An insect is described
as an air breathing animal with a hard jointed exoskeleton, and,
in the adult, a body divided into three parts; the head with one
pair of antennae, the thorax which carries three pairs of legs and
usually two pairs of wings, and the abdomen which contains the guts
and reproductive organs.
Top Row - From
Left to Right
1. Seven Spotted Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
These small round flying beetles are often seen around the holiday
cottages during the summer months, the seven spotted variety being
common in Wales. The ladybird's bright colours are a warning to
predators of its foul taste. When disturbed the ladybird will secrete
small amounts of its oily foul-smelling yellow blood from its legs
as a further warning to predators such as ants or birds. These ladybirds
like to eat garden pests and the average seven-spot will eat more
than 5,000 aphids in its year-long life. The
name ladybird comes from the Middle Ages when the colourful insects
were known as the "beetle of Our Lady". They were named
after the Virgin Mary because in early religious paintings she was
often shown wearing a red cloak. The seven-spots symbolise seven
joys and seven sorrows.
2. Meadow Grasshopper
Chorthippus parallelus
One of the typical sounds of summer, the chirping of grasshoppers,
begins on sunny days in late June or July. The wings are insufficiently
developed for the grasshopper to fly, but it is common on all types
of grassland in Wales. It only becomes active after warming its
blood by basking in the sunshine. To find one when out walking on
the farm, disturb the grass gently near the source of a chirp and
a grasshopper will usually jump out. You can then follow and watch
it!
3. Green Tiger Beetle Chorthippus
parallelus
The Green Tiger Beetle may be found on Marchywel mountain behind
the cottages. It has a green body with creamy-white spots. It is
fiercely carnivorous and at close quarters, it's large compound
eyes and the wide gape of its serrated mandibles make it a ferocious
predator. It is one of the fastest running British insects and is
most obvious on hot sunny days in early summer as it scurries across
open areas in pursuit of some poor creature.
Middle Row - From
Left to Right
4. Common Green Grasshopper Omocestus viridulus
This chap is smaller and greener than the common field grasshopper
and is found on unimproved wet meadows throughout Wales. It has
a very characteristic prolonged song and the species is undergoing
a major decline resulting from the loss of wet meadows.
5. Peacock
Butterfly Inachis io
The Peacock belongs to a group of butterflies know as the
Aristocrats - the largest and most colourful butterflies in the
Welsh countryside. It has four false eyes on its wings and also
uses sound to frighten away a predator such as a bird. As the predator
approaches, the butterfly will open and close its wings rapidly,
making a scraping noise as the wings rub together.
6. Buff-tailed Bumble Bee Bombus terrestris
Britain has 18 species of bumble-bee, the largest of which is the
buff-tailed bumble-bee. They are much thicker and hairier than honey
bees and their colonies are much smaller - up to 150 bumble bees
compared to 50,000 honey bees. They forage for food, pollinate flowers
and sting just like honey bees. They also have three castes - workers,
drones and a queen. They do not make enough honey to survive the
winter and all die as the cold weather arrives. Fertilised young
queens fly off and hibernate until the spring sun wakens them to
found new colonies.
Bottom Row - From
Left to Right
7. Silver Y Moth Autographa gamma
Both its English and scientific names describe this moths characteristic
feature - the white mark on each fore-wing that can be read either
a Y or as the symbol for the Greek letter gamma. It is an extremely
abundant moth in Wales and can be seen most often during the day,
either feeding on the nectar of flowers or flitting rapidly between
flowers in the meadows. It is a fast flyer and a regular migrant
to Wales from the Continent.
8. Garden Spider
Araneus diadematus
The garden spider is one Britain's 40 species of orb-web spiders.
It is sometimes known as a garden-cross or a diadem spider because
of the white cross on its back. Orb spiders build complex webs to
catch their prey. When an insect is caught in it, the spider bites
and paralyses it. It then bundles it in silk and injects it with
enzymes to turn its body tissues into liquid for eating. Look our
for the sparkle of dew-laden webs when out walking in the early
morning of late summer or early autumn.
9. Large Skipper
Ochlodes venata
The largest of the British skippers, the male has a dark bar (the
scent scales) in the centre of the forewing. This picture was taken
in the rush pasture on the hill behind the holiday cottages one
sunny day in July.
The Royal
Entomological Society was founded in 1833 as the Entomological
Society of London. Many eminent scientists of the past, Darwin and
Wallace to mention but two, have been Fellows of the Society. The
Society welcomes applications for election from people who are actively
involved in entomology either professionally or as amateurs. Their
website has many useful insect related links.
IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING
Some insects can sting. Care is therefore essential when
spotting insects.
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