Cooler again and a gusty wind. Largely overcast like yesterday, but what I missed in insects on the wing I made up in what I found on leaves.

I began with an unidentified tiny (3.5mm) ‘looper’ or ‘inchworm’ caterpillar of the first larval stage, probably of a Geometer moth (family Geometridae), found on a newly opened leaf of a lime tree (Tilia sp.). Given that the host tree is lime and that the caterpillar is not green, ruling out a few potential candidates, a very tentative ID would be Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria).

Next was a single, very colourful caterpillar of the Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula) feeding on Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens).

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) leaves on the same sapling provided a Smaller Green Leafhopper (Empoasca vitis) sitting between erinea of the Sycamore Felt Gall Mite (Aceria pseudoplatani agg.) and a mid-instar nymph of the Ivy Planthopper (Issus coleoptratus) which decided to relocate to the back of my hand. Compare this mid-instar nymph with the early stage nymph posted on 25 Feb 2026.

A Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) had dozens of very busy-looking Lasius sp. ants (note the tiny globular springtails in the corner of the image).

Among the plants, the flower buds of the European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) are just beginning to open. The bark on the main branches of this particular tree is covered with Lecidella lichen (Lecidella elaeochroma).

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is very close to flowering and Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is now well advanced.

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