Two new insects today, a female Marjoram Wasp-Sawfly (Tenthredo thompsoni) and a Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta). These bees stay very close to the ground as their sole source of pollen is the Red Bartsia flowers. They also fly much faster than their bigger bumblebee cousins and more directly, so even trying to follow them from flower to flower is not that easy. By the time you realise where they are they are off to the next flower quite quickly as the flowers are quite small and presumably don’t carry much pollen. I was unable to photograph any today but will make it a mission of mine over the next few days to rectify that.

Also seen for the first time were the galls of the Artichoke Gall Wasp (Andricus foecundatrix) on some of the oak trees.

Latest find on the patch of horseradish that is home to the Brassica Bugs was a Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus).

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