Insects

The name crab spider is loosely used for up to 2100 species of similar-looking spiders in the family Thomisidae. The crab spider has many common names, such as flower spiders, flower crab spiders, and shield crab spider. How To Identify a Crab Spider Crab spiders are known for their crab-like appearance and how they run […]

False widow spiders are one of the most feared arachnids in Britain, and for good reason. These venomous creatures can be found throughout the UK, but their presence is often misunderstood. False widow spiders have been known to bite humans when provoked or threatened, making it important to know how to identify a false widow

The luna moth (actias luna) is one of the largest moths of North America from the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, which is a group commonly known as giant silk moths. Also known as the American moon moth and lunar moth, luna moths are thought to be named after the roman moon goddess, Luna, due to

Sawflies are winged insects which are members of the primitive group Symphyta, within the order Hymenoptera. They belong to a large group of insects with around 10,000 species which also include bees, wasps and ants. Although they are named as flies, they are more closely related to wasps than flies, even though they don’t sting.

The British Isles are home to a wide range of butterfly species, some of which are less widespread than others. Additionally, some look remarkably similar to others, and it can often be difficult to distinguish and identify common garden butterflies from one another. Whether you’ve been planting nectar-rich flowers and now have different butterflies visit,

The scarlet tiger (callimorpha dominula) is a beautiful moth that can be found in many parts of the UK. The day-flying species belongs to the family Arctiidae within the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths around the world. It has a number of subspecies distinguished by their markings and location. Other than its colouring,

Of the 2500 known moths in Great Britain and Ireland, one of the most recognisable is the Jersey tiger moth (euplagia quadripunctaria). They belong to the genus Euplagia and family Erebidae, and are named for the distinctive markings on their wings, which resemble a tiger’s stripes. Identification The Moth Jersey tigers are considered medium to

The gatekeeper (pyronia tithonus), also known as the hedge brown, is a member of the genus Pyronia and the family Nymphalidae. It is one of the most common of British butterflies and is thought to be most closely related to the red admiral and, like it, it flies in summer and is particularly fond of

If you live in the UK and find a big spider in your home, you might be seeing one of these scary-looking giant arachnids, known as the giant house spider. It is the larger cousin of the house spider (Tegenaria domestic) and is one of the largest and most common spiders found in the UK,

The woodlouse spider (dysdera crocata), also known as the woodlouse hunter, slater spider, sowbug killer or sowbug assassin, is a member of the spider family Dysderidae. It is a type of hunting spider that has developed an effective method for feeding on woodlice, hence the common name. The woodlouse hunter was first recorded in Britain