Seasons: Summer

Red-tailed bumblebee

Bombus lapidarius

This species has a conspicuous red abdomen with the rest of the body being black. It often establishes its colony in old bird nests, including stone and wooden bird boxes.

Drone fly

Eristalis tenax

This hoverfly resembles the workers of the honeybee (Apis). While the adults of Eristalis tenax are common visitors to flowers, the larvae live in water. They are known as ‘rat-tailed’ maggots on account of the modified last segment of abdomen which acts as a breathing tube.

Common blue butterfly

Polyommatus icarus

The commonest blue! The caterpillars are found on bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), which the adults also like to visit.

White admiral butterfly

Limenitis camilla

A rarity now in the United Kingdom and a summer specialist. This butterfly likes visiting bramble (Rubus) flowers and prefers warmer areas in southern England.

Six-spot burnet moth

Zygaena filipendulae

A widely distributed and brightly coloured species, which can be seen on warm sunny days. The strong visual combination of red on black is a clear warning to potential predators to stay clear. Predators would be well advised to heed this warning as the six-spot burnet moth can generate cyanide compounds.

Hoverfly

Helophilus trivittatus

A beautifully patterned hoverfly with an entirely yellow face is often found on flowers around the edges of ponds. Its preference for these areas is because, like Eristalis tenax, its larvae live in water.

Swallows

Hirundo rustica

The swallow is found across much of the world and is often associated with agricultural land and buildings. Its conspicuous flight and capture of insects on the wing are memorable features of a summer’s day. Its place as a summer icon is assured but as the phrase ‘one swallow does not make a summer’ reminds us, we need some of the other species on this list!

Common spotted orchid

Dactylorhiza fuchsia

Orchids are one of the most fascinating and revered groups of plants. Their extraordinary diversity of flowers and pollination patterns have inspired generations of naturalists, including Charles Darwin who wrote a book on the fertilisation of orchids. The Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia) is perhaps one of the more modest members of the orchid family, but still a dazzling member of the British summer flora.

Bats

Balmy summer evenings are always completed by the sight of bats foraging for insects as dusk arrives. As with swallows, bats make extensive use of buildings and therefore frequently come into view. But to know the species you need a bat detector – a piece of equipment that can pick up the characteristic high frequency sounds of the bat which are outside the range of human hearing.

Grass snake

Natrix natrix

Reptiles like hot weather and the grass snake is no exception. One of three snake species in the UK, the grass snake is the largest and may be found in water as it feeds on amphibians.

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are one of the most impressive flying insects in Britain. It’s often a surprise to encounter a large dragonfly, the wingspan of which may be over 10cm. However, imagine encountering a Meganeura dragonfly from about 300 million years ago, with a wingspan of 45cm! The dragonfly seeks out areas of water to lay its eggs. The nymphs develop in the water and are voracious predators. Larger species may even take on small fish!

Common grasshopper

The sounds of the summer are as important as the sights. A major contributor to the summer grassland orchestra is the grasshopper. Grasshoppers use a process of stridulation, rubbing their legs against their forewings, to generate their characteristic sound.

Tortoiseshell caterpillar

Aglais urticae

The stinging hairs of the nettle Urtica dioica are a sufficient deterrent for many herbivores but of little consequence to specialist feeders such as caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell butterfly. In fact, the small tortoiseshell is one of several butterfly species that feed predominantly on Urtica dioica. Of course, humans can also eat stinging nettles, but preferably after boiling them!

Ladybird larvae

Aphids have specialised mouthparts which allow them to tap into the phloem (sap) of the plant. As they line up along the stems of leaves they present a ready meal for ladybird larvae. Ladybird larvae are often spiny in contrast to the smooth-bodied adults.

Cinnabar moth

Tyria jacobaeae

The red and black adult cinnabar moth seeks out ragwort plants on which to lay its eggs. After hatching, the caterpillars stay close together, but as they get larger they disperse across the plant. The conspicuous orange and black striped caterpillars may then strip the plant completely and move to another ragwort plant. Ragwort, which is poisonous to many vertebrate herbivores, has many specialist insect species which feed on it.

Cuckoo spit froghopper

The ‘cuckoo spit’ which can be found deposited on plants is produced by a type of insect called a froghopper. They are related to aphids. The cuckoo spit is derived from plant sap and used to protect the developing nymphs of the froghopper.

Burying beetle

Nicrophorus investigator

These extraordinary beetles are able to bury animals many times their size by excavating under the dead animal. They also appear to be able to slow the decay of the animal by covering them with secretions that prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. The slowly decaying carcass provides the beetle with many future meals.

Canadian thistle fruit fly

Urophora cardui

The adult fly has striking patterned wings and lays its eggs on the stems of creeping thistles. The larvae then burrow into the stem and make their home inside the plant, causing the formation of a gall.

Gall of Canadian thistle fruit fly

Urophora cardui

There are many examples of plant galls among summer plants and they often signal the presence of an insect(s) living inside.