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We found our first Peacock caterpillars at the weekend. They were probably only a day or two old and had mostly changed from fawny brown to spiky black. They have a lot of growing to do but there are a lot of nettles to keep their hunger sated... (HTV) 17-6-13

Even bigger and furrier than the Drinker Moth Cats is the lovely olive spotted Oak Eggar Moth cat.... If anything, these ones are even more favoured by Cuckoos!!!!!! Slightly better moth though, the males are orangey coloured day fliers and hurtle around the marsh at break neck speed in their lustful...

Seen one or two of these great Millipedes recently on suicide missions across the paths (much like the Kamikaze Glow-worms!) So, another reason to watch where you walk! Ommatoiulus sabulosus - the Striped Millipede (HTV) 12-6-13

With such cool conditions it has been a tricky time for insects in general but for those that need to hunt on the wing with warmed up wing muscles it has probably been near fatal. Still, it does give photographers a better chance of getting a good snap or two! Hairy Hawker - Martin Hatton ...

There are many species of Sawflies in the UK and we have quite a few of these out on the reserve. They are related to wasps and bees and are quite harmless to us. They get their name from the saw-like serration along the underside of their ovipositer that they use to lay their eggs within the stems of...

If you look carefully as you walk around you will see some rather large caterpillars along the paths, especially in the Northern Trail section. These are the young of Drinker moths. If you were a Cuckoo they would be the most appealing thing in the world! 8-6-13

Lawrence Rogers has been taking some awesome shots in recent weeks of the inverts across the site. Most of his finds are in the wildlife garden though and have included a couple of species newly recorded for the reserve.... So lets do Froghoppers!.. ... Horned Froghopper.... Centrotus cornutus...

The first Orb Weavers are now out and about with many Long-jawed OW ( Tetragnatha extensa ) and Furrow OW to be found on the walk to the Cordite Woodland... Furrow OW (HTV) Long-jawed OW (Craig Burnett) Long-jawed OW (Craig Burnett) The first Garden orb Spiderlings are also to...

It is an old joke about beetles of different sizes but how could I resist after Craig Burnett sent me this image taken in the Cordite Store..... Especially for Chris Slade...... 30-5-13

It is still fairly quiet on the insect front but Lawrence Rogers got some great shots the other day of several species of solitary bee and wasp in the wildlife garden. I will add more names once I have fathomed them all out! Ichneumon wasp You can see the ocelli on the head between the...

The occasional spells when the sun pokes through seem to spur the local wildlife into action in the love department. Dawn Cowan caught these two Holly Blues at it the other morning! The female is the laregr one on the right... 23-5-13

With insect life starting to come to the fore once again, it becomes imperative that if you are a non-predatory insect that you look where you land otherwise you may fall prey to the clutches of Misumena vitae .... the White Crab Spider A Green Veined White perishes..... Matt Adam Williams And...

It did not feel that warm today but there was a lot more dragonfly and damselfly activity with the three Blue Damsels and Large Red in the woodland. This also means that there must be more, smaller insect life for them to feast on... Blue-tails (Mark Vale) Large Red (Chris Lowe) ...

With some warmth on the wind the trails have become the homes to many insects including a good selection of butterflies. Peacocks seem to common at the moment and various Whites have been seen along with Small Torts, Orange Tips, Brimstones and, in the last few days, Speckled Woods. Orange Tip...

Many visitors over the last few days have noticed heaps of small shiny blue beetles in the reeds just of the Northern Trail. We see them evey year but for the life of me I cannot currently remember the name. I know what they are not (Blue Mint Beetle) but not what they are! Pretty sure they are one of...

Well certainly not today but on Wednesday there was glorious sunshine in the afternoon and a wealth of insect life was to be seen including Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers , Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies and quite a few bees and wasps! Peacock (Andy Tweed) Several marsh Frogs and Water...

Well that is what Chris Slade said yesterday after a wander around the reserve with the motley Monday Crew.... And well he might! Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters had got through the cold weekend and were back on the wing after the numerous small flies and Comma, Small Copper and Red Admiral butterflies...

Sheltered spots and sunny patches are the places to look for some of our late insects and yes, I do know that I keep telling you about the same ones but it is getting late and there is still enjoyment to be had from the remaining predatory Darters and Migrant Hawkers and the last Commas and Red Admirals...

The Ivy is now in full bloom and the remaining butterflies are concentrated around it now. Red Admirals predominate with the odd Speckled Wood and Comma joining in with the throng of flies and late hovers and bees. Just like a dead leaf... a Comma laps up the sweet Ivy sugar... (Mark Hart) 7...

A wander around the trails at the moment would not be complete without an encounter with a stroppy Devils Coach Horse Beetle ! As far back as the Middle Ages this species has been associated with the Devil and was known in Ireland as Dar Daol which translates as ‘the Devil’s beetle’...

Another autumnal hairy, spiky caterpillar to add to the list! This one is a Knot Grass (which is one of its many food plants). Over the years we have seen quite a few of them in the autumn although never an adult moth to the best of my knowledge! Another great shot by Roger Kelly 3-10-12

We had begun to notice several little piles of sawdust appearing in the board walk and wondered what it could be that was creating them. Dawn succeeded in finding out on Sunday and managed to capture the home builder - a small black and yellow wasp of the Ectemnius family - in the act of removing bits...

With mild air still prevailing there are still many invertebrates to find out on the reserve. Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters still rule the skies and countless Craneflies rise from the grass as you walk along. Mating pairs can be seen everywhere while egg full females can be seen worming their...

Annie was a little disappointed at missing out on the Privet Hawkmoth Caterpillar on Sunday especially as caterpillars rank a close second to her other main invertebrate love... So when a lady came into the shop today and said that she had found some horrible beast in her garden and had considered squishing...

If you wander the trails at the moment you will find many pretty, stripy caterpillars in the phragmites and on the boardwalk. These are the offspring of the scarce Reed Dagger moth which is in fact very dull and not exactly inspiring to look at! However there are in important food source to migrant...