The Common Drone Hoverfly Eristalis tenax, is one of the most common and ubiquitous hoverflies to be found in the British isles, and usually the first to emerge, as adults that have hibernated all winter begin to sense the warmer days outside and venture forth to feed before other flying insects do. At about 1cmContinue reading “Eristalis tenax, the Common Drone Hoverfly”
Tag Archives: #Entomology
Catching moths in winter
As winter is slowly waning, the days getting longer and the nights milder, it becomes a bit more pleasant to leave the house and see what wildlife might be around in the neighbourhood, also tentatively poking its head out from hibernation and eager to get out and about. One way of doing this is mothContinue reading “Catching moths in winter”
The Clumsy yet Crucial Cranefly
This article looks at the Cranefly, AKA Daddy Long-legs, both generic names for adult members of the Tilupidae family. Its larvae, the scourge of the gardener and lawn aficionado alike, are known as Leatherjackets. Craneflies are what are called ‘true flies’, meaning they only have a single pair of wings, and their family name TipulidaeContinue reading “The Clumsy yet Crucial Cranefly”
The Merveille du jour and some notes on moth-trapping
Wonder of the day The Merveille du jour Griposia aprilina, ‘wonder of the day’, is out and about at the moment. This attractive, black and white patterned, emerald green moth, reckoned as one of the most beautiful to be found in the British isles, is aptly named as it is a little wonder to behold.Continue reading “The Merveille du jour and some notes on moth-trapping”
The Teasel
The Teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, is a tall, distinctive looking and handsome wildflower found throughout the British isles wherever nature has been given free reign to do whatever it likes, for this reason some refer to it not as a wildflower, but as a weed. In the first year of its growth it is a fairlyContinue reading “The Teasel”
Bilberry Season is here!
Bilberries Bilberry, or Whinberry, season traditionally begins at the start of August and doesn’t last long, although this year it looks like it’s going to be another fairly productive one. There are many regional names for Vaccinium myrtilus, in some parts of Ireland and Scotland it’s called a blaeberry, in the South of England aContinue reading “Bilberry Season is here!”
Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, is a common wild flower in the countryside, found growing in damp meadows and woods, on roadside verges, along hedgerows and near streams, it usually flowers between June and September. Its frothy tufts of delicate, graceful, creamy white flowers have a distinctive, sweet fragrance, possibly one of the reasons for its commonContinue reading “Meadowsweet”
Yew, the Death Tree
The Yew, Taxus baccata, is one of only three coniferous species (trees that bear cones and needles instead of leaves) which are native to the British isles, the others being the Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris, and the Juniper, Juniperus communis. The ‘Death tree’ It is most famously found in the country’s graveyards and the groundsContinue reading “Yew, the Death Tree”
Northwest Nature and History 