Insect Summer

As the end of the year approaches, I’ve been thinking about some of the highlights of 2104. One thing strikes me as I look through my photos from this year is the number of photos of invertebrates I’ve taken (not all of them good, I must say). This is certainly something I’ve become more interested in this year. While I’ve had an interest in all wildlife since I was young, birds have always been my main focus. I can’t see this changing much, but now I have a moth trap (2014 Christmas present) plus butterfly net and microscope (birthday presents from early in the year) I can see my horizons widening in 2015.

I'm thinking of starting a pan-species list, just for the UK. I think this should help me learn the different classifications, as well as helping keep a tab on what I've seen. And, while during this cold and dark part of the British winter, here are some of my UK invertebrate highlights of the summer. At least, these are the species I'm comfortable identifying in the field. If you're interested, I've already covered butterflies and dragonflies, moths and other invertebrates from my trip to France this summer in those respective blogs.

Purple Hairstreak - Shipley Glen, West Yorkshire - August 2014

 Gatekeeper - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - July 2014 

 Meadow Brown - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 Meadow Brown - Shipley, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Small Heath - Gordale Scar, North Yorkshire - July 2014

 Speckled Wood - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 Marbled White - Shipley, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 Small White - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 Essex Skipper - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - July 2014

  Large Skipper - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

 

  Large Skipper - Shipley, West Yorkshire - July 2014

Small Skipper - Shipley, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Buff Arches - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Buff Tip - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

  Burnished Brass - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

   Early Thorn - Shipley, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Elephant Hawk-moth - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

   Elephant, Eyed, and Poplar Hawk-moths - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

 Ghost Moth - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

  Golden Y - Rodley NR, West Yorkshire - June 2014

  Blue-tailed Damselfly - Knotford Nook, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Azure Damselfly - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  Common Blue Damselfly - Knotford Nook, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 

  Flower Beetle - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - July 2014

  Flower Beetle - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - July 2014
 

  Banded Snail - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

Iris Sawfly larvae - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 

Leopard Slug - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

 

Caddisfly larva - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014

  

Hog Louse - Denso-Marston NR, West Yorkshire - July 2014