David W. Williams

Red Marsh Ladybird: small narrow rufous coloured beetle with long antennae on a pale plastic background.

#LadybirdYearList Species #12: a Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) swept from tall pond side vegetation at Cornmill Meadows in the Lee Valley today. Surprisingly I did not see this common species last year, so pleased to catch up with it early this year. #EssexWildlife #UKLadybirds

On Friday, I found this 24-spot Ladybird (Subcoccinella 24-punctata), with what looks like a Tachinid egg on it. I know Medina separata attacks the Coccinellidae, but they usually lay eggs under the elytra. This ladybird also has a white substance on the face (+ a baby springtail on the pronotum...)

Completely flunked the focus (as usual!), but was surprised to find paired Meadow Ladybirds (Rhyzobius litura) yesterday. I've found paired 7-spot and Pine Ladybirds early in the year, but this is a first for me!
#VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

Saw this lovely moth on railings in Shropshire yesterday, which I think might be a female Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria). #Lepidoptera #Moth

The sun had gone by the time I got to the park railings today but their dark colour holds the heat, which was being enjoyed by two new-for-2026 shieldbugs: Hawthorn (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) & Hairy (Dolycoris baccarum), as well as one of the relatively large springtails Orchesella cincta.

The dipping pond at Cosmeston this morning was full of Toads, slithering and sliding, mating and producing their thousands of long strings of eggs. No sign of any frogs yet though. #SpringHasSprung

Over the years, I’ve found plenty of Gastrodes grossipes (Pine Cone Bug), so it was nice to find the other one, Gastrodes abietum (Spruce Cone Bug) today! A first for me! #Heteroptera #Lygaeidae #Shropshire

A damp mooch this pm, finding Coccidula rufa (Red Marsh Ladybird), Rhyzobius chrysomeloides (Arboreal Ladybird),Scymnus interruptus (Red-flanked Ladybird) and Scymnus haemorrhoidalis (Red-rumped Ladybird) amongst others! #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

One of my least favourite beetles, though I’m not sure why the harmless cerci (pincers) and flexible abdomen repel me. A more logical reason for disliking them is that they like eating the flowers of my runner beans. Unusually, they (at least the females) are devoted parents and take care of their eggs and young rather than just leaving them to fend for themselves.

Common European earwig (Forficula auricularia)
# bugoftheday

Dead 7-spot Ladybird with white fungus growth lying on wooded board.

Found a dead 7-spot Ladybird whilst mending my shed roof today. White fungus growing out of the gaps between various body parts, most likely Beauveria bassiana. #EssexWildlife #UKFungi

Very impressively captured.

Is this a Badger paw print? The second photo is of the tip of my wellington boot for scale. Lots of latrines nearby, so guessing it must be! Thanks! #BritishMammal #Badger

I don't think I've ever seen as many 7-spot ladybirds as over the last 3 days, out and about around Halesowen.
Haven't seen any moving - they just seem to be sat in the scrub - waiting patiently, presumably for aphids to emerge.
Not complaining though as they're looking good - in pristine colours.

Female Hairy-footed Flower Bee

1st HFFB! We have seen Hairy-footed Flower bees (Anthophora plumipes) in late February before but always males, so surprised to find a female buzzing around the Pulmonarias yesterday before taking a break on a rustic leaf 🐝🙂. @brigitstrawbridge.bsky.social

Actually dry today!!! Though the wind was blowing an absolute hoolie! Plenty of Nephus quadrimaculatus (Ivy LB), Coccidula rufa (Red Marsh LB), and singles of Scymnus haemorrhoidalis (Red-rumped LB) and Nephus redtenbacheri (Red-patched LB), amongst others! #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

Glorious lunchtime mooch! Sunny, warm and dry! Found more Scymnus haemorrhoidalis (Red-rumped LB), also with 16-spot and Rhyzobius litura (Meadow LB), another Nephus redtenbacheri (Red-patched LB) and Hippodamia variegata (Adonis LB) #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

It's been a glorious day and my butterfly year has begun, with four Brimstone seen during today's circuit of Cardiff Bay, two at the wetlands and these two in Hamadryad Park. 🦋💚 #UKButterflies

A stocky bee with brown hairs on thorax and abdomen and yellow hairs on the face. Sitting on deadgrass stems.

First male Hairy-footed Flower Bee of the year in the garden this morning. #KentNature #bees #hymenoptera

On Saturday, I planted a small conifer in the garden, and on Sunday, I noticed this lovely little visitor 🥰. Still there this morning, so thought it rude not to take a photo! Coccinella septempunctata (7-spot Ladybird) #VC40Ladybirds

Smooth Newt looking straight at the camera. His stripey head and spotty back show that he is in breeding condition.

One of two male Smooth Newts seen in my (rather murky) garden pond this morning. It almost feels like Spring...

Hardly been out with the camera so far this year 🌧🌧🌧 The sun came out today for a bit though 😃📸 and I'm off to a start with my #ladybirdyearlist 🐞

1️⃣ Propylea quatourdecimpunctata (14 spot ladybird)

#ukladybirds #ukwildlife #macrophotography

Conveyor belt of deluges this pm… found Coccidula rufa (Red Marsh Ladybird), Rhyzobius chrysomeloides (Arboreal Ladybird), Scymnus suturalis (Conifer Ladybird) and new for my #LadybirdYearList Anatis ocellata (Eyed Ladybird) amongst others! #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

A microscope image of a small but not tiny ladybird (3mm), black all over on the back, but covered in short pale hairs. And because it's a bit hairy, it's snagged a few bits of light detritus as well - fibres, bits of crud, that sort of thing. The centre of its elytra are less hairy and lightly punctured.

The same ladybird under a microscope, but zoomed out. This shows the slight shininess at the top of the elytra and the fine pale hairs over most of it. The shape is oval but not as elongate as some of the smaller micro-ladybirds.

The same ladybird (3mm long, otherwise black, under a microscope) rolled on to its back, showing that the abdominal sternites are bright orange-red.

Fun surprise this week - this delightful ladybird dropped out of a bush at work while beating some foliage. Having not met one before, I assumed it was a massive Scymnus, but no, it's Rhyzobius forestieri, an introduced species from Australia, just hanging out. Rather exciting! #Entomology #Ladybird

A photograph of the cover of the Field Guide to the Grasshoppers and Allies of Great Britain and Ireland.

It arrived today. Very proud to have been able to make a teeny-weeny contribution to this superb new book. #ukorthoptera #orthoptera

I hope mine isn't too far away then!

Thanks Sue! Starting to get impatient for the end of winter (and incessant wetness) now... Good to see the Cherry Plum in flower at VP yesterday.

Shovelers: 2 female & 1 male plus 3 Snipe lurking in the background rushes. Female Shovelers a typical brown duck; drake with chestnut flanks & underside, white chest & blue-green head. Both have the large, broad bill which gives the species its name.

Gadwall flying: male (left, behind) & female (right, ahead). Fairly brownish ducks; make has a large white panel & a smaller chestnut panel, on his wings.

Teal in flight: four males with green & red/brown heads plus three females.

Lapwings in flight: a green plover with pale underside. The wings are black with white tips. Tail black with a white rump.

Wildlife group's visit to Venus Pool yesterday was like trying to entomologise on top of a mountain in Iceland on a windy day. We ended up taking refuge in a bird hide, which allowed me to give the long lens a rare work-out, albeit in dismal light. Descriptions in alt text.

Does anyone know please if there's an LED equivalent to bulb type 6423FO - 15V - 150W (GZ6.35)? I've tried contacting Philips, but not had a response. It's for a fibre optic lamp. I have tried Googling, but it's a bit of a minefield! Thanks!

Clockwise from top: Psyllobora 22-punctata (22-spot), Hippodamia variegata (Adonis LB), Tytthaspis 16-punctata (16-spot), and Subcoccinella 24-punctata (24-spot)

A very damp mooch y'day in north Shrops, finding Coccidula rufa (Red Marsh LB), Anisosticta 19-punctata (Water LB), a quartet (see ALT for species names) from same grass tussock and Rhyzobius lophanthae (Bristly LB) amongst others! #VC40Ladybirds #MicroLadybird

An orangey-red ladybird with tiny pale yellow clubs of a parasitic fungus attached to the side of one of its wing cases. The ladybird is sitting on a gravestone.

Annoyingly, I didn't spot the Hesperomyces fungus on this Harmonia quadripunctata when I photographed it in Earlham Cemetery on Friday. I only noticed after downloading the photos at home. So today I went back to look for it, despite the weather conditions... 1/2