Blue-tailed Damselfly

Ischnura elegans

A pair of mating damselflies in the 'wheel' position. The male is above with the end of its tail grasping the female's neck.

Large Red Damselfly

Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Black legs and dark wing spots enable this species to be distinguished from the smaller and rarer Small Red Damselfly. Usually found in wetland habitats with still or slow-running waters.

Large Red Damselfly

Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Black legs and dark wing spots enable this species to be distinguished from the smaller and rarer Small Red Damselfly. Usually found in wetland habitats with still or slow-running waters.

Stonefly

Nemoura

Stoneflies are mainly seen on vegetation or rocks near streams. They belong to the order Plecoptera and are believed to be one of the most primitive groups of winged insects. Their presence in a stream is normally an indicator of good water quality.

Common Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Common Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Field Grasshopper

Chorthippus brunneus

Often found in damp grassland during August. There are white or creamish lines on the shoulders that are strongly indented and the underside is hairy. It's song is a series of short soft buzzes.

Meadow Grasshopper

Chorthippus parallelus

The Meadow Grasshopper lives in damp grassland. It is mainly green, however brown and purplish forms also occur. Unlike the Field Grasshopper this species doesn't have a hairy chest. Males rub their legs against their wings to create a regular 'rrrr' sound to attract females.

Roesel's Bush-cricket

Roeseliana roeselii

The species is fairly easy to identify due to a prominent creamy edge to the thorax. This is an immature example. Full-grown adults can be up to 25mm in length. They are found in rough grassland, scrub and damp meadows from June to October, often emitting a high-pitched, long and monotonous buzz.

Conehead Bush-cricket

Conocephalus

Coneheads are a type of Bush-cricket that inhabit rough grassland and are mainly herbivorous, feeding on grasses. Nymphs emerge from mid-May and have a black line along the back and short wings. Long-winged and Short-winged species exist, but it is hard to distinguish the two during the early stages of their life cycle. At the end of July the nymphs moult into their adult forms.

Ectopsocus briggsi agg. (briggsi/petersi/meridionalis)

One of three similar species of Barkfly that cannot be separated without close examination of the genitalia. These variable wing-spotted insects are 1.5 to 2mm long. Males have wings longer than the abdomen while females appear in both long and short-winged forms. They feed on microflora growing on various trees and shrubs.

Yellow Barkfly

Valenzuela flavidus

The Yellow Barkfly feeds on bacteria, microscopic algae and fungi on trees. This species is active from June to October and spends winter and spring in leaf litter. 3mm long.