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Category Archives: Insects
The wasp and the ladybird
Photographer in residence at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Pauline Smith, not only takes awesome wildlife photos, she writes fascinating blog posts too! Today she looks at the intricate adaptations and evolution of mind and body-controlling parasites, through the very … Continue reading
Marvellous Mining Bees
The discovery of mining bees in Simon Ritchie‘s parents’ garden inspired him to read-up on these scarce burrowing insects. There are more than 1,300 species of mining bee around the world. However, only a fraction of these species are known … Continue reading
Posted in bees, gardens, Insects, National Nature Reserves, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Uncategorized
Tagged bees, buffish minining bee, gardens, insects, mining bees, nature, nature reserves, NatureScot, NNR, pollinators, Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve
Ponds for all!
Man-made mini-wetlands across Scotland provide oases for a wide range of wildlife in urban areas. To mark World Biodiversity Day, David O’ Brien from our Biodiversity team took a stroll around his nearest SuDS pond to see what he could … Continue reading
Posted in amphibians, biodiversity, Flood management, Flowers, gardens, Insects, Orchids, Sustainable Drainage Systems, Uncategorized, urban nature, wild flowers
Tagged biodiversity, damselflies, marsh marigolds, NatureScot, Orchids, ponds, Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, SuDS, urban nature, World Biodiversity Day
Ardnamurchan’s unique day-flying moth
Each year in early summer, volunteers from various parts of Scotland travel west to survey a rare, striking and elusive day-flying moth – the New Forest burnet, at the only site it occurs in the UK. Since becoming extinct in … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, citizen science, climate change, conservation, Ecology, Flowers, Insects, Land management, moth, Projects, Protected Areas, Research, Scotland's Protected Places, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Species Action Framework, SSSI, Uncategorized, wildlife management, woodlands
Tagged Ardnamurchan, biodiversity, endemic, endenism, moths, NatureScot, New Forest burnet moth, Protected Areas, ScotNature, Scottish Natural Heritage, scottish nature, SNH, SSSI
Bringing butterflies and bees back to Skolie Burn SSSI
Since starting a Community Woodland group, Ian Records’ life has changed completely – dropping leaflets, knocking on doors, writing up woodland management plans and doing flower surveys. Here, he tells how a protected area can galvanise a local community to take action to improve their local area for people and wildlife. Continue reading
Posted in Access, bees, biodiversity, citizen science, Community engagement, conservation, Ecology, Flowers, Insects, Land management, meadow, Orchids, plants, Projects, Scotland's Protected Places, SNH, SSSI, Uncategorized, Volunteering, wild flowers
Tagged bees, butterflies, citizen science, Community Groups, Edinburgh, grassland, meadows, nature, Orchids, pollinators, regeneration, Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Site of special scientific interest, Skolie Burn, SNH, SSSI, UK, wild flowers, woodland regeneration
Tiny shells and hidden animals
Do you like snails? The gastropod molluscs commonly found in your garden are probably the first thing that spring to mind. Or maybe you smell garlic and see a yummy plate of l’escargot. However, this small word covers an array … Continue reading
Posted in biodiversity, climate change, Insects, SNH, Uncategorized
Tagged climate change, conservation, Habitats, molluscs, Protected Areas, SAC, Scottish Natural Heritage, snails, SNH, SSSI
Trick or treat?
Stuck for ideas for your Halloween costume? You could do worse than seek inspiration from the masters of disguise that inhabit the natural world all around us. Many of our insects and pollinators have evolved a variety of weird and … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
Tagged butterflies, camouflage, caterpillars, Halloween, hoverflies, mimicry, pollinators, zombie fungus
Snails and grasshoppers on the menu at EU wild LIFE conference
Spiders, bees, grasshoppers, snails and other creepy-crawlies are top of the bill at an International nature conference taking place in Scotland this week. Wildlife specialists and project managers from across the European Union (EU) are meeting in Stirling for a … Continue reading
Posted in bees, biodiversity, climate change, conference, Ecology, Flanders Moss NNR, Insects, Land management, peatland restoration, plants, Projects, Uncategorized
Tagged bugs, connectivity, ecological coherence, EU, Flanders Moss NNR, insects, invertebrates, LIFE, nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH
Butterflies of the night, beautifully captured.
Having a keen personal interest in macro photography, Caroline Anderson jumped at the chance to use her Volunteering Day to help reserve staff with a moth trap at Taynish National Nature Reserve. Caroline, a Unit Administrator based in our Lochgilphead … Continue reading
Posted in Argyll National Nature Reserves, art, biodiversity, citizen science, conservation, Insects, moth, Nature in art, photography, Staff profile, Taynish NNR, Uncategorized
Tagged Caroline Anderson, insects, moths, nature, NNR, photography, SNH, Taynish, Volunteering
Meet the pot beetles, nature’s quirky architects
Teams of volunteers led by Buglife and supported by SNH have recently rediscovered two species of pot beetles that have not been seen in Scotland for many years. Athayde Tonhasca introduces these lovely beetles with peculiar habits. The species that … Continue reading
Posted in Insects
Tagged biodiversity, Chrysomelidae, insects, pot beetle, Scottish Natural Heritage
