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.

I seem now to be getting more and more garbage on Bluesky. It's now more like X with lots of weird posts filling up my feed that have nothing to do with Nature. Why so many posts about Trans gaming cartoonists ? Think I need to abandon it and use Facebook which is quite good for Nature posts.

I'd no idea Water Crickets came in such small sizes. This one is only about 1.5mm but is an adult - Microvelia reticulata - found in one of the ponds at Warren's Hall, Dudley. It has two slightly larger relatives I haven't found yet.

When it comes to naming beetles you'd just have to call this one the Cherrystone beetle (Hyphydrus ovatus). Nothing better than having 5 of these darting about in the sampling tray.

All the action's on the Fleabane now. What a wonderful plant for inverts. I thought this was a Tachinid fly but it's the Hoverfly Eristalinus sepulchralis.

So today's challenge was trying to find any tiny water beetles in a large sampling tray when it's full of Saucer Bugs. Never seen as many and as I discovered they stab first and ask questions later. I'm so used to handling friendly beetles but these things are complete psychopaths. Hurts as well !

The Cherrystone water beetle (Hyphydrus ovatus) is one of my favourites as it really does resemble a tiny cherry stone swimming around in the water. Found one today at Barrows Hill but also this curious looking creature with what looks like a long nose. I think it must be the beetle larva.

This beetle has got me thinking. I'm pretty sure it's Galerucella calmariensis that's often found on Purple Loosestrife. But I've never seen one before with those two distinctive black spots on the elytra. Makes me wonder if all beetles might have a gene that can throw up spots once in a while.

What I love about species recording are the seemingly endless surprises that keep you guessing. Like this 4mm "thingy" swimming around in my pond-dipping tray today. Turns out it's a Fish Louse (Argulus foliaceus?) The two big circles are actually the suction cups it uses to latch onto a fish.

Beautiful Deer Fly (Chrysops relictus) seen laying eggs beside pond at Fen's Pool. Just look at those eyes !

This might just look like a photo of a Brimstone but in 3 years or more of chasing bugs around with a camera this is the first time I've ever managed to get a Brimstone at rest !

What happens on a baking hot day when you go looking in Hazel trees for Hazel Leaf-Rollers ? Of course, you get a Purple Hairstreak !

Was at Monk Wood in Worcestershire yesterday. Famous for it's Wood White's which despite furnace temperatures were in abundance. Beautiful butterflies but what really made my day was seeing this right in front of me on a Bramble overhanging the path. The Horned tree-Hopper (Centrotus cornutus).

Feeling a bit guilty now as I might have disturbed this Hazel Leaf-Roller while it was at work. Only just noticed that the inside of the mid tibia is serrated, I wonder if that helps grip the leaf when rolling it up? The the end result is always great to see. Like cigar stubs hanging from the tree.

What makes bug hunting so much fun is the sheer random finds. In wellies in the pool looking for Reed Beetles and see an "odd looking 7-spot" hiding in the sheathes of a Reed just above the water line. Adonis Ladybird! 1st one I've ever found. Think I wasted a lot of time looking in "gravel pits" !

Curculio glandium - such a fabulous weevil - and it seems to be in just about every Oak tree with a bit of sun on it.

Pond dipping at Ryders Mere. I think this might have been a very tiny Stickleback I had on the end of my spoon.

Most of the Damselfly nymphs I found yesterday were a dark or dull brown in colour except this one which really stood out. I wonder if they gain colour as they become more mature as this one already has quite long wings ?

Started spending more time in wellies looking at what lives in the water. What I love about pond dipping are all the weird little creatures you find that you just can't name.

Well I never thought I'd end up finding leeches so adorable. But look at those eyes.

Just along River Stour near Stourbridge and the Merlin app keeps saying "Nightjar". Then again there's a farmer with an old David Brown tractor in the next field.

Interesting range of colours to these shieldbug eggs I saw the other day on Lucerne. They all appear to be occupied. Wonder why the differing colours ?

Never knew anything fed on Hemlock Water-dropwort as it's so poisonous. But saw lots of these wonderfully coloured caterpillars yesterday at Rattlechain Lagoon. As ever with brightly coloured caterpillars - they end up as dull brown moths - in this case Depressaria daucella.

Visited Rattlechain Lagoon today with 2 fellow members of Sandwell Naturalists. Thanks to their expertise and eagle eyes we managed to find a good number of Small Blue butterflies and their eggs, on Kidney Vetch. They are astonishingly small ! Photo shows a single egg at the base of the flower.

West Mids is such a bizarre place to go species recording. Spent today at the wonderfully named Rattlechain Lagoon notorious for it's long history of chemical dumping. Dogs that jump in the lagoon catch fire from phosphorous. What do I find? Leptura quadrifasciata, associated with ancient woodlands!

Spent a long day yesterday at Leasowes NR hoping I might find a Rhinocerus Beetle. Sadly I didn't, so left at 7pm. Then driving home I see one walking across my dashboard! Turned car around and drove it back. So, instead of searching for 6 hours I could just have sat in the car with the window open!

Fascinating today to watch this Water Ladybird at Fens Pool eating eggs on an Iris leaf near water. The Ladybird was so hungry it kept returning to feed despite me continually disturbing it with the camera. Hunger certainly outweighed fear in this case. Interested to know what the eggs might be ?

I thought yesterday was good when I found a posing Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn. But as they say about busses - today I found another 4 of them at Coombeswood in a field of Hogweed and to cap it off - a Hazel Leaf-Roller - and it's only the 3rd June as well ! What next ?

It was that day of the year that gets a gold star in the diary. Such a spectacular beetle - Agapanthia villosoviridescens.

Thought this hoverfly at Sheepwash NR looked interesting so took a photo but when I crept around it to get a side shot it gave me a bit of a surprise. No wonder it's called a "Snouted Duckfly" (Anasimyia lineata).

Sometimes you spend all day searching but really the best thing you've seen is just a simple 2-Spot.

I don't see this Hazel leaf lasting much longer !

Nice to see a Cassida viridis for a change instead of the much more common rubiginosa and vibex. This one feeds on Lamiacea and seems to have to be near water so I mainly find it on Water Mint. Easy to spot the difference as it's bright green and the pronotum has rounded corners not sharp ones.

During my lunch-time stroll I chased down a Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth for a photo. These beauties don’t sit still for long but I managed to get one photo in focus when it briefly touched down on a wall in the back of the hospital.

One interesting thing about the dryer weather has been the number of dried out ponds where I've been able to find lots of Peacock Beetles like this one (Elaphrus cupreus). Normally the ground would be too soft to get in and take a look without wearing wellies.

Always nice to find a Blue Shieldbug, especially with a bit of sun on it's back. As usual this one was close to lots of Altica flea-beetles.

Just wondered if anyone could shed light on these "leech" like creatures that were attached to a branch in my local river ? There were hundreds, all about 10mm or so long.

@vc40orthops.bsky.social and I are pleased to announce the publication today of the “Micro ladybirds of Britain and Ireland”, in collaboration with the FSC: www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publica...

I've found lots of Gorse Shieldbugs before but this was the 1st time I'd ever noticed the eggs, all lined up like tiny barrels along the edge of a Gorse flower head.

Rather chuffed to announce that @vc40ladybirds.bsky.social & I have today had our guide to the Micro Ladybirds of Britain and Ireland published. Available from all good bookshops as they say, including here: www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publica...

I have literally searched acres and acres of Forget-Me-Nots trying to find this elusive Shieldbug! Finally saw one yesterday just sat on the ground next to a patch of FMN's at Fens Pool. Must be a habitat issue - this was on dry gravely soil at the foot of a dam banking. When will I see you again ??

Just found my 1st Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) at Fens Pool, quite a stunner, beautiful colour. But like all Ladybirds very quick on it's feet. Many thanks to ‪@vc40orthops.bsky.social‬ for his wonderful tip of using a "Floating Frame". Sometimes there's just no chance of a photo otherwise.

Wonderful chance find today at Perry Hall Park (just outside Birmingham) whilst on a visit with Sandwell Naturalists. The botanist pointed out a large patch of Greater Celandine and looking more closely I could see whiteflies - which thanks to the tip from "VC40Ladybirds" could mean only one thing !

Not easy to see, but a very bristly 24-Spot Ladybird larva feeding on what I think is "False-Oat Grass". Large populations here at Corngreaves NR in summer. Easy to find them by just looking for the "feeding trails" that run along blades of grass.

Here they come ! First of many, my guess is very many this year. Odemera nobilis on Cuckoo flower at Corngreaves NR.

Sadly we don't get Stag Beetles where I live in the Black Country but it's always a pleasure to find the Lesser Stag (Dorcus parallelipipedus). This female was at Corngreaves NR behind loose bark on the stump of a huge Oak tree felled last year by the council (for no reason).

I'd read that "Whirlygig" Beetles had 2 pairs of eyes which sounds bizarre. One pair that face upwards and a 2nd pair that face downwards. So the other day I managed to take a closer look at one (Gyrinus substriatus) and yes it's true. What a remarkable beetle it is.

You really wouldn't think it, but it's a Rove Beetle. A very impressive looking one at that. Scaphidium quadrimaculatum found under loose bark on a fallen Ash tree, feeding on white fungus. At Leasowes NR.