Common red soldier beetle
The common red soldier beetle is also known as the 'bloodsucker' for its striking red appearance, but it is harmless. It is a beneficial garden insect as the adults eat aphids, and the…
The common red soldier beetle is also known as the 'bloodsucker' for its striking red appearance, but it is harmless. It is a beneficial garden insect as the adults eat aphids, and the…
A tall, broad tree of woodlands, roadsides and parks, the introduced horse chestnut is familiar to many of us the 'conker' producing tree - its shiny, brown seeds appearing in their…
The stinkhorn has an unmistakeable and intense stench that has been likened to rotting meat. Its appearance is also very distinctive: a phallic, white, stem-like structure, with a brown, bell-…
The Common clubtail is on the wing in spring and summer. It is an elusive dragonfly that is easiest to see when it first emerges. It can be found along rivers in Southern England and Wales.
It's easy to see where this stunning bivalve got its name from - the bright orange tentacles emerging from the shell really do look like flames!
The aromatic fragrance of Large thyme can punctuate a summer walk over a chalk grassland. It is an evergreen that grows low to the ground, with erect spikes of tiny, lilac flowers appearing over…
Saw-wort gets its common name from the serrated, saw-like edges to its leaves. It is a plant of unimproved hay meadows and woodland edges, its purple, thistle-like flowers appearing over summer.…
Rhos Marion is made up of eight pasture fields enclosed by large banks and hedgerows. These hedgerows are characteristic of Southern Ceredigion and Northern Carmarthenshire and are mostly of…
WTSWW staff have been busy managing Brecknock reserves. Tara led regular work parties at Ystradgynlais to control Himalayan balsam. A pollinator walk with Janice Vincett showcased hoverflies and…
As its name suggests, the birch shieldbug can be found feeding on silver birch, and sometimes hazel, in mixed woodland. Adults hibernate over winter, emerging in spring to lay their eggs.
This large, brown beetle can be seen swarming around streetlights in spring. They live underground as larvae for years and emerge as adults often in large numbers. Listen for their characteristic…
A restored opencast site consisting of grassland, woodland, wetlands, including lakes with bird hides. Green Flag Accredited Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre.