After 5 months overwintering the puparium of Cerodontha iraeos - a miner of yellow flag iris - a wasp emerged. I almost forgive it as it is so sparkly. Chrysocharis polyzo is its id. Thanks to Charles Godfray for help with id.

I have updated the @norfolknats.bsky.social species guide to Norfolk Psyllids, which is available to download from the NNNS website here: norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/wp-conten... It now covers 60 species (about 3/5 of the British list) so is hopefully of use even for those outside of Norfolk.

Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) has appeared here in West Norfolk today. Bonus - two at once!

Emperor moth to lure in the garden at 14:30 this afternoon Stunning moths! #norfolkmoths. #teammoths

After four years trying I think I’ve finally managed to grow Yellow Rattle from seeds in our garden! I hope I’m correct @jo-the-botanist.bsky.social ?

50 years of Antenna magazine from the Royal Entomological Society - you can read this issue free online www.royensoc.co.uk/publications...

Beauty by name and nature. The Oak Beauty put in an appearance last night #norfolkmoths

New leafmine site update. Parornix atripalpella early stages seen for first time. Dicladispa testacea newly arrived in UK. Col prunifoliae - elusive species! Stigmella spinosissimae seen. Such an interesting update! leafmines.co.uk/html/updates...

Our electricity meter box seems to be aiming for SSSI status. Grey Shoulder-knot on it last week and a tachinid - Gymnocheta viridis on it today! Hopefully a Dusky Clearwing later on this season 😉

33/7 moths last night with Chestnut NFY. Highlight was this Black Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus humator)

It’s nearly time Will Wednesday be an Emperor moth day?

First tachinid of the year today. A very shiny Gymnocheta viridis on the front door frame.

Who needs a moth trap when your electricity meter box will do! Grey Shoulder-knot this afternoon #norfolkmoths

Another Ectoedemia turbidella has emerged. Not as camera shy as the first but refusing to rest on anything but the specimen pot #vc29moths

Ectoedemia turbidella- emerged today

Exciting news -one of my overwintering Ectoedemia turbidella (a rare moth) has emerged. I bought the pot indoors a couple of weeks ago #cambsmoths

My second Dotted Border of the year last night. Appropriately named with a row of tiny black dots at the wing edge #norfolkmoths

NFY last night - Red-Green Carpet and Diurnea fagella (causes some confusion each year as to what it is). #norfolkmoths

Huge numbers of moths (for my garden!) last night with 110/8 42 Common Quakers and 36 Clouded Drab along with 2 Satellites which were NFY. Also a single Twin-spotted Quaker

Two Dotted Chestnut were NFY last night. Such smart moths!

First Comma of the year in the garden this afternoon

Moth of the month? March moth last night.NFY #norfolkmoths

Agonopterix alstromeriana in the garden shed this afternoon. A hibernating moth. #norfolkmoths

A scale insect on our Ivy today - Lichtensia viburni (i think!).

Alexanders have started growing at the top of our road and here’s the first Euleia heraclei mine on them. A common miner of this plant

Skeins of Pink-footed Geese over the garden this afternoon. Traffic noise has drowned out their calls though!

Pammene giganteana to SKI lure in the garden this morning

I found this fly in our conservatory in the week. I think it’s Scathophaga stercoriana as it has a black third antennal segment. Hopefully a correct id?

Recent research on the Phyllocnistis saligna complex in the Netherlands has shown that saligna is not present there! Most mines are P.asiatica with P triandricola found in almond willow or rarely on purple willow. We have both asiatica and triandricola in the UK. Barcoding is going on here.

42/8 last night with Shoulder Stripe and Pale Pinion NFY

Does anyone know if The beetles of Britain and Ireland volume 4 by Duff will be reprinted? It seems unobtainable at present

Australian Ringnecked Parrot at our window feeder. An escape.

A large haul for my garden last night (at any time of year!) with 60/5 moths including 38 Common Quakers, along with Small Quakers, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character and this Dotted Border

I’ve been sent some leafmine photos on this plant in London. It’s a woody shrub about knee high with leaves 3-5cms long and grey underneath. Does anyone recognise this plant? Thanks @jo-the-botanist.bsky.social @bramblebotanist.bsky.social @bsbicountries.bsky.social

Hamamelis pallida (Witch Hazel) in the garden this afternoon. #Wildflowerhour

Recycling bin action today with 7 spot ladybird and a Sitona weevil

Enjoyed a morning at WWT Welney. Particularly enjoyed our coffee overlooking Lady Fen, with about a dozen Common Cranes and a group of Cattle Egrets.

They are tiny and seemingly insignificant but such stunning female flowers on the hazel in our garden today #Wildflowerhour

Lots of spring flowers in the garden now - snowdrops, cyclamen and aconites in this photo. Violets and pulmonaria are flowering just to the left of the photo, but not included here.

Pleased to see the Bee Orchids are growing again our lawn. Roll on summer!

My local patch bird report, covering species seen at Whitlingham & Thorpe Marshes (Norwich, UK) during 2025 is now available to view/download here: drive.google.com/file/d/12pEC... A big thank you to everyone who has reported sightings and allowed their photos to be used in the report.

252 pages of back issue diptera excitement (Dipterist Digest Vol 30 pts 1 and 2) now available to download free from our website dipterists.org.uk/news/dipteri... World class science in action! @britentsoc.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @sjthomasbotany.bsky.social

Interesting new YouTube from Trevor Pendleton (Ramblings of an entomologist) where he sieves leaf litter for eg pseudoscorpions. Sounds familiar @vannabartlett.bsky.social

A mild night forecast so the first trap of 2026 🤞

A small isolated Yarrow in flower yesterday #wildflowerhour

Good to see Duration Brewery, in West Acre, in the Sunday Times magazine today as one of the favourite UK Brewers! Their Tap Days are great too.

I see Scrobipalpa ocellatella is making headlines on beet crops in our region www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

What are others doing now that the years Mapmate extension is ending? How are you going to record your sightings in future?

My post-Christmas reading

Ophiomyia alliariae -almost invisible stem miner of Garlic Mustard A. petiolata), Hedge Mustard (S. officinale) etc. I was unsuccessful looking for it last year but found it this autumn. Fresh mines are pale green colour but turn white (and slightly easier to find) when old. This was new to Norfolk.