A to Z of British Insects

The fact that a close eye is being kept out for any invasion of V. velutina in this country is down to the potential threat to commercial pollination services and native wildlife, not because of any human health risk.

A good crop of nettles may well be followed by a spectacular crop of butterflies – so switch off that strimmer, put down that weedkiller, and let them fly free.

This is a Minotaur beetle, and despite appearances it is a gentle, dung-munching giant.

Scorpionflies make fast, direct, whirring flights that are characteristically stop-start – darting off in a perfectly straight line and then dropping suddenly back into a resting posture.

In the south-east of England at least, rhododendron leafhoppers are now pretty common, having first arrived in the 1930s. Since becoming aware of their existence, I’ve not failed to find them in any rhododendron-rich area I’ve searched.

Both are rather small insects, with somewhat stereotypically protruding ‘bug’ eyes, and also share the habit of folding their wings up over their backs in a tent-like arrangement.

Whilst they aren’t the most spectacular insects in Britain, I’m glad to have gotten to know them, just one of the common insect groups I’ve stumbled on this year which were hitherto unknown to me.

Aside from them being quite nice to look at, there’s a good reason for gardeners to encourage lacewings to share their home for the winter, or even better, to provide a purpose built lacewing home.

Am I, and the press at large, being unnecessarily harsh on mozzies?