Insects of Britain

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The Large Blue butterfly - raised by ants!

One of Britain's most beautiful native butterflies - recently brought back from extinction - the Large Blue, has a bizarre life story that involves getting itself adopted by ants whilst a caterpillar. Evolution has equipped the butterfly to fool the ants into looking after it. But some ants seem to be getting wise to what's happening...

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Peacock Butterfly - beauty in the eye of the beholder

The peacock butterfly is one of the most striking species of butterfly, and can commonly be found throughout the UK. This showstopper is instantly recognisable from the captivating azure ‘eyes’ on its orange-brown wings - evolved to confuse predators.

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The harmless but fearsome stag beetle

Stag beetles are Britain’s largest land beetle, with males reaching up to 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) in length. They are also one of the most spectacular looking insects, with their highly protective armour and a male’s huge mandibles (antler-like jaws) making them easy to spot - and steer clear of!

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The red-tailed bumblebee - a busy life

It seems spring has never truly arrived until you catch sight of your first bumblebee, but do you know what species it is? The red-tailed bumblebee is a very common bumble bee, emerging early in the spring and feeding on flowers right through to the autumn. It can be found in gardens, farmland, woodland edges, hedgerows and heathland: anywhere with flowers.

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The Painted Lady - a beauty that's been on a long journey

The Painted Lady butterfly is a long-distance migrant to Britain, undertaking one of the most spectacular such journeys. Each year, it spreads northwards from the desert fringes of North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, recolonising Britain and mainland Europe.

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Cabbage White - the unpopular butterfly

Anyone who has ever tried to grow brassicas of any kind will be aware of the devastating impact on their crops of the caterpillars of the Large White or Cabbage White butterfly. It is one of the most widespread species of butterfly found in the British Isles and can be found almost anywhere, including Orkney and Shetland.

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Dragonflies and damselflies - 57 delightful varieties

Dragonflies and damselflies are a countryside delight in Britain during the summer months - familiar for their iridescent pairs of double wings, colourful bodies and darting flight.

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Cinnabar moths and Ragwort - a colourful combination

The Cinnabar is a particularly attractive British moth, brightly coloured with red and black markings, and unlike many other moths, active in the daytime. Its caterpillars are equally distinctive and dependent on the ragwort plant - a bright yellow weed often persecuted as a threat to horses and cattle.

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Red Admiral - high flying visitor to Britain

This fairly large black, white and red butterfly is common in Britain and a frequent visitor to our gardens where it can be spotted feeding on buddleia and other flowers.

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Britain's Ladybirds - regularly spotted and in multiple colours

There are 26 types of ladybird in the UK, many of which can be regularly spotted in gardens and woodland. Being spotted is the right word for seeing these small flying insects, as the familiar feature across the species is a range of coloured shell types with spots in numbers ranging from 2 to over 20.

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Antlions - truly fearsome to find in the sand

Mature antlions look like a cross between a lacewing and a dragonfly. But it is their form at the larval stage that earns them their predatory name. These alarming looking small monsters dig pits in sand to trap the ants that they feed upon.

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The magical glow worm

They look a bit like an elongated woodlouse, but, at night, in the summer, the magic happens: Britain's glow worms emit an eerie green glow from grass tips and bushes as the females announce their presence. Lampyris noctiluca is the glow-worm species most often seen in the UK.

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Woolly bear - child of the tiger!

From August to June this extremely hairy caterpillar can sometimes be seen. Commonly known as the "woolly bear", it is the larval form of an orange and brown moth - the Garden Tiger.

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Hummingbird hawk-moth - Britain's frenetic flier

On sunny late afternoons in the summer, gardeners in Britain may observe an intriguing creature hovering around their flowers, and feeding on nectar with a long tongue. But are there really small hummingbirds in this country? Well, not quite, but nearly!

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The small scissor bee - our smallest bee!

Most people can tell the difference between honey bees and bumble bees, but perhaps fewer people are aware of how varied bees in Britain can be. Sometimes that slightly annoying little fly on your plant photos is actually a tiny bee!

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