It’s amazing how the green markings on the underside of an Orange-tip’s wings are actually an optical illusion created by a mixture of yellow and black scales 🖤💛💚💛🖤 This lovely lady was roosting near my house on Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), their caterpillar foodplant. #ukbutterflies #bugsky

What I see when walking through the woods vs what my husband sees 😬 #romanticwalkwithanecologist #woodlandplants #wildflowerhour

Ever had that sneaking feeling that someone at work is watching you waaay too closely and is about to sabotage all your efforts? #cuckoo #cuckoobee #bugsky @kneppwilding.bsky.social

Fell head over heels in love with this serpentine work of art on Cissbury Ring @southdownsnp.bsky.social yesterday 🤍🖤🤍 #adder #spring #dogsonleads

We are SO lucky to have Erica McAlister of @nhm.org coming to Knepp on 11 April to lead an insect safari around the Rewilded Walled Garden.🐞🦗🪲 Erica is one of the UK's leading insect experts and she's also great fun. This is not to be missed! Book: knepp.co.uk/view/garden-...

My first bee-fly of the year 🥳 and also the most intimate I have ever been with one 🔥🫶🧸 He was lurking by a host colony of Yellow-legged Mining Bees, hoping for a mate. West Sussex TQ177167 #beeflywatch #bombyliusmajor #bugsky @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Apologies for the unnatural sunbathing platform, but Hairy-footed Flower Bees sooo rarely sit still, and it does show off his foot hairs to great effect! He uses these lovely locks to caress the female’s face 🫶 #footpics #anthophoraplumipes #bugsky @davegoulson.bsky.social

A bevy of (Oak) Beauties in the trap this morning 🤎🤍🤎 #bistonstrataria #teammoth #mothsmatter #ukmoths #bugsky

My first Early Bumblebee of the year 🥳 🐝 🌞 #springiscoming @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social @bumblebeegill.bsky.social @davegoulson.bsky.social @paulwilliamsnhm.bsky.social

For #BlueMonday an electric turquoise and cerulean Blue Cuckoo Wasp from the fabulous walled garden @kneppwilding.bsky.social #bluebugs #bugsky @ashwhiffin.bsky.social @waspwoman.bsky.social

Episode 7 of the Wandering Ecologist Podcast is live & it's so good I've released two parts! Recorded with Katie & Luke @wildfinca.bsky.social at their family-run rewilding farm in the lush green mountains of Northern Spain; Eagle Owls, Wolves, ponds, life. Listen on your usual podcast provider now🐛

Welcome to the annual ‘How Many Mervs?’ competition! If you’re not familiar with the fabulous Merveille du Jour moth, they look exactly like lichen! Good luck! #teammoth #mothsmatter #ukmoths #bugsky

Completely besotted with this velvety rhubarb and custard wonder - the Autumn Emperor Moth (Saturnia caecigena) - the highlight of last night’s trap on @greenwingstours.bsky.social Moths of Slovenia 💛🩷💛 #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

FINALLY broke my Clifden Nonpareil duck!! 🥳😅 I almost choked on my gasp when I found this stunning bat-sized bucket-list lifer under one of the eggboxes in my trap 🤩💙 #teammoth #mothsmatter #ukmoths #bugsky

Silver-spotted Skipper floof on floof 😍 @nationaltrust.org.uk @southdownsnp.bsky.social Newtimber Hill #ukbutterflies #bugsky

A freshly emerged beauty sitting out a passing storm at a private site managed by @rspb.bsky.social on our fabulous @greenwingstours.bsky.social Swallowtail weekend. #papiliomachaonbritannicus #norfolkbroads #ukbutterflies #bugsky

Found this magnificent beast @kneppwilding.bsky.social a few days ago. Looking forward to catching up with him/her on the wing next month when leading the Purple Emperor Trail for @greenwingstours.bsky.social #hisimperialmajesty #apaturairis #ukbutterflies #bugsky

Greater Butterfly Orchid @kneppwilding.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #wildflowerhour #orchidchallenge

Twiglet moth time 👏😁 Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) from my trap in the garden. #ukmoths #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

Delighted to get this lifer in the trap: Peppered Moth f. carbonaria (dark form). The speckled white form (typica) regained its dominance in the 1980s and I have caught several of those over the years, but this is my first carbonaria 🖤 #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

My favourite butterfly on the first day of my favourite month 💚💚💚 #mayday #greenhairstreak #callophrysrubi #britishbutterflies #ukbutterflies #bugsky

Of all the #woodlandplants Toothwort has to be one of the most unconventional, with its chlorophyll-less pallor, living parasitically on, in this case, Hazel, in a @southdownsnp.bsky.social woodland. #wildflowerhour

Pearl-bordered Fritillary caterpillar sunbathing in front of breakfast first thing this morning at a site in Sussex. This rare butterfly has a flourishing colony here, thanks to great wildlife-friendly woodland management 👏😁 #boloriaeuphrosyne #sussexbutterflies #ukbutterflies #bugsky

Marvellous mother Dark-edged Bee-fly collecting soil to add ballast to her eggs before firing them with well-aimed butt-flicks at Yellow-legged Mining Bee nest holes. #parentingstyles #happymothersday #bombyliusmajor #andrenaflavipes #bugsky @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

98 moths of 18 species in the trap last night in Berkshire. Bodes well for insects in 2025 🤞🤞🤞 #ukmoths #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

Explored a heavenly slice of @southdownsnp.bsky.social ancient woodland this evening, filled with the leaves of Wild Garlic, Bluebell and Yellow Archangel, and lots of wild Green Hellebore 💚 #greenflowers #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

And for my next trick… #oakbeauty #bistonstrataria #ukmoths #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

Especially pleased to see my first Early Bumblebee of the year amongst all the Buff-taileds yesterday. #spring #earlybumblebee #bombuspratorum #britishbees #bugsky @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social @davegoulson.bsky.social @bumblebeegill.bsky.social

Good morning. We love our British wildlife & our range of day trips & tours is increasing year on year. One of our most popular days out is in Sussex with @wildkatdahl.bsky.social for Purple Emperor, plus other butterflies & more. It's nearly full so book soon: greenwings.co/our-holidays...

Gorse properly blooming now 🌞 Shame I can’t post the delicious smell 🥥 #spring #wildflowerhour

Box-fresh Hebrew Character in my first trap of the year this morning. #hebrewcharacter #hebrewcharactermoth #orthosiagothica #britishmoths #teammoth #mothsmatter #bugsky

Shared this morning’s sparkling sunshine with dozens of beautiful Brown Hares 🤎 @southdownsnp.bsky.social #brownhare #europeanhare #lepuseuropaeus #sussexmammals #britishmammals

Seems appropriate that my first @bsky.app post should be a #bluebug on #bluemonday 🩵🩵🩵