Category Archives: Uncategorized

On the 19th June 2022 we came across something we couldn’t really explain, but have just found a possible (if unlikely) answer to. Dangling from a bramble stem, by a single thread of silk (around 15cm long), we found a dead black ant and three green aphids, also dead. How they all ended up inContinue reading “Now how did that happen?”

A bit of a milestone for Wildlifegarden.org was reached today. We have listed the 500th species recorded in the Garden. There were actually a few species we could have chosen from but we settled on a bit of a mystery. The honour we decided would go to a beetle, and why not, after all theContinue reading “500th Species”

Earlier in the summer we got our first decent photograph of the grasshoppers we knew we had, but could never confirm to species level. Thanks to the image below we can now record our hoppers as being the Common Field Grasshopper – Chorthippus brunneus… We think most people are aware that grasshoppers make their iconicContinue reading “Common Field Grasshopper – New Garden Species”

We thought it would be nice for a final word (perhaps!) on the Garden Tiger Moth caterpillars we previously blogged about. Picking up from where we left off (13th August), the caterpillars continued to happily munch their way through Green Alkanet and Bind Weed. Later that day a flesh fly came visiting. It is ofContinue reading “UPDATE 2! Garden Tiger Moth – Arctia caja”

A good rule of thumb if you’re into watching wildlife, especially in the garden. Is that if not much else seems to be going on, go see what the ants are up to. In the case below this paid off with a new garden species, as we finally discovered that our garden supports not oneContinue reading “Lasius fuliginosus vs Lasius niger”

A week ago we posted about a Garden Tiger Moth laying eggs in the garden, click HERE. This occurred on the 30th July 2022. Well it didn’t take long for the eggs to hatch, so whatever happened to the mother in the end, she achieved what she came to do. The video below was takenContinue reading “UPDATE! Garden Tiger Moth – Arctia caja”

Always nice to record another bee species, although this time we can only get it down to one of two species. Lassioglossum calceatum and Lassioglossum albipes are very difficult to tell apart and a good view of the lower face is required, more specifically the labrum. The fabulous UK Bees, Wasps and Ants group onContinue reading “Lassioglossum calceatum OR albipes – New Garden Species”

New garden species, sort of…. well not really! We have seen these guys before, normally out of the corner of our eyes and certainly before we got anywhere near a camera. But this time we were finally, after years of hoping, in the right place at the right time to film one of these amazingContinue reading “Hummingbird Hawk-moth – New Garden Species”

One of our primary aims is not simply to encourage wildlife to visit the garden, but to provide opportunities for species to complete their life cycles. Last year we recorded the larvae of Arctia caja, commonly known as the Garden Tiger Moth, with no sign of the adults. As kids we would often see theContinue reading “Garden Tiger Moth – Arctia caja”

A bit of a surprise recording this one. Our third sawfly species confirmed so far in the garden and a bit of an oddity. It’s only been recorded in the country since around 2002, and it has already spread over much of England and Wales. It is heavily associated (as it’s name would suggest) withContinue reading “Arge Berberidis – New Garden Species”