Latest insect added to the year list is the Rufous Grasshopper (Gomphocerippus rufus), several of which were seen at different spots on the Downs. This is apparently regarded as a nationally scarce species and is restricted mainly to chalk grasslands in the south-east of England.
After staking out a promising patch of Red Bartsia where I had seen a single bee flitting around, my patience paid off when it (or another one?) finally visited the flowers I was watching. So Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) can now be added to the photographic list.
![Rufous Grasshopper [Gomphocerippus rufus]](https://downsdiary.uk/wp-content/gallery/aug_2025/NG8_3047_EOS-1D_TheDowns_08Aug2025.jpg "Rufous Grasshopper [Gomphocerippus rufus]")
![Red Bartsia Bee [Melitta tricincta]](https://downsdiary.uk/wp-content/gallery/aug_2025/NG8_3057_EOS-1D_TheDowns_08Aug2025.jpg "Red Bartsia Bee [Melitta tricincta]")
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