Species of the Month – April: Currant Shoot Borer
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Currant Shoot Borer Lampronia capitella The Currant Shoot Borer Lampronia capitella is a rare moth in the UK with only a handful of known sites. There is only one know Scottish site in the Scottish Borders near Peebles and it is entirely possible …
Species of the Month – April: Rook
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Rook Corvus frugilegus Rooks Corvus frugilegus belong to the Corvidae family and are the most gregarious of our resident crow species in the breeding season. They can be most easily distinguished from other black corvids by the grey-white skin at the …
Species of the Month – August: Emperor Dragonfly
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Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator This large and distinctive species, Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator was formerly a very scarce and infrequent visitor to SW Scotland. The males are probably our most colourful large dragonfly, with a bright green thorax and extensive …
Species of the Month – August: Short-winged Conehead
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Short-winged Conehead Erebia aethiops The Short-winged Conehead Erebia aethiops is one of five species of native bush-cricket that have been found in SW Scotland. First recorded in SW Scotland in 2011, this species has since spread widely along the Dumfries & …
Species of the Month – December: Orange Ladybird
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Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata Ladybirds hibernate during winter and often cluster communally in places relatively frost-free and with steady temperatures. It has become clear that many species have adapted well to the human environment with several using nooks and crevices …
Species of the Month – February: Twenty Plume Moth
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Twenty Plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla The Twenty Plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla is one of our most unique looking moths. It measures around 15mm across in its fanned resting position, and despite its name it does in fact have 24 ‘plumes’. The caterpillars feed …
Species of the Month – January: Wigeon
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Wigeon Mareca penelope The Wigeon Mareca penelope is a familiar duck that winters in the UK in important numbers. Most of these birds travel from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia, and numbers usually peak in December and January. A small breeding population does exist …
Species of the Month – July: Humming-bird Hawk-moth
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Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum The southerly airflows hitting the UK in June brought an influx of migrant species, and some are easy to look out for in gardens. The Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum gets its name from both its behaviour and appearance, which …
Species of the Month – July: Southern Hawker
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Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea This large and colourful hawker dragonfly is a recent colonist to SW Scotland. It is superficially similar to other hawker dragonflies, but can be readily distinguished with a good view. Males are brightly coloured, the black …
Species of the Month – June: Lily Beetle
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Lily Beetle Lilioceris lilii For June, our species of the month is one for gardeners, and one that may not always be a particularly welcome find. The Lily Beetle Lilioceris lilii is a leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae), a large group of often colourful beetles. …
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