Although I have seen it before, at Warnham Nature Reserve in West Sussex and on Park Downs only 2 miles from here, this morning I recorded European Hornet (Vespa crabro) on the Downs for the first time. Although I watched it darting round for a few minutes, it did not land anywhere so I was unable to get a photograph.

There was one new insect, however, a Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus), which despite its name was seen on Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). Also seen on the same buckthorn was the leaf edge gall formed by leaf rolling by the Jumping Plant Louse (Trichochermes walkeri).

Other photos were of an adult Speckled Bush Cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) and an initially unidentified bumblebee on a Common Knapweed flower. Close inspection of the photo shows that the wing edges of this bee are rather torn, so this is a very old and worn individual. As the colouring of the bands on bees fades with age, identification should rather be done on the size and positioning of the bands. This leads to the perhaps surprising conclusion that this is a completely faded male Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). So bee identification is not for the faint-hearted!

A Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana) is showing off its berries very well. When fully ripe they will turn from their current red to a very deep purple, almost black. Beware, these are toxic to humans, even more so than dogwood.

                                                                                              <<<< Previous page | Next Page >>>>