27 Sunday Apr 2025
Posted in flowers, spring, wildflowers
I had hoped to get to my local slice of ancient woodland for a walk amongst the native Bluebells this week but it didn’t happen so here are some beautiful non-native but naturalised Bluebells that I’ve encountered in this week’s urban meanders. I hope you all have woodlands near you with Bluebells to enjoy.
26 Saturday Apr 2025
Tags
Fine streaked bugkin, Fine streaked bugkin nymphs, Miridae, Miris striatus, Miris striatus nymphs, plant bug nymphs, plant bugs
At first glance, I thought these little creatures were fancy ants but a closer look took in the striped waist, the longer antennae and the generally larger size, and I knew they definitely weren’t ants. But what were they?
At this time of year, many insects are still in their early stages of development, particularly those that have over-wintered as eggs, so they can be tricky to identify. Usually, some well-focused internet research produces an answer, or a clue I can then follow, and, luckily, that was the case with these tiny creatures.
These are the nymphs of Miris striatus, a plant bug that has the wonderfully descriptive common name of Fine streaked bugkin – although these nymphs have their small yellow stripes, the streaking actually refers to the adult bugs, photos of which you can see on Naturespot by clicking this link.
That website entry states that these insects are usually associated with Oak and Hawthorn but, as I often find, creatures don’t read websites, and these bugkin nymphs were all on a single willow sapling (though there were Hawthorn bushes nearby). I’ll have to keep an eye out for the adults from May through to July.
25 Friday Apr 2025
I haven’t seen many fungi lately but this blob of bright orange rust really stood out amongst the greenery of this Field rose. The two possible species that might have caused this spectacular sight, Phragmidium mucronatum and Phragmidium tuberculatum, can be tricky to separate so I haven’t tried. If you’re interested in reading a discussion on the subject, check out this link to the UK Fungi Forum.
24 Thursday Apr 2025
Posted in insects
Tags
British butterflies, butterfly, declining butterfly populations, Green-veined white, Green-veined white butterfly, Pieris napi
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme recently released its latest report on how our butterflies are faring, and, for the majority of the 58 British butterfly species, the news is not good.
The latest butterfly to emerge in my locale has been the Green-veined white (Pieris napi), which is described by the UKBMS as ‘stable’ but I’m not sure I’d agree with their definition of stable when these are the statistics they list:
Status since 1976 is Stable with a change of -23.1% since monitoring began for this species.
Status over the last 20 years is Stable with a change of -20.8%
Status over the last 10 years is Stable with a change of -35.7%
In fact, on social media, the Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation wrote: ‘One of the big shocks of last year’s UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme results was that, after its worst year on record in 2024 and a run of six below average years, Green-veined White (Pieris napi) is now in long-term decline.’ This seems a far better summary of the situation. So far, I’ve only seen these two Green-veined whites this year; fingers crossed I manage to see more.
23 Wednesday Apr 2025
Posted in insects
Tags
British midges, Cecidomyiidae, Cecidomyiidae cocoon, cocoon on Pine tree, midge, midge emerging from cocoon, midge on Pine tree
Earlier this month I blogged about the mysterious ‘things’ I had discovered on the needles of some local Pine trees (Mystery: on a Pine tree, 10 April). Well, the mystery has now been partly, but not entirely solved.
Last Friday, the 18th, I was making a sandwich for lunch when I noticed a change in one of the ‘things’. A creature had obviously made itself a hole in one end and was very slowly squeezing its way out. I quickly grabbed a camera, though it was neither easy to get photos looking in to the little jar, nor through the glass sides.
The tiny creature crawled unsteadily across the bottom of the jar then climbed one side, where it clung as its wings slowly dried and unfurled. Its bright pink colour was a lovely surprise.
So, the ‘thing’ was a pupal case or cocoon but I’m still not completely sure what the creature was. Some online research led me to think it was some kind of midge or gnat, and that was later confirmed by the Dipterists forum folk on social media: ‘one of the midges in family Cecidomyiidae’. I researched further, trying to find a similar-looking external cocoon or an association with Pine trees within that family of midges but found nothing in the UK that seemed to fit. I did find some US references to Cecidomyia piniinopis, which looks very similar, but that species is not listed in the taxonomy for Britain.
Still, I’m pleased I managed to at least partially solve the mystery and seeing the adult midge emerge was quite special. It, and the other cocoon, have been returned to where I found them to, hopefully, live their best lives.
22 Tuesday Apr 2025
This lovely little creature was a bit lost. I found it sitting on some nettles beside a busy road. Admittedly, the bank above was covered in tall broadleaf trees and scrub but with none of the Pine trees the Eyed ladybird (Anatis ocellata) is meant to associate with. And the reason for that association is the fact that it eats Pine aphids.
This was my first ever sighting of an Eyed ladybird, Britain’s largest at 8-9 mm. I’ve been looking more closely at Pine trees lately but I’ve not seen one there … yet. The adults are out and about from Spring through to Autumn, so I’ll keep looking.
I wish I’d been able to get better photos but, you know, nettles!
21 Monday Apr 2025
Tags
British flies, British leafmines, Cerodontha, fly pupa, leaf-mining flies, leafmines on Carex flacca, leafmines on Glaucous sedge
While checking Glaucous sedge (Carex flacca) for the leaf-mining moth larva I featured in last Monday’s post (Leafmines: Elachista cinereopunctella), this time at a different location, I found an altogether different leafminer. This larva had also munched a linear gallery inside the leaf but I knew when I saw the tiny black speck within the mine that this miner was a fly and the black speck was likely to be a pupa. I also guessed that it would be difficult to identify as fly miners often are so I brought home two of several pupae I found.
When I got home, I opened up one of the leaves to get a look at the pupa, took a few photos then popped the two snippets of sedge in a jar on my kitchen window sill to see what might emerge. Rob, from the British Leafminers website was able to confirm from my photo of the pupa that this was indeed a fly, likely belonging to the genus Cerodontha.
Twelve days later I was making my morning cup of tea when I noticed movement in the jar: a fly had emerged from the pupa I had photographed. Once again I took some photos and checked in with Rob – it was definitely a Cerodontha but a female, which are not as easy to pin to exact species as a male specimen (something to do with the genitalia, I suspect). Still, when I emailed Barry of the National Agromyzidae Recording Scheme, he thought an ID might be possible and volunteered to take a closer look. I’m waiting a few days to see if the second pupa hatches, then will send my specimens to him for further examination. If an exact identification results from that, I’ll update this post.
20 Sunday Apr 2025
Posted in insects, spring, wildflowers
Tags
Allium ursinum, British wildflowers, Dark-edged bee-fly, Honey bee, Ramsons, solitary bee, Speckled wood, spring flowers, Wild garlic
The first two days of the Easter break were very wet so I’m glad I took these images last Sunday. One of our local parks has the perfect environment for Wild garlic – Ramsons, if you prefer, Allium ursinum. A shallow ravine runs through the park, with a small stream meandering along its base, and, at this time of year, the steep sides of the gulley are carpeted with the lush green leaves and bright white umbels of garlic flowers. Elsewhere in the park, under tall old trees, the path is also lined with Wild garlic, so anywhere you walk, whenever you breathe, your nostrils are almost assaulted by garlic’s strong smell.
Though I know some people can’t tolerate this odour, it doesn’t seem to affect the insects, neither attracts nor repels them; a flower’s a flower, with the pollen and nectar that nurtures them. Last Sunday’s walk wasn’t particularly sunny but I still found a few creatures feeding greedily: a Speckled wood, a teeny solitary bee and a Honey bee, and a Dark-edged bee-fly.
19 Saturday Apr 2025
Following Thursday’s post about Common periwinkles, it occurred to me that I should probably have explained more clearly where I found them … or, even better, show you. So, the photo below, taken a few years ago, shows Penarth Pier. As the Severn Estuary has the second greatest tidal range in the world, at high tide the water usually covers the stony beach (and almost comes up to the pier’s walkway at the very highest tides) and at low tide you can walk out on the sand and rocks under the end of the pier, sometimes further. The periwinkles were found under the pier, living on the support structures, as was today’s subject.
The Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) is common around Britain’s coastline, found in particular where its food, mussels and barnacles, live. The Marine Life Information Network’s website goes in to gory detail about this gastropod’s feeding methods, how it uses its proboscis to push or bore a hole in its prey’s shell, how it drugs its prey then injects it with digestive enzymes to turn its victim in to a mush that can be sucked out. I never knew the Dog whelk was like the Hannibal Lecter of the marine world.
18 Friday Apr 2025
How many berry-flavoured suet pellets can YOU fit in your beak at one time?
I haven’t been to Cosmeston very often lately but, when I do, this gorgeous bird, my male Crow friend, comes flying almost directly to my feet. Of course, I know it’s not about me but rather the food I carry for him. And yesterday was definitely all about the food. He came alone and flew with several beaks full of food in to the trees, so I’m guessing he’s feeding his missus and possibly even young chicks. As their nesting attempt failed last year, I’m hoping my small contribution will help with this year’s.
earthstar 
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