, each species is presented, grouped by order, with keenly observed descriptions to help you identify even the smallest creature, as well as one or two photographs labelled with distinguishing features. In each of these sections, there are details of its life cycle from egg to adult, a calendar showing the time of year when the adult can be seen, and star facts that give further proof of insects’ fascinating lives.

Using the guide

Throughout March, April and May, we tested the identification guide by exploring a garden for a few hours during the day and during the night. The garden is small, with a patch of lawn, bare dirt, a hedgerow of mainly ivy (Hedera helix) and holly (Ilex aquifolium), stone gravel, Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) and rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) bushes, a field maple tree (Acer campestre), clumps of daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) and three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum), as well as various other flowering and non-flowering plants. This garden also contains a small insect house which was placed in September of last year. Weedkiller was used once in September but no other chemicals have been used since, nor has the lawn been mowed. Therefore, the garden should be able to support a number of insect species. We attempted to search by eye and by using a tapping tray and stick. Compared to just searching by eye, we found that we had little success with tapping as the vast majority of what we found were spiders and we were unable to identify the few insect species we found using this guide.

What we found

Following the guide, we were able to ID this species as a marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), a small, delicate hoverfly with a unique pattern of twin dark bands separated by lighter bands. As this individual doesn’t have ‘holoptic’ eyes – eyes that meet at the top of the head – we believe this is a female.

This guide has a large section on butterflies and moths, covering a number of common species you’ll likely see in your garden and local green spaces. This species is a speckled wood (Parage aegeria), identifiable through its dark colouration and the spots on its hindwing, which have a yellow outer ring, a black inner ring and a white central spot. According to the guide, it is a distinctive species, and there are no similar species listed. However, for those unfamiliar with these species, their underwing pattern could potentially be confused with other butterflies such as walls (Lasiommata megera) or graylings (Hipparchia semele).

This is a dock bug (Coreus marginatus), a small insect from the family Coreidae. According to the guide, they’re common and widespread in Europe, but in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia, they’re restricted to the southern parts. They’re identifiable through their shape (upturned, pointed pronotum and broad abdomen with a noticeable scutellum), their red-orange antennae with a black final segment, and their pale-brown colouration. There is variation in the wing membrane colour between individuals, and an important diagnostic feature that can distinguish it from other similar species is the forward-pointing spines between its antenna. This feature can be most easily identified using a hand lens, handheld magnifier or magnifying pot.

This similar-looking species is a (common) green shieldbug (Palomena prasina). Despite its name, this species can range from bright green to bronze, particularly becoming darker prior to winter hibernation. Its brown wing membranes set it apart from similar, non-native species, such as the southern green shieldbug (Nezara viridula), as noted in the guide. If you are able to look closely at one, you’ll be able to see it is covered in tiny black dots, with red eyes, feet and antennae (primarily the last two segments). It can also have a red edge all the way around its thorax and abdomen.

We also managed to spot this colourful species, which we were able to ID using the guide as a common malachite beetle (Malachius bipustulatus). The red ‘shoulders’ and red spots on the end of the abdomen, helpfully annotated in the guide’s photo, made this species easy to identify.

Using this guide, we were also able to identify a scorpionfly, bluebottle, greenbottle, dark-edged bee-fly, thick-legged flower beetle, two-spot ladybird and a buff-tailed bumblebee.

Our opinion

As noted in the introduction to this guide, there are around 24,000 insect species in Britain, and almost three times that in mainland Europe. And so there will always be species you find in your garden that are not in this field guide, which covers only 150 species. The breadth of the species covered within the guide perhaps could’ve been expanded, but as it does cover many of the most common species, you are still likely to see a number of these species within your garden and local green spaces. In addition, the paired-down number of species can be useful, as it can be quicker and easier for readers to accurately identify species they’ve found. Therefore, this is still an incredibly useful guide, particularly for naturalists, beginners and those who want a more concise and affordable insect field guide.

An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe
Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton

The NHBS Guide to UK Hoverflies: Part 2

Hoverflies, of the insect family Syrphidae, are often to be found hovering around flowers and, for this reason, are known as flower flies in many parts of the world. The adults of most species feed largely on nectar and pollen making them important pollinators. Their larvae eat a range of foods; some feed on decaying plant and animal matter whilst others are important predators of aphids, thrips and other insects commonly considered to be ‘crop pests’. Although completely harmless to humans and other mammals, many hoverfly species mimic stinging wasps or bees in an effort to protect themselves from predation.

This is the second instalment in our two part guide to UK hoverflies, in which we cover many of the common species that you are likely to encounter in your garden or local outdoor space. Part one can be found here.

Eristalis pertinax

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: E. pertinax can be found in a number of habitats, including woodlands, gardens and moorland.
What to look for: Similar in size and appearance to E. tenax (see The NHBS guide to UK hoverflies: Part 1), the easiest character to use to identify this species is the yellow tarsi (the last segments of the leg) on the front and middle legs. The abdomen tapers towards the end, giving it a triangular shape that can also help to separate this species from E. tenax.
Months active: March to November, with peaks in both May and August.
Did you know: This is one of the first species to emerge in the spring, when males can often be seen defending territories in woodland rides and around flowers.

The Eristalis genus includes a number of common species that are likely to be encountered in gardens, such as E. pertinax and E. arbustorum. The May issue of British Wildlife magazine includes an article by Roger Morris and Stuart Ball that provides an introduction to the Eristalis genus, and includes an identification key to the ten Eristalis species that occur in the UK.

Baccha elongata

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, although less common in parts of Scotland.
Habitat: Prefers shaded spots, such as woodland margins and hedgerows.
What to look for: Although generally overlooked due to its small size, B. elongata is unmistakable because of its long, slender, wasp-like abdomen.
Months active: April to November, with peaks in both May and September.
Did you know: Unlike many other hoverflies, B. elongata is rarely seen basking in sunlit areas but tends to be found in low, shaded vegetation. The predatory larvae feed on a number of aphid species, such as Nettle Aphid and Bramble Aphid.

Episyrphus balteatus

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: A wide range of habitats, including gardens and woodlands.
What to look for: Episyrphus balteatus, often known as the Marmalade Hoverfly, is an easily recognisable species and one of the most common hoverflies in the UK – it won’t take too long for you to spot this regular garden visitor. Each of the abdominal segments has two black bands separated by orange bands. This pattern is unique to this species, but the overall colouration of individuals can vary depending on the temperature at which the larvae develop.
Months active: Individuals can be recorded in all months of the year, but there is usually a peak in numbers in July.
Did you know: The arrival of huge numbers of migrants from mainland Europe can sometimes lead to reports in the media of a mass influx of ‘wasps’.

Scaeva pyrastri

Distribution: Widespread in England, Wales and Ireland, but much less common in Scotland.
Habitat: Can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens and woodlands.
What to look for: White, comma-shaped spots on the abdomen are a key identification feature, but completely black individuals can occur.
Months active: May to November, with a peak in August.
Did you know: S. pyrastri is a migratory species and its numbers in Britain vary greatly between years.

Leucozona lucorum

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, although less abundant in northern Scotland.
Habitat: Woodland rides and edges, and hedgerows.
What to look for: The black wing clouds and broad creamy markings on the second abdominal segment are distinctive characteristics of this species. Confusion can occur with the similar Cheliosa illustrata, but the yellow scutellum (a shield-shaped segment behind the thorax) of L. lucorum will help with identification.
Months active: Between May and August, with a peak in May and June.
Did you know: L. lucorum is primarily a spring species, but in some years there is a second generation in midsummer.

Helophilus pendulus

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: A wide range of habitats, including gardens.
What to look for: A very eye-catching hoverfly with pale, longitudinal stripes on its thorax and a yellow face with a dark central stripe. It is possible to confuse this species with H. hybridus, although the yellow markings on the second and third abdominal segments are separated by a black band.
Months active: Between April and November with a peak in July.
Did you know: H. pendulus is commonly seen basking on leaves and often produces a buzzing sound while doing so.

Syritta pipiens

Distribution: Widespread in Britain and Ireland, although less abundant in parts of northern Scotland.
Habitat: A variety of habitats and common in gardens.
What to look for: Despite being a small, slender species, S. pipiens is instantly recognisable by the swollen hind femora. The sides of the thorax are also dusted grey.
Months active: April to November, but more abundant in late summer.
Did you know: Male S. pipiens are highly territorial and will force each other to move backwards and forwards until one admits defeat and gives up.

Volucella zonaria

Distribution: Widespread in southern England and parts of Wales.
Habitat: A variety of habitats, including gardens and parks in urban areas
What to look for: Britain’s largest hoverfly, this species is often known as the Hornet Hoverfly due to the strong yellow-and-black bands on the abdomen and the impressive size (wing length can be between 15.5mm and 19.5mm). The only other hoverfly that V. zonaria could be confused with is V. inanis, but the latter is largely yellow underneath whereas V. zonaria is chestnut coloured with broad black bands.
Months active: May to November, with a peak in August.
Did you know: V. zonaria is a relatively recent addition to the British fauna. It first colonised the south of England in the 1930s and its range is rapidly expanding. The larvae live in the nests of social wasps, such as the Hornet and Common Wasp.

Sphaerophoria scripta

Distribution: Widespread in England and Wales, but only recorded from the east coast of Ireland and less abundant in northern England and Scotland.
Habitat: Grasslands.
What to look for: Identifying individual species in the Sphaerophoria genus, particularly females, can be extremely difficult. Male S. scripta can be easier to identify as the abdomen is much longer than the wings and has broad yellow bands, although the markings can vary. Confusion can occur with S. batava and S. taeniata, as these two species also have yellow bands; examination of the male genitalia is the only way to determine identification.
Months active: Between April and November, with a peak in July and August
Did you know: This is the most common Sphaerophoria species and is often found in grassland. There is no resident population in northern Britain, but numbers are boosted in some years by an influx of migrant individuals.

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Distribution: Widespread in Ireland and southern England, but less common in northern England and Scotland.
Habitat: Open grasslands and grassy woodland rides.
What to look for: The yellow bars on the second and fourth abdominal segment and the chocolate-brown patches on the wings make this wasp mimic instantly recognisable.
Months active: May to September, with a peak between June and August.
Did you know: Members of the Chrysotoxum genus are easy to recognise due to their long antennae which point forwards. Other hoverfly groups with similar antennae do not have the yellow-and-black markings of Chrysotoxum.

Cheilosia illustrata

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, although less abundant in the north-east of Scotland.
Habitat: Hedgerows and woodland edges where umbellifers such as Hogweed or Angelica are present.
What to look for: Not an entirely believable bumblebee mimic, C. illustrata has a band of pale hairs at the end of the abdomen and dark wing clouds. It is possible to mistake this species for Leucozona lucorum, but the black face and black scutellum of C. illustrata help to distinguish it.
Months active: April to September, peaking in July.
Did you know: The larvae of this species mine the roots and stems of large Hogweed plants and the adults are often observed feeding on the flowers.

Recommended books and equipment

Britain’s Hoverflies: A Field Guide
£17.99 ~~£24.99~~

A beautifully illustrated photographic field guide to the hoverflies of Britain, focusing on the species that can be most readily identified.

British Hoverflies: An Illustrated Identification Guide
£37.50

In this classic work by Stubbs and Falk, 276 species are described. Their identification is made easy by the extensive keys which incorporate over 640 line drawings.

60ml Collecting Pot
From £0.35

These small sampling containers are made from see-through polypropylene and have secure screw-on lids. They are ideal for the temporary storage of specimens.

Opticron Hand Lens (10x 23mm)
£12.95 ~~£14.95~~

Observe the finer details of your specimen with this high-quality 23mm doublet lens, the most commonly recommended magnifier for all types of fieldwork.

Sweep Net
£31.99

This high-quality sweep net is designed for catching insects and other bugs from long grass and shrubs

All prices are correct at the time of posting, but may change at any time.
Please see nhbs.com for up to date pricing and availability.

No Mow May 2022

Just days into May the flowers begin. Image – Oli Haines

Throughout May 2022 Plantlife have once again made their impassioned annual plea for garden owners across the UK to resist the urge to mow lawns and tidy up their gardens and to join in with #NoMowMay. It’s a simple enough premise to leave grassy areas alone for a month, and it has huge benefits for biodiversity at this time of year to do so, giving a wide variety of flowering plants a chance to bloom early in appeal to our rich network of vital pollinators.

As in 2021, we here at NHBS have participated this year by letting the grassy areas on our premises flower and the results were quickly quite astounding. Within days there was a carpet of daisies and dandelions, Germander Speedwell and Black and Spotted Medic, and, as the month progressed and we explored further, the picture grew more and more complex. Tangles of Common Vetch, Creeping Buttercup and Common Mouse-ear proliferated, and tall fronds of Beaked Hawk’s Beard, Ribwort Plantain and Prickly Sow-thistle appeared. Hidden deep within a mixed mat of grasses the miniscule flowers of Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill, Thyme-leaved Speedwell and Scarlet Pimpernel flourished and, at the lawn edges, tall stands of Garlic Mustard and Cleavers towered over the last of the seasons Bluebell flowers.

It can still feel strangely radical to let an area of public space, or even a private garden, to grow wild. Perhaps it can feel like going against the flow to sit back and not mow or trim the grass, and to embrace a modicum of wild chaos. Much of our wildlife relies on the flowering plants that we suppress with our tidiness and our control of lawns. Multitudes of beetles, bees, ants, moths and butterflies have evolved alongside plants that, given half a chance, can still thrive in our green spaces. No Mow May offers us a glimpse into this rich relationship, this conversation in time, and it provides a lifeline. One flower that showed up in our lawn here, by way of an example, is the Cuckoo flower or Lady’s Smock, a light and elegant pink flower of grasslands that is almost exclusively selected by the Orange-tip (and Green-veined White) butterfly in spring to lay their eggs on, as it feeds the caterpillars when they hatch. Growing up to 50cm in height its reach is well within the mowing range.

In addition to the No Mow May initiative, Plantlife have also introduced Every Flower Counts, a citizen science survey that asks participants to count, record and report back the flowers found in a single metre squared patch of lawn . This will enable them to gather important data on the impact that leaving areas to grow can have on abundance and biodiversity.

Our premises at the end of May. Images by Oli Haines

As May winds to a close, species are still beginning to emerge in our lawn ready to flower in June: Spear Thistle, Oxeye Daisy, members of the Carrot family and, with a final flourish of the month, a Bee Orchid slowly opens its blooms right by the footway, surprisingly cryptic until you meet it at ground level.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). Image – Oli Haines

We hope that we can leave our grass uncut for a little longer so we can see who’s still there to flower, and that those of you who have participated in No Mow May may feel inspired to do the same.

Below is a list (in no particular order) of the flowering plants we discovered on our premises during No Mow May this year and a small selection of guides for wildflowers and grasses, plus some suggested reads for those who have inspired to take wild gardening further.

White Clover – Trifolium repens
Red Clover – Trifolium pratense
Common Vetch – Vicia Sativa
Germander Speedwell – Veronica chamaedrys
Common Speedwell – Veronica persica
Thyme-leaved Speedwell – Veronica serpyllifolia
Common Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale
Common Daisy – Bellis Perennis
Meadow Buttercup – Ranunculus acris
Creeping Buttercup – Ranunculus repens
Cuckoo Flower – Cardamine pratensis
Yarrow – Achillea millefolium
Spotted Medick – Medicago Arabica
Black Medick – Medicago lupulina
Bluebell – Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill – Geranium dissectum
Common Mouse-ear – Cerastium fontanum
Ribwort Plantain – Plantago lanceolata
Bee Orchid – Ophrys apifera
Herb Robert – Geranium robertianum
Oxeye daisy – Leucanthemum vulgare
Beaked Hawk’s-beard – Crepis vesicaria
Catsear – Hypochaeris radicata
Broad-leaved Dock – Rumex obtusifolius
Sheep’s Sorrel – Rumex acetosella
Southern Marsh/spotted Orchid Hybrid
Creeping Cinquefoil – Potentilla reptans
Primrose – Primula vulgaris
Common Ragwort – Senecio jacobaea
Hemlock – Conium maculatum
Hemlock Water Dropwort – Oenanthe crocata
Cuckoo-pint – Arum alpinum
Scarlet Pimpernel – Anagallis arvensis
Nipplewort – Lapsana communis
Bristly Oxtongue – Helminthotheca echioides
Cleavers – Galium aparine
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax – Cymbalaria muralis
Wood Avens – Geum urbanum
Garlic Mustard – Alliaria petiolata
Red Valarian – Centranthus ruber
Hoary Willowherb – Epilobium parviflorum
Broad-leaved Willowherb – Epilobium montanum
Fringed Willowherb – Epilobium ciliatum
Procumbent Pearlwort – Sagina procumbens
Groundsel – Senecio vulgaris
Cornsalad – Valerianella locusta
Spear Thistle – Cirsium vulgare
Prickly Sow-thistle – Sonchus asper
Common Nettle – Urtica dioica
Lesser Trefoil – Trifolium dubium

Suggested books and equipment

Wild Flower Flowcharts Species: ID the Easy Way
Spiralbound | March 2022
£6.99

A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Spiralbound | April 2016
£11.99

The Wild Flower Key: How to identify wild flowers, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
Paperback | March 2006
£24.99

Harrap’s Wild Flowers: A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain & Ireland
Paperback | November 2018
£19.99

Collins Wild Flower Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland
Paperback | June 2016
£24.99

Making a Wildflower Meadow: The Definitive Guide to Grassland Gardening
Paperback | February 2015
£16.99

Wildlife Gardening: For Everyone and Everything
Paperback | April 2019
£14.99

Q1 Quadrat
£14.99

Q2 Quadrat
£15.50

Opticron Hand Lens 23mm 10x Magnification
£12.95 ~~£14.95~~

All prices correct at the time of this article’s publication.

How to use a quadrat

What is a quadrat?

A quadrat is a square frame, usually constructed from wire or plastic-coated wire, although they can be made from any sturdy material. Most commonly they measure 50cm x 50cm (i.e. 0.25m²), and may have further internal divisions to create either 25 squares each measuring 10cm x 10cm or 100 squares measuring 5cm x 5cm. Some frames are also collapsible which allows you to connect several pieces together to create larger sample areas.

What are quadrats used for?

Quadrats are used to survey plants or slow-moving/sedentary animals. They can be used either on land or underwater to gain an estimate of:

total number of an individual (or several) species.
species richness/diversity – the number of different species present in an area.
plant frequency/frequency index – the uniformity of a plant’s distribution within a surveyed area (not a measure of abundance).
percentage cover – useful in situations where it is difficult to identify and count individual plants, such as grasses or mosses.

By deploying several quadrats it is possible to compare any of these factors either spatially (for example in locations with different light or pH levels) or over time, such as at different points throughout the year.

Quadrats being used along an intertidal transect to study rocky shore ecology (b)

How to use a quadrat

Most surveys require that quadrats are placed randomly within the survey site. One way to ensure that placements are truly random is to divide your survey area into quadrat-sized spaces and then use a random number generator to choose x and y coordinates. The quadrat can then be placed in the appropriate position. The number of samples you require will depend largely on the size of your survey site and the amount of time/manpower you have available. A minimum of ten samples should ideally be used.

In some situations, more specific placement of the quadrats is required. For example, when studying the changes in species presence/abundance on a shoreline, you may wish to take samples at regular intervals along a transect up the beach.

Creating a species list

One of the simplest ways of using a quadrat is to create a species list. To do this, the quadrat is placed randomly several times within the target area and the plants present within them are recorded. This will not provide any information on abundance or distribution, but will be a useful guide as to the species that are present at the time of sampling.

Estimating the total number of a species

For plants or animals that are easy to count, it is possible to estimate their total numbers for your survey area. To do this, simply count the number present in a series of quadrat samples then divide the total by the number of samples to get an average count per quadrat. If you know the dimensions of your entire survey site you can then multiply this up to get an estimate of the total number of a species present.

Estimating plant frequency/frequency index

To calculate plant frequency or frequency index, you simply need to note down whether the target species is present or absent within each quadrat sampled. The number of quadrats in which the species was present should be divided by the total number of samples taken and then multiplied by 100 to get the frequency as a percentage. For example, in a survey where 10 samples were taken, dandelions were found in 6 of these. This would give a frequency index of (6/10) x 100 = 60%.

Estimating percentage cover

For species in which it is difficult to count individual plants (e.g. grasses and mosses) it is easier to estimate percentage cover. For this purpose a quadrat with internal divisions is recommended – one with 100 5cm x 5cm squares is particularly useful. Results from several quadrats can then be averaged and scaled up to get an estimate for the entire survey area.

Important things to remember

• The number of samples you take (i.e. the number of times you deploy your quadrat during your survey) will affect the reliability of your results. Sample sizes which are too small are much more likely to be affected by anomalous counts (e.g. localised clusters of individual species). On the other hand, planning for too many samples can create an impractical workload.

• Bear in mind that there will always be observer bias. By their nature, flowering plants are easy to overestimate and low-growing species are more likely to be missed.

• Take care to make sure that your quadrats are randomly placed if your survey design requires this. It is easy to subconsciously place them where there are large numbers of flowers or easy to count species. Using a coordinate-based system will solve this problem.

Quadrats available from NHBS

At NHBS we sell a selection of high-quality quadrats, designed to be strong, long-lasting and durable.

Q1 Quadrat
Made from heavy gauge steel wire with zinc plating, the Q1 Quadrat measures 0.5m x 0.5m and has no divisions.

Q2 Quadrat
The Q2 Quadrat is made from heavy gauge steel wire with a plastic protective coating. The 0.5m x 0.5m frame is subdivided into 25 squares for sampling dense vegetation or species-poor habitats.

Q3 Quadrat
The Q3 Quadrat is made from heavy gauge steel wire with plastic coating. The 0.5m x 0.5m frame is subdivided into 100 squares for calculating percentage cover or making presence/absence recordings.

Q4 Quadrat
The Q4 Quadrat is a strong collapsible quadrat made from four pieces of heavy gauge steel wire with zinc plating. A single Q4 frame will make a 0.5m x 0.5m open frame without divisions, suitable for general vegetation surveys. Additional units can be used together to make a variety of quadrats, e.g.. 1m x 1m or 1m x 0.5m. Being collapsible means it is also ideal for travel.

Photo credits:
(a) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
(b) USFWS Pacific Southwest Region via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The NHBS Guide to UK Hoverflies: Part 1

With approximately 7,000 species, the Diptera (true flies) are one of the biggest insect orders in Britain and Ireland, second only to Hymenoptera (the bees, wasps and ants). Of these species, over 280 belong to the family Syrphidae, the hoverflies. Known as ‘flower flies’ in other parts of the world, hoverflies are frequent visitors to flowering plants and are a familiar sight in our gardens and woodlands, and a wide range of other habitats. You would be forgiven for mistaking a hoverfly for a bee or wasp, as some species are amazing mimics in terms of both their appearance and behaviour, although some are more convincing than others.

Hoverflies are important, and often overlooked, pollinators, and their larval stages are incredibly diverse. Some larvae are predatory, feeding on aphids or eating grubs within the nests of ants, social bees or wasps, while others feed on the roots, stems or leaves of plants, or on dead and decaying organic matter, such as rotting wood or material collected in rot holes in trees.

Although many hoverflies are brightly coloured or distinctively patterned, there are plenty of inconspicuous species that resemble flies in other families. The first step is therefore to determine that a fly is in fact a hoverfly. In general hoverflies lack the strong bristles we see in other flies, such as the house fly, but the key characteristic is their wing venation. Unlike other flies, hoverflies have a ‘false vein’ on their wing, and although this is a difficult feature to get an eye for initially, it can be obvious in good photos and becomes easier to spot with practice. Another clue is in the name; hoverflies are remarkable fliers and many species are able to hold their position in flight for an incredible length of time.

Hoverfly identification can be difficult, and in some cases it is necessary to inspect a specimen under a microscope for a positive ID. There are many garden visitors that are more straightforward, however, and with a good field guide, a hand lens and a camera to take clear photos with, you can easily get started in learning more about this attractive group of insects. There are fantastic resources online too, such as the UK Hoverflies group on Facebook, which provides help with identification and allows members to share their observations.

This is the first of two hoverfly identification guides, and in both of these blogs we will be covering the more common species that you are likely to encounter in your garden or local patch.

Eristalis tenax

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland. E. tenax is thought to be the most widespread hoverfly species in the world.
Habitat: A wide range of habitats including gardens, woodlands and meadows.
What to look for: A convincing honey-bee mimic that can be easily told from other species of Eristalis by three obvious characteristics: a thickened, curved hind tibia; a broad, dark facial stripe; and vertical stripes of dark hairs on the eyes.
Months active: Present throughout the year, but most frequently recorded between February and April, and June and November.
Did you know: Females hibernate over the winter, and males are increasingly being recorded hibernating during warmer winters in southern England. The aquatic larvae, or ‘rat-tailed maggots’, live in wet, decaying vegetation

The Eristalis genus includes a number of common species that are likely to be encountered in gardens, such as E. pertinax and E. arbustorum. The May issue of British Wildlife magazine includes an article by Roger Morris and Stuart Ball that provides an introduction to the Eristalis genus, and includes an identification key to the ten Eristalis species that occur in the UK.

Myathropa florea

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: A variety of habitats, but found in woodlands especially.
What to look for: Similar to some Eristalis species, Myathropea florea is a distinctive black-and-yellow species with a bat-like pattern on its thorax, although this can vary and cause confusion in less clearly marked individuals.
Months active: April to October.
Did you know: Like other species in the Eristalini tribe, M. florea larvae are known as ‘rat-tailed maggots’ and are found in wet hollows containing decaying vegetation, although they have been reported making use of any containers holding water and dead vegetation, such as buckets or water butts.

Syrphus ribesii

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: A number of habitats including woodlands, gardens and hedgerows.
What to look for: Females can be easily identified by their completely yellow hind femora, although males are harder to distinguish from two other common Syrphus species, S. torvus and S. vitripennis. Male S. ribesii can be separated from S. torvus by their bare eyes, but a microscope is needed to reliably separate males of S. ribesii and S. vitripennis.
Months active: From March to November, with peaks in May–June and July–September.
Did you know: Male S. ribesii will emit a noticeable humming noise from tree canopies, caused by vibrating their wings at a high frequency when resting.

Merodon equestris

Distribution: Widespread in Britain and Ireland, but less abundant in parts of Scotland.
Habitat: Often recorded in gardens and urban areas.
What to look for: A hairy bumblebee mimic that has swollen hind femora with triangular projections – a characteristic unique among bumblebee mimics. M. equestris can occur in a range of colour forms to mimic different bumblebee species.
Months active: Between April and September, with a peak in late May and early June.
Did you know: The larvae develop in the bulbs of many different bulb-forming plants, but they are especially associated with daffodils and can be a pest in some cases. They are thought to have been introduced to Britain in the 19th century in daffodil bulbs.

Platycheirus albimanus

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: Woodland edges and hedgerows, and often seen in gardens.
What to look for: Females are easier to recognise due to their yellow legs and silver spots on their black abdomen. Males tend to have bronze-coloured spots, a front tibia that is significantly broader at the end, and front femora that have distinctive clumps of long hairs. It is possible to confuse males with similar species such as P. aurolateralis, P. scutatus, and P. splendidus, and so close examination of the legs is required.
Months active: Between March and November, with peaks between May and June, and July and August.
Did you know: A common garden visitor, particularly in spring, P. albimanus is often found in low vegetation such as nettles or brambles.

Platycheirus albimanus (male) by Martin Cooper via Flickr

Eupeodes corollae

Distribution: Widespread in Britain, although less abundant in northern Scotland.
Habitat: Recorded in almost any habitat, from gardens to mountain tops.
What to look for: Males and females are quite different in appearance, but both have broad yellow markings that reach the edges of the abdomen. The males also have an obvious genital capsule.
Months active: March to November, with a peak between July and August.
Did you know: E. corollae is found in a wide variety of habitats. An influx of migrants or a mass emergence of individuals results in a peak in numbers in midsummer.

Eupeodes corollae (female) by gailhampshire via Flickr

Melanostoma mellinum

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: Grasslands.
What to look for: It is easy to confuse this species with M. scalare, and so close examination is required. In females, the top of the head is a shining black with very narrow dust spots by the eyes, while the abdomen has distinctive yellow markings. Males have a relatively short abdomen and the second and third segments are as wide as they are long.
Months active: April to October, with peaks in May–June and July–August.
Did you know: This is one of the most common hoverfly species in the UK and is often recorded from grasslands, although it can also be found in high numbers in the uplands such as on moorland or mountainsides.

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Distribution: Widespread in Britain and Ireland, but rare in parts of northern Scotland.
Habitat: Woodlands, road verges and hedgerows.
What to look for: A small, dark hoverfly (even the wings are dark) with bright red eyes. Confusion can occur with other Chrysogaster species, or even small house flies.
Months active: May to October, with a peak in July and August.
Did you know: A common woodland species, particularly in damp and shady locations. C. solstitialis is often seen in concentrated numbers on umbellifers such as Hogweed and Angelica.

Rhingia campestris

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland.
Habitat: Woodlands and field edges, but found in a variety of habitats.
What to look for: The long snout and orange abdomen make this an unmistakable species. The only potential for confusion is with the UK’s other Rhingia species, R. rostrata, but the dark edges of the abdomen and overall darker colouration of R. campestris are distinctive.
Months active: April to October, with peaks between May and June, and August to September.
Did you know: The long snout allows R. campestris to feed on plants with deep tubes, such as bluebells, which other hoverflies cannot use. The larvae breed in cow dung, although other breeding habitats are also thought to be used as adults can occur in high numbers where there are few or no cattle.

Sericomyia silentis

Distribution: Widespread in Britain and Ireland, although absent from central England and scarce in south-east England.
Habitat: Acidic, boggy habitats, such as wetlands and heathlands.
What to look for: A large wasp mimic with distinctive black-and-yellow banding – it is very unlikely that this species would be confused with any other hoverfly.
Months active: May to November, with a peak in July.
Did you know: This is a very mobile species, which is often found far from breeding sites. It visits a range of plants, but seems to have a preference for red or purple flowers, such as Devil’s-bit Scabious.

Ferdinandea cuprea

Distribution: Widespread in Ireland, Wales and southern England, but rarely occurs in high numbers.
Habitat: Woodland.
What to look for: Easily recognisable, F. cuprea has a metallic, brassy abdomen with grey longitudinal stripes on the thorax. The thorax also has strong bristles on its side, which is quite uncommon for a hoverfly.
Months active: March to November, with a peak in June.
Did you know: F. cuprea is rarely seen visiting flowers, and is more likely to be seen basking on tree trunks, wooden posts or even telegraph poles.

The NHBS Guide to UK Shieldbug Identification

Shieldbugs are insects in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. They are characterised by their well-developed scutellum, the hardened extension of the thorax over the abdomen. Many shieldbug species are triangular, with a broad pronotum and pointed end to the abdomen. They also produce a foul-smelling liquid from their prothoracic glands, which inspired the American name “stink bug”, although this name is specific to the family Pentatomidae.

Some shieldbugs are considered pest species due to the damage they can cause to crops. The recent arrival of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) to the UK is considered a serious threat to fruit and vegetable crops. They damage the salability of produce and can even contaminate the taste of juice or wine, causing waste and a loss in income.

Identifying shieldbugs is usually based on structural characteristics, body length (from the head to the end of the abdomen, ignoring the antennae and legs), and species range. Colouration and pattern can be useful but there is often variation between individuals of the same species. Using a hand lens, sweep net or beating tray can help when surveying for shieldbugs. A field guide that includes juvenile stages would also be useful as nymphs can often have different colour patterns to adults.

Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Distribution: Widespread across the UK.
What to look for: The most common shield bug in the UK, the hawthorn shieldbug is also UK’s largest. Its scutellum and pronotum are green, framed with red sides. The ‘shoulders’ of its pronotum are pointed with red and black tips, and its corium, the thickened basal portion of the forewing, is red. Its wing membrane can vary in colour but is usually red.
Similar species: The birch shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) but this species does not have a green scutellum. The juniper shieldbug (Cyphostethus tristriatus) is also similar but this species does not have a red wing membrane.

Hawthorn shieldbug by gailhampshire via Flickr

Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Distribution: Widespread in England, Wales, and parts of Northern Ireland.
What to look for: This is a larger species, with a dark wing membrane and a bright green body during summer. The adults become a bronze-brown colour in the autumn before hibernating throughout winter.
Similar species: The southern green shieldbug (Nezara viridula), a non-native species. However, this species has paler wings than the common green shieldbug.

Common Green Shieldbug by Charlie Jackson via Flickr

Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea)

Distribution: Occurs across the UK but most commonly in south-east and central England.
What to look for: This is a medium-sized species with red and beige colouration. Most individuals have a black patch on the scutellum. This species also has a black and white connexivum, the flattened lateral border of the abdomen.

Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas bicolor)

Distribution: Widespread across the south-east and central England.
What to look for: This species does not have the characteristic triangular shape and could be confused for a ladybird. It has a black and white piebald pattern, with a grey or translucent wing membrane. Its pronotum is black with a white spot on each ‘shoulder’.
Similar species: Rambur’s pied shieldbug (Tritomegas sexmaculatus), although this species has a black wing membrane.

Pied Shieldbug by hedera.baltica via Flickr

Juniper Shieldbug (Cyphostethus tristriatus)

Distribution: Common in southern and central England, with an expanding range.
What to look for: This is a bright green species, with a green pronotum, head and scutellum. They have pinkish-red markings on their corium. Their wing membrane is green with a black X-shaped mark.
Similar species: The birch and hawthorn shield bugs are visually similar but neither species has the black X-shaped mark on their wing membrane.

Juniper Shieldbug by gailhampshire via Flickr

Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum)

Distribution: First recorded in the UK in 2020, only found in two sites in London.
What to look for: Also known as the Italian striped bug and the minstrel bug, their body is rounded with bold red and black longitudinal stripes. Their connexium is black with several black, square-shaped spots.
Similar species: There are several similar species, such as Graphosoma lineatum, but none are found in the UK.

Striped Shieldbug by Chris Parker via Flickr

Ornate Shieldbug (Eurydema ornata)

Distribution: Coastal areas between Devon and Sussex, scattered in other parts of southern England.
What to look for: They have a distinctive red and black pattern across their pronotum and abdomen. There are other colour morphs, however, and they can have a white and yellow background with the same black markings. They have a black head with a red, white or yellow ‘mouth’ shape and a black wing membrane.
Similar species: The scarlet shieldbug (Eurydema dominulus). They can be distinguished by the pattern on their corium. The ornate shieldbug has a thin black line, two spots and a washed-out area, compared to the thicker line, one or no spots and no washed-out area on the scarlet shieldbug.

Ornate Shieldbug by Joan Quintana via Flickr

Blue Shieldbug (Zicrona caerulea)

Distribution: Widespread across Britain, particularly in the north, and absent from Ireland.
What to look for: The blue shieldbug has a deep blue-green metallic sheen, with a dark wing membrane. They resemble leaf beetles, species in the Altica genus, whose larvae they predate upon. This is called aggressive mimicry, where a predator resembles its prey to avoid detection.

Bishop’s Mitre Shieldbug (Aelia acuminata)

Distribution: Widespread across southern Britain.
What to look for: This is a straw-coloured species, with brown longitudinal stripes, a distinctive pointed head and a ridged pronotum.
Similar species: Mecidea lindbergi is another elongated shield bug but it is a thinner species without brown stripes.

Bishop’s Mitre Shieldbug by Ben Sale via Flickr

Edward O. Wilson and Thomas Lovejoy Obituary

Edward O. Wilson 1929–2021 and Thomas Lovejoy 1941–2021

We have recently received the sad news of the passing of Edward O. Wilson, a biologist, naturalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who died aged 92 and Thomas Lovejoy, a leading extinction researcher and conservation biologist who popularised the term ‘biological diversity’, who died at age 80. These two pioneering conservationists were instrumental in establishing the field of conservation biology and continued to contribute to conservation and research throughout their long careers.

Edward O. Wilson began his interest in natural history from an early age, undertaking his first expeditions at age 9 around the Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. He earned his BS and MS degrees in biology at the University of Alabama before transferring to Harvard University to complete his PhD.

Wilson was referred to by some as the ‘father of biodiversity’ and ‘a modern Charles Darwin’, praised for his influence as a theorist and observer. He began his career as an ant taxonomist between 1956 and 1996, working to understand their microevolutions and developing the theory of a ‘taxon cycle’. While appointed to the Harvard Society of Fellows, he spent many years travelling, embarking on several overseas expeditions to research and collect ant species in Cuba, Mexico, Australia, Fiji and Sri Lanka, amongst other places. Wilson has been credited with the discovery and description of more than 400 species of ants. Later in life, he led a number of scientific expeditions to Mozambique, the southwest Pacific and the archipelagos of Vanuatu.

Wilson was also an accomplished author, publishing many titles including On Human Nature (1979), which won him his first Pulitzer Prize; The Ants (1990), for which he won his second Pulitzer Prize; his autobiography Naturalist (1994); The Diversity of Life (2012); Letters to a Young Scientist (2014); and his most recent book, Tales from the Ant World (2021). Wilson also played a key role in the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) initiative, which aimed to create a global database on all scientifically recognised species.

He was also known for his campaigning, arguing that humans have a moral duty to value species for not only their own sake, but also for future human generations. His work in extinction research informed much of his activism, leading to his advocating for forest protection and the setting aside of 50% of the earth’s surface for wildlife to thrive in, known as the Half-Earth concept. During his long career, Wilson was awarded a number of scientific and conservation honours, including the National Medal of Science (1977), the ECI Prize (1987), the International Prize for Biology (1993), Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science (1994), the Nierenberg Prize (2001) and the Kew International Medal (2014), as well as being recognised as one of Time Magazine‘s 25 Most Influential People in America in 1995.

E. O. Wilson, 16th October 2007 by Sage Ross via Flickr

Edward O. Wilson: 10th June 1929–26th December 2021

Thomas Lovejoy introduced the term ‘biological diversity’ to the scientific community in the 1980s, as well as helping to establish the concept and study of conservation biology, by convening ‘The First International Conference on Research in Conservation Biology’ with a group of other leading conservationists in 1978.

Referred to by some as the ‘godfather of biodiversity’, Lovejoy’s interest in nature and biology began when he attended Millbrook School and worked at The Trevor Zoo in the 1950s. From there, he worked for many years in the Amazon of Brazil, later founding the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) in Brazil in 1979 and later co-founding the Amazon Biodiversity Center in 2018. He worked to understand the impacts of forest fragmentation, leading the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems project in the Amazon and calling for the protection of tropical forests.

Lovejoy served on a number of science and environmental councils under presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton and as Science Envoy for the Obama and Biden administrations. Through his work in the field of extinction research, he discovered that human-caused habitat destruction, pollution and climate change were threatening species around the world and predicted in the 1980s that 10–20% of all species would be extinct by the year 2020. This work won him the Blue Planet Prize in 2012, for being the first scientist to academically clarify how humans are causing habitat fragmentation and driving the biodiversity crisis.

Lovejoy also developed debt-for-nature swaps, where a part of a nation’s foreign debt can be forgiven in exchange for investments in environmental conservation measures, such as setting aside land as a nature preserve that would be off-limits to development. Throughout his career, Lovejoy authored many articles and books, while also providing forewords for numerous others. He helped to found the long-running TV series NATURE, a show that has educated and inspired the public about wildlife for over 40 years.

Thomas Lovejoy, environmental science and policy professor at George Mason University, speaks on the panel at Deforestation in the Amazon: Drivers and Policy Solutions. Image by Inter-American Dialogue via Flickr

Thomas Lovejoy: 22nd August 1941–25th December 2021

Results

Butterfly Conservation

Useful resources

Dragonfly life history

Conservation and climate change

Which dragonflies are you most likely to see?

How to attract dragonflies to your garden

Fun facts

Further reading and equipment

Using the guide

What we found

Our opinion

Eristalis pertinax

Baccha elongata

Episyrphus balteatus

Scaeva pyrastri

Leucozona lucorum

Helophilus pendulus

Syritta pipiens

Volucella zonaria

Sphaerophoria scripta

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Cheilosia illustrata

Recommended books and equipment

Suggested books and equipment

What is a quadrat?

What are quadrats used for?

How to use a quadrat

Important things to remember

Quadrats available from NHBS

Eristalis tenax

Myathropa florea

Syrphus ribesii

Merodon equestris

Platycheirus albimanus

Eupeodes corollae

Melanostoma mellinum

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Rhingia campestris

Sericomyia silentis

Ferdinandea cuprea

Suggested reading and equipment:

Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)

Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea)

Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas bicolor)

Juniper Shieldbug (Cyphostethus tristriatus)

Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma italicum)

Ornate Shieldbug (Eurydema ornata)

Blue Shieldbug (Zicrona caerulea)

Bishop’s Mitre Shieldbug (Aelia acuminata)

Suggested reading and equipment:

Edward O. Wilson 1929–2021 and Thomas Lovejoy 1941–2021