Lots of Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus, around the ivy at the moment. The spring generation primarily uses holly, whereas the summer generation switch to ivy. One of the many beautiful species supported by this underrated plant!

Many people have noticed the abundance of 7-spot ladybird in the UK this summer. I wonder if there will also be a related boom in Ladybird Parasitoid Wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae? It turns the host beetle into a 'zombie' bodyguard, standing guard over the developing wasp pupa.

Female Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes, sheltering from the incoming thunder storm! Think I might have to do the same

Carabus granulatus is such an underrated beetle - just look at this beauty!

Andrena bicolor right outside my front door

Spring has well and truly sprung this week!

False ladybird, Endomychus coccineus, larva today at Wytham Woods

Lovely (albeit wet) day in the field yesterday, establishing a sampling programme to measure a biodiversity baseline at Begbroke Innovation District. However recent heavy rain had flooded several pitfall traps!

I had a great day at @sangerinstitute.bsky.social yesterday for the Tree of Life meeting and 2000th genome celebration. Wonderful to see and share Darwin Tree of Life project progress and all the amazing genome-enabled research being done. @petermulhair.bsky.social

Hello Bluesky! Moving over from the hell hole site, hoping for a more positive experience with plenty of insects, science and collaboration. 🐝