1 July 2025

Wild flower patch – National Insect Week

On Saturday 28 June 2025, towards the end of National Insect Week (organised annually by the Royal Entomological Society to promote insects), I visited the wonderful flower patches at the Village Hall that had been established by a group of keen volunteers.

The patches (image 1) were putting on a fine show of pollen and nectar-rich flowers including Corn Marigold (image 2) and Mayweed (image 3) along with a variety of other species including Large-flowered Mallow (image 4), Marigold (image 5), Cowherb (image 6), Wild Carrot (image 7), and Cornflower (image 8), Borage (image 9), Foxglove, and a few others.

1. Patches

2. Corn Marigold

3. Mayweed

4. Large-flowered Mallow

5 Marigold

6. Cowherb

7. Wild Carrot

8. Cornflower

9. Borage

By far the commonest insects were small Yellow-legged Mining Bees collecting pollen on their hind legs (image 10). Other small bees included a Megachile Leaf Cutting Bee (image 11), and a small Resin Bee. Carder Bumblebees (image 12), Buff-tailed Bumblebees and Red-tailed Bumblebees (image 13) also occurred plus some Honeybees (image 14). I only saw one wasp, the rather interesting Spiny Digger Wasp (image 15) which provisions its nest burrows with flies.

I only saw a single hoverfly, the Long Hoverfly (image 16) with a narow thin black and yellow striped body. The Dock Bug (image 17) was climbing over the stems. Beetles included Red Soldier Beetles (image 18), the spectabilis variety of the Asian origin Harlequin Ladybird (image 19), the black-spotted yellow 14-Spot Ladybird (image 20), and the 7-Spot Ladybird (image 21). A few Small White Butterflies occurred, and also a single Small Skipper Butterfly (image 22). A delight was to see numerous House Martins swooping around the area and possibly feeding on some of the insects attracted to the village hall plantings.