Here you can find out some interesting facts about some of our native insects. If you look closely while in your garden or out on a walk during Lochdown, you might spot them too!
Bumblebee
Bumblebees…
have five eyes and can see ultraviolet light
don’t have ears
make their homes in holes underground
beat their wings up to 240 beats per second
have very smelly feet! – they leave a scent mark like a smelly footprint on the flowers they have visited to let other bumble bees know they have already visited the flower
have hair on their body to keep them warm
Large Red Damselfly
Large Red Damselflies…
are common and widespread and found on most wetland habitats
can live happily in garden ponds and large lochs
are often the first damselfly to emerge in spring
spend most of their lives underwater as larvae (2 years)
look very pretty and delicate, but they are fierce predators
have large compound eyes which gives them the optical acuity to catch prey in mid-air
fold their wings up and hold them across their backs when at rest
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies…
Small Tortoiseshell butterflies hibernate over winter and feed on nectar
their black and bristly caterpillars feed on nettles
they live communally on nettles until it’s time to pupate
Did you know…
the UK has 59 species of butterflies
they are highly sensitive indicators of the health of the environment
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