Lovely species. Very restricted distribution in Herts associated with gravel or sometimes on chalk. Have recorded it once at Kings Meads & often at Waterford Heath, former gravel pit where it is surprisingly common.

Ectophasia crassipennis female?

Good record. Nocturnal species that seems to be recorded mostly from light traps. Distribution appears to be very patchy with few hotspots.

Super shot of Goldcrest. Possibly braconid wasp but not really able to make out enough detail of prey item.

Lovely female.

Three records in garden, much less common here than quadripustulatus.

Acrocerids are amazing. Two records of A.orbiculus from Kings Meads nr Hertford, 4th & 23rd July. 1st record was found by @britishbugs.bsky.social.

Agrilus olivicolor is Carpinus specialist. 1st recorded in UK in 2016, colonised Hornbeams here in Bengeo garden in 2018.

Kings Meads, local wetland to Hertford, is county stronghold for species where it is abundant. Elsewhere in Herts, it is rare.

Warm weather can produce some good wall records. Had 5 species of Hemiptera here on wall yesterday including Rhopalus parumpunctatus, Leptoglossus occidentalis & this pine leafhopper, Grypotes puncticollis.

Three records of Phaeostigma notata in garden including two this year. Xanthostigma xanthostigma is much commoner here & is recorded annually. Also single record of Atlantoraphidia maculicollis below Scots Pine. Nearly all records follow windy weather when snakeflies are displaced from canopy.

Yes, but tall deep bushes are able to survive.

In 2019, had one spend three weeks in garden on Box.

Its host is unknown but its dramatic range expansion coinciding with Ivy season is very similar to that of Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae). Perhaps there is a connection?

Plenty of Ectemnius, Cerceris etc here. Local former quarry is full of Mellinus, garden despite sandy soil is perhaps too wooded for species.