I have lived in my house since 1989 and this summer has been the first time I have seen a species of day-flying moth Callimorpha dominula (in English known as Scarlet Tiger moth). Friends living locally and in a village 20km away have also seen this species of moth.


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With Covid-19 restrictions, my entomological fieldwork was restricted to a few days mostly in June when the restrictions were eased. Overall a very frustrating year so far - UK experienced the longest, warmest spring in living memory but C-19 restrictions prevented me getting out into the government forest areas I have been studying, even ( Read more... )

Two moth caterpillars from an oak tree. Their anatomy is modified to resemble the leafless twigs of the oak tree. Normally a butterfly or moth caterpillar has three pairs "true legs" at the front, four pairs "false legs" towards the rear end and one pair of 'claspers" at the very end. These two "stick caterpillar" have 3-1-1 as shown in second ( Read more... )

Since the first week of June I have been employed on a Government Conservation Agency project investigating the distribution and trees preferences (with the hope of finding out something about the life history and ecology) of a small (2.5mm) beetle Hypebaeus flavipes. In UK it lives only on a small number of ancient oak trees in Moccas Park ( Read more... )

Yes, I am an insect specialist, an entomologist, but this post is about one species of insect with very specialised life history. Meet Ephialtes manifestor (Linnaeus) - a "Sabre Wasp" (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Ichneumonidae)


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There are several species of beetles that live in ant nests or are in some other association with ants. This spring I have been trying to find some of these beetles (it's OK, I am an entomologist, so for me this is a normal activity ( Read more... )

Today, April 18th, was the first warm day of spring. After the usual grey cool start to the day, the sky turned blue and temperature reached 22C (in my greenhouse it reached 47C - I had forgotten to open the door during the morning).


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Today during my walk to the local Post Office is saw a butterfly Vanessa atalanta (known in UK as "The Red Admiral") flying in the sunlight in a neighbour's garden. This week weather has been mild and today outdoor temperature was +15C.

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There are many weeds in my garden, including what we call in England "Rosebay Willowherb" or "Fire Weed" (Epilobium angustifolium or Chamaenerion angustifolium). Some of you will know this plant as the source of копорский чай. It is the food plant of the "Elephant Hawkmoth" (Deilephila elpenor) and every year late summer or early autumn I ( Read more... )

Although I've not posted anything for a month or so, I have been reading friends and other postings. Alas, my life has been quite uneventful (mundane) recently. I have carried out some casual work delivering letters for my local Electoral Registration Office - I get paid 20p for each envelope, the Post Office lowest-rate stamp now costs 56p, so ( Read more... )