Messing around with some of my photos to try and make some posters about the insects around my local area. Having fun even if I don't have an artistic bone in my body...

Following the sad news about Bill Oddie, here's our own little tribute from BUBO Listing bubo.org/bill-oddie.h.... RIP Bill.

Bill Oddie

bubo.org

Did you know you can get 50 meticulously drawn insect postcards for just £30? That's... *does the maths* ...cheap. www.etsy.com/uk/listing/6...

Like most birders, I met #BillOddie several times, even appearing on an early series of Birding with Bill Oddie, in a one-hour birdrace around Rutland Water during the original @globalbirdfair.bsky.social. My first contact was age 16 when I asked some celebs to write some encouraging... (1/3)

A new dragonfly for me from Lakenheath Fen RSPB at the weekend, the Southern Migrant Hawker, with its dazzling blue eyes. Didn't see one land all day, so had to try to get some in-flight shots

Visitor centre pond at RSPB Lakenheath Fen was absolutely swarming with these yesterday. @kitenet.bsky.social is it a Stratiomys larva?

Any moth people want to venture an opinion on this that I've just found in Theberton, Suffolk? #TeamMoth. Back of camera shot as I'm away from my computer.

Firebugs by the bucket load along the seafront in Southwold today

Well this is new

Stopped for some lunch in the shade of Tring Park yesterday, and were joined by this inquisitive Roe Deer who spent a good 15 minutes keeping a close eye on us.

Delighted to bump into this Villa cingulata whilst walking the Ridgeway today. A scarce but expanding species associated with chalk downland.

I think I might have sharpened this wasp too much...

One of my favourite bugs, the camo-sporting Phytocoris tiliae from Potton Wood in Bedfordshire earlier today. An early record of a species normally seen from mid-July onwards.

After seeing an adult hedgehog a couple of times, and hearing a lot of rustling in the undergrowth, we decided to stick out a camera trap to see if we had a family. Delighted to say that we definitely have at least one hoglet in the garden!

Looking at a nice plant, but feel like it's missing something? Why not see if you can find a bug or two on there with this handy list of bug host plants. sites.google.com/view/bedsbug...

BedsBugs - Bugs by plant

Many species of bug are strongly associated with either single plant species, or a small number of related species. Targeted searching of these plants, by beating or sweeping, can be a productive way ...

sites.google.com

Lejops vittatus is a rare hoverfly associated with Sea Club-rush (see Roger Morris's blog stamfordsyrpher.blogspot.com/2017/11/lejo...). Today @tim-hodge.bsky.social & I found it at Bure Park, Yarmouth. Tim is keen for a wider search effort for this species if you know of an area with Sea Club-rush.

I thoroughly recommend looking closely at grass seed heads at this time of year, you might be surprised at how many bugs you see

AJCann@ajcann.bsky.social · last mo.

Well camouflaged female Stenotus binotatus. #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55

I seem to be in a bit of a purple patch for bugs (no purple bugs unfortunately). Yesterday I came across a fallen Ash tree, which produced the first Tropidosteptes pacificus for Bedfordshire. This is a native of the USA which is now widespread in the UK.

A new bug for me yesterday, the Elm associated Psallodema fieberi. Rarely recorded, probably at least in part due to being one of the few species not covered by the excellent britishbugs.org.uk website

And now a message from the Moth Promotional Board: Want to see cute moths like this? Grow 'weeds'. That's right. Do less gardening, be less tidy, make less effort! & get ecologically super-important, pollinating, beautiful, fluffy flying kittens!!

For the first time in over 10 years Firebugs are back in Bedfordshire. Just been and seen what looks like a thriving little colony first found by @markgurn.bsky.social @britishbugs.bsky.social

Almost as jazzy as Nemophora (check out those eyes!) was this Chrysops caecutiens horsefly, but my admiration for it was tempered rather by it biting me twice through my t-shirt shortly after I took this photo!

Nemophora fasciella back in the garden today, a truly lovely little moth which feeds on Black Horehound. Nationally scarce in the UK, but fairly regular in my corner of Bedfordshire.

Another highlight from Knocking Hoe, the beautiful Calocoris roseomaculatus, a chalk downland specialist which is a scarce species in Bedfordshire

Had a lovely day out at Knocking Hoe NNR on Saturday, lots of Common Restharrow in the grass which was absolutely covered in the plant bug Macrotylus paykulli. A new species for me, but fairly common in the UK where Common Restharrow occurs.

Closterotomus fulvomaculatus going for more of a geography teacher in a tweed suit kind of a vibe

Grypocoris stysi casually reminding everyone that bugs are the very best insects

🌸 Phil Smith's May Wildlife Notes are now available on our website 🐝 Head over and have a read to find out more! merseysidebiobank.org.uk/blog/2026/06...

A rather dopey Anthophora furcata (Fork-tailed Flower Bee) sitting on Nepeta in the cool blustery conditions this morning. Seems to have broken one of his antennae at some point.

Delighted to be paid a visit by the beautiful longhorn moth Nemophora fasciella in my garden this lunch time, up there with Britain's most beautiful insects. #TeamMoth