My first invertebrate record for 2026...Boreus hyemalis (Snow Flea) at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve this am. Exciting to think what else might turn up this year. 😀 @ynuorg.bsky.social #mecoptera #ukwildlife

Who needs fireworks, eh! Much better. I got this footage standing on top of the bench in the back garden in Filton a short while ago. I nearly lent back too far! @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Its that time of year again: a male Snow Flea, one of 3 seen yesterday in woodland on the Shrops/Herefords border. These 4mm relatives of Scorpionflies live in moss (esp. Polytrichum & relatives) & are winter active as adults. Not fleas of course but they can jump a bit.

Nice find in Churchgate Gallery in Porlock, Somerset earlier. @vannabartlett.bsky.social your artwork features in it!

Working on some sketches for a Christmas card design. Just because I can. Snow Flea anyone?

Always love to find the gorgeous Zicrona caerulea (Blue Shieldbug) #Heteroptera #Shieldbug #Asopinae

A walk in the woods at Felbrigg with @jeremybartlett.bsky.social brought a longed for insect - Boreus hyemalis aka Snow Flea. Managed to spot a male then found a female and another male in a second patch of moss. Happy days!

Black-spotted Chestnut (Conistra rubiginosa) from Tuesday night in Bengeo. True winter noctuid that arrived in UK in 2011, colonised here in 2018. Population has slowly risen since but local area remains its only stronghold in Herts. @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth

I don’t know whether this helps with sexing. Chips at front, Gravy behind. I know I say it every day but this might be my most amazing interaction yet 😆 !! I sat down with them & they stayed for 20 mins. I am besotted! #ukbirding

1/2 #speciesaday no. 677 is Walckenaeria acuminata. Periscope up! The male of this spider has its eyes spread out along the turret - 4 half way and the other 4 at the top! This genus is an utter joy, I love showing this spider to people for the first time. Even the female has a small protrusion.

'Sleepwalking with Foxes' 😉

Is it safe to call this Callitula pyrrhogaster or are there any confusion species? I can't find a relevant key but it looks like other photos of this species and it's supposed to be distinctive. It's 1.5mm long and was found by suction in late July in grass at the edge of wet woodland in Norfolk.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 500 is Snow Flea (Boreus hyemalis). Not a flea but a mecopteran (same order as the scorpion-flies). Winter-active, I have seen them only twice in 2019 when I went with Tony to find them in the Wyre Forest in Feb, then stumbled on 1 in the suction sampler in the Roaches that Dec.

Just visited the Lacewing Recording Scheme website and there are lots of great identification guides available, e.g. www.laars.jamesjepson.com/neuroptera-l... - thanks to @jamesjepson.bsky.social and colleagues for putting this together

My first Snow Flea (Boreus hyemalis) of the winter at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve today. Nice of her to pose out in the open on a fallen leaf, so didn't need to spend hours waiting for one to emerge from the Polytrichum moss! @ynuorg.bsky.social #Mecoptera #Boreidae #ukwildlife

Two lifers amongst 45:13 in a maple-packed woodland last night. The target was Plumed Prominent, and by 5.30pm two females had already appeared. An hour later and we were enjoying extravagantly plumed males. A hibernating Agonopterix purpurea was also NFM, with December Moth NFY. #TeamMoth

🎃 Happy Halloween, from the Charnwood Spider! 🕷️ Charnwood Forest is one of the only places in the UK that you can find the spider Mastigusa diversa. Unsurprisingly, it's also known as the Charnwood Spider!

Male Horrid Ground Weaver Nothophantes horridus in Plymouth, Devon. This UK endemic usually peaks in December but I found 16 (mostly adults) one day last week so seems to be having an earlier season this year.

Hedgehog Harvestman Nemastomella bacilliferum, Plymouth, Devon, this very distinctive but tiny harvestman is found at several sites around the city. It has not been found anywhere else in the UK but may be overlooked? It is usually found sat on the underside of rocks lying on the ground.

Allochernes wideri confirmed new to Norfolk! Found by a fellow county recorder; luckily I was present at the time and got to see them and take these photos. Unfortunately, I now have to update my guide to pseudoscorpions in Norfolk... #arachnids #pseudoscorpions

Little grains of sand on the move, Georissus crenulatus. This tiny beetle covers itself in sand. Decent bit of camouflage. #Coleoptera #Georissidae

Death's-head Hawk from the Obs moth-traps this morning

Much digging about in a compost / horse dung / straw heap in All Stretton on Weds produced several fab inverts including many of these 1.9mm long Compost Chernes/Chelifer pseudoscorpions (Pselaphochernes scorpioides) incl two females carrying eggs.

Oedemera femoralis on the fence by the moth trap.

'Wonder of the Day' indeed! #teammoth

I'm glad I decided to put the trap out tonight. Merveille du Jour on the wall when I went out to check a short while ago. Surprisingly, only my 2nd in the garden. Also, White-point & Privet Weevil. #teammoth

Really awesome to see an adult male of the rare Glyphesis servulus in Cambridgeshire recently. A right whopper at 1mm! 😁 @britishspiders.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @graemelyons.bsky.social @chalkspring.bsky.social

Delighted to find my first Norfolk Homalenotus quadridentatus. A small juvenile under a brick in the gardens at Tacolneston Hall, found on a visit yesterday with Norfolk Fungus Study Group. This is a very scarce species in Norfolk. #Arachtober #Opiliones #Harvestmen #Arachnids

Jackdaws in two waves from the garden (well, it was actually my neighbour's, as I was dog sitting) in Filton just before it got dark y'day evening. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Early morning shenanigans, plus my light has gone out! 😂

Quite a good catch in the garden last night, after returning from a few days down on Exmoor. This male Spiny Hook-tip was the best. My 3rd in the garden. #teammoth

Mark Telfer and I only went and refound Aulonia albimana on the Isle of Wight two days ago! Quite possibly the best spider find of my life! Lots of other records too. analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/10/whit... #spiders #Isleofwight #biologicalrecording #panspecieslisting

It was nice to see Odiellus spinosus low down on the back wall of the house while it was still dark early this morning. I noticed it after putting out some food for the foxes.

Feathered Ranunculus nfy and the best from the trap this morning. #teammoth

White-point the best for me this morning. Surprisingly, it's only the 2nd I've had in the garden. Only my 4th time trapping in the garden this month. #teammoth

Delighted to find my first Roncus lubricus aka Reddish Two-eyed Chelifer in west Norfolk last week. Not sure it was as pleased to see me though as it scarpered off pretty smartish! Certainly wasn't expecting this species to turn up in a churchyard. #pseudoscorpion #arachnids

Fabulous Large Tree Chernes (Dendrochernes cyrneus) found in west Norfolk last week while on holiday with @jeremybartlett.bsky.social Worth the windy weather and cycling in a thunderstorm to get to see these beauties! #pseudoscorpions #arachnids

Finding pseudoscopions. Our compost bin had Pselaphochernes scorpioides in it. To search: scoop out top layer of kitchen/garden waste & put in bucket. Sieve next layer down using garden riddle over a bowl. Then use finer potting sieve over tray. They are small, around 2mm. 1/2 @duleyp.bsky.social

Excellent day in the Wyre Forest, Shropshire with fungi, ants, 60 Crossbills and the highlight a lovely female Araneus alsine (Strawberry Spider) found by Denise B on Neil's trousers (not their preferred habitat). nth try for these for me - what a belter! @lancefly.bsky.social #spiders #ukwildlife

The Diplodoma laichartingella larva in it's case just before I released it earlier today. #teammoth

Diplodoma laichartingella larva with case covered in particles, incl insect remains. A moth lifer of me on Exmoor today. #teammoth

A moth lifer for me on Exmoor today. Diplodoma laichartingella larva with case covered in particles, incl insect remains. Found attached to the underside of a rock I'd turned over in Horner Woods today looking for something else. #teammoth

Some footage of the male Scytodes thoracica (Spitting Spider) from last night. @britishspiders.bsky.social

A nice find on the bathroom floor around midnight last night. Scytodes thoracica (Spitting Spider) - male. I think it's only the 5th time I've found one in the house. For a slow-mover, it was surprisingly difficult to get a photo of. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Was going to post pics of Shining Guest-ant and Dinarda maerkelii from Wyre on Tuesday w @lancefly.bsky.social @exmoormothman.bsky.social @vc40orthops.bsky.social and Jim C but others got lovely pics of them. Also saw Rhyparochromus pini and occupied cases of Coleophora milvipennis #teammoth

Male Bledius spectabilis,fantastic horned pronotum. A cracking Staphylinid beetle, Dorset. #Staphylinidae #Coleoptera

Shining Guest Ant, Formicoxenus nitidulus, a tiny (less than 3mm) ant which lives in Wood Ant nests. Another top find by @lancefly.bsky.social from our trip to the Wyre on Tuesday. The 2nd pic shows one top left with a Wood Ant btm right. @exmoormothman.bsky.social @pilning.bsky.social

Dinarda maerkelii, found by @lancefly.bsky.social in the Wyre Forest, with @exmoormothman.bsky.social & @pilning.bsky.social on Tuesday. A species of rove beetle which is found in Wood Ant nests where they seem to be partly parasitic, there are very few British records. A very top spot!

Shining Guest Ant Formicoxenus nitidulus in the Wyre Forest on Tues with @pilning.bsky.social, @lancefly.bsky.social, @vc40orthops.bsky.social & Jim Cresswell. @lancefly.bsky.social spotted them first. The general consensus was we saw 20+ on the Wood Ant Formica rufa nest.