Concise Garden Wildlife Guide Read online

  Length to 50mm. Small in size. Light brown or dark grey with darker flecks and rectangular tubercles that create a netted pattern. Short keel at the rear. Occurs in gardens, hedges, arable fields and rough pasture. One of Europe’s most common and most widespread slugs. Exudes white mucus when disturbed. Eats a wide range of plants, especially newly planted seedlings, and is regarded as a garden pest.

  Smooth Jet Slug

  Milax gagates

  Length to 75mm. Greyish-brown and heavily specked, with a keel darker than the rest of its body. Exudes clear mucus. Very similar to Sowerby’s Slug (M. sowerbyi), which has a yellowish or orange keel and exudes yellowish mucus. Relatively dry-skinned. Inhabits gardens and arable fields. Most common in western Europe. Feeds on roots and tubers.

  Spotted Snake Millipede

  Blaniulus guttulatus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 15mm; diameter to 0.7mm. Pale with red spots on either flank. The spots are glands that release a repellent liquid, which acts as a defence against predators.

  HABITAT

  Arable fields and gardens on heavy damp soils across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Burrows and eats rotting material, but feeds on roots in dry weather. Millipedes are mostly vegetarian, unlike centipedes, and move relatively slowly. This is one of about 50 millipede species found in Britain.

  Flat-backed Millipede

  Polydesmus angustus

  Length to 25mm; width to 4mm. Looks like a centipede, but has two pairs of legs on each segement. Flattened body segments are equipped with about 20 pairs of legs. Lives in leaf litter, turf, organically rich soils and garden compost heaps across most of Europe. Eats decaying vegetation, but also nibbles plant roots and soft fruits, including strawberries.

  Greenhouse Millipede

  Oxidus gracilis

  Length to 23mm; width to 2.5mm. Resembles Flat-backed Millipede (above), but has a smoother and more rounded back. There are two pairs of legs on each body segment. A tropical species that has become established in European greenhouses. Feeds on decayed and living plant matter. Lays eggs throughout the year.

  Snake Millipede

  Tachypodiulus niger

  Length to 50mm; diameter to 4mm. Cylindrical shiny black-brown body that tapers at each end. Inhabits hedges, garden borders and woodland in much of Europe. Lives in the surface layer of soil, under loose bark and in leaf litter. Feeds at night on living and decaying plants. Climbs Raspberry canes to reach fruits. Coils up when disturbed.

  Black Millipede

  Cylindroiulus londinensis

  Length to 50mm; diameter to 4mm. Shiny black body, slightly less tapering at each end than that of Snake Millipede. Also called White-legged Snake Millipede. Inhabits the surface layers of soil, loose bark and leaves. Feeds on plant material. Nocturnal.

  Pill Millipede

  Glomeris marginata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 20mm; width to 3mm. There are 17–19 pairs of legs. Often confused with Pill Woodlouse. They look similar, but Pill Millipede’s dorsal plates are shinier and deeper, and it has a broad and almost semi-circular plate at the rear.

  HABITAT

  Leaf litter and turf in woodland, hedges and gardens across Europe. Able to endure drier conditions than other millipedes.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats stems and dead vegetation. Rolls up into a ball when disturbed.

  Common Woodlouse

  Oniscus asellus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 15mm; width 8mm. Body sections of this woodlouse are not very obvious, giving it a relatively smooth outline. Shiny grey in colour, with yellow or cream blotches and pale edges to the plates on its back. Looks flatter than other woodlice.

  HABITAT

  Abundant in lime-rich soils across Europe, especially under logs and in compost heaps in gardens. One of the most common garden species.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Very fond of rotting wood and other plant material. Woodlice shed their skin as they grow.

  Rough Woodlouse

  Porcellio scaber

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 17mm; width 7mm. Dull grey in colour, with noticeable tubercles and pale spots. Like other woodlice, has 14 legs. One of about 50 woodlice species found in Britain.

  HABITAT

  Able to tolerate drier conditions than Common Woodlouse (opposite), with which it is often found beneath logs or under stones. Very common throughout Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds at night on algae on walls and tree trunks.

  Pill Woodlouse

  Armadillidium vulgare

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 18mm. Smooth and shiny slate-grey body has a domed back with a tinge of blue, or sometimes brown or yellow.

  HABITAT

  Dry grassland, but restricted mainly to lime-rich soils. More tolerant of drier habitats than other woodlouse species. Widely distributed and common in much of Europe except north. Often found at bases of walls.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Rolls itself into a ball, or ‘pill’, if disturbed. When it is curled up it can be distinguished from Pill Millipede by the numerous small plates at its rear.

  Pink Woodlouse

  Androniscus dentiger

  Length 6mm. Body is pale, sometimes pinkish, usually with a darker central stripe. Prominent spined tubercles cover the body. Large eyes for its size. Also called Rosy Woodlouse. Lives in coastal areas, old quarries and caves where there is a significant amount of lime available. Can be found in compost heaps, leaf litter and cellars. Occurs throughout Europe except far north. Attracted by limestone on walls.

  Common Centipede

  Lithobius forficatus

  Length 18–30mm; width 4mm. Shiny chestnut-brown. Adults have 15 pairs of legs; hatchlings have 7 pairs, growing extra pairs at each moult. Head is rounded. Centipedes have one pair of legs on each segment, unlike millipedes, which have two pairs per segment. Widespread in Europe, from moorlands to coasts. Abundant in gardens. Hides under stones and logs in daytime. At night it hunts insects, other centipedes, worms and slugs. Centipedes are capable of moving very fast when hunting prey.

  Garden Centipede

  Scutigerella immaculata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 7mm. Long antennae and 12 pairs of short legs. Very like a true centipede (hence its inclusion here with the centipedes), but in fact part of another group of arthropods called symphylans.

  HABITAT

  Soil and leaf litter in several habitats, including woodland and gardens.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds mainly on dead and decaying plant material, and seedlings.

  Soil centipede

  Necrophloeophagus longicornis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 30–45mm; width to 1mm. Yellow with long antennae. Very flexible body with 49–51 pairs of legs. One of around 40 centipede species in the UK.

  HABITAT

  Distribution ranges from alpine terrain to seashores throughout Europe; abundant in gardens.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  A burrowing predator.

  Soil centipede

  Geophilus carpophagus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 40mm (may be longer); width to 1.5mm. Reddish-brown body that is very flexible, with 45–55 pairs of legs.

  HABITAT

  Soil or leaf matter in woodland, orchards and gardens throughout Europe. Also found in cellars and damp outbuildings.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  A fast-moving predator that lives in soil.

  Soil centipede

  Haplophilus subterraneus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 70mm. Yellow or pale coloured, with a tapering head typical of burrowing centipedes. Very flexible body with 77–83 pairs of legs. It may glow when disturbed at night.

  HABITAT

  Common in grassland and arable fields, but also found in ga
rdens throughout most of Europe. Lives under stones and in leaf litter.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Nibbles plant roots and feeds on small subterranean animals.

  Water Hog-louse

  Ascellus aquaticus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 15mm. Grey-brown body that is flattened dorso-ventrally. Seven pairs of walking legs. Very recognizable because it is the closest living relative of woodlice.

  HABITAT

  Widespread and abundant in small stagnant ponds; also found along canal margins and in sluggish streams with weeds and leaf litter.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Like woodlice it is a recycler, grubbing around in weeds and dead plant matter at the bottoms of ponds. Female lays eggs in April–May, then carries them around in her marsupium (pouch). Young remain in the pouch for a while even after hatching.

  Cyclops

  Cyclops sp.

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 3mm. Pear-shaped body ending in a forked tail. Single eye and long antennules (first antennae). There are around 40 species of cyclops in Britain, all of which are very similar.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in all kinds of freshwater body apart from the most polluted.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on food particles suspended in water, and on dead animals. Two egg sacs are carried by female on her side, like large panniers (as shown above). Lives for a year or less.

  Freshwater Shrimp

  Gammarus lacustris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 25mm. Drab olive, grey-brown or red-brown body that is curved. Antennules are only slightly longer than the antennae. Swims on its side.

  HABITAT

  Widespread and often abundant in lakes across northern Britain, Ireland and northern Germany northwards, and also found in ponds.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Scavenges in water, performing the same function as woodlice do above the surface.

  Water Flea

  Daphne pulex

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 5mm. Swims using second pair of antennae (smaller first pair is sensory).

  HABITAT

  Shallow weedy ponds, lake edges and debris in still fresh water. Can be abundant, with ‘blooms’ giving water a red-brown tinge.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Filters food particles from water. Lives from a few weeks to six months.

  Common Darter

  Sympetrum striolatum

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 35–44mm; hindwing 24–30mm. Male is red with a narrow pointed abdomen. Female is greenish-yellow. Thorax and eyes are dark brown in both sexes. Flies busily.

  HABITAT

  Ponds, lakes, ditches and brackish waters at up to 1,800m. Found across Europe from Ireland, and south from southern Scandinavia to North Africa.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies June–October. Feeds on insects. Usually seen in large numbers. Often perches on twigs.

  Common Blue Damselfly

  Enallagama cyathigerum

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 29–36mm; hindwing 15–21mm. Male has a blue abdomen with black spots. Eighth and ninth segments are all-blue. Female has a yellowish or bluish abdomen, with variable dark markings. Strong flier.

  HABITAT

  Pools, ponds, peat bogs and lakes. Found throughout Europe except Iceland and much of Mediterranean.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies mid-May–mid-September. May swarm in large numbers over water. Will pounce on dark spots on leaves, mistaking them for aphids.

  Brown Hawker

  Aeshna grandis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 70–77mm; hindwing 41–49mm. Brown wings make this species unmistakable. Male has a brown abdomen with bright blue spots. Female has yellow markings on her brown abdomen. Both sexes have diagonal marks on the sides of the thorax. Strong flier.

  HABITAT

  Ponds, lakes, canals, peat bogs and slow-flowing rivers. Absent from Iceland, Iberia, Italy, Greece, Scotland and northern Scandinavia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies mid-June–mid-October. Hunts flies, mosquitoes, moths and butterflies.

  House Cricket

  Acheta domesticus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 16–20mm. Straw-coloured to brown body, with black marks on the head. Wings extend beyond the tip of the abdomen. Female has a straight ovipositor up to 15mm long.

  HABITAT

  A native insect of Asia and Africa, but now widespread in Europe. Lives in buildings, but may also be found in refuse tips in summer. Song is a soft warble delivered at dusk or at night.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on refuse, but will also eat stored food.

  Common Field Grasshopper

  Chorthippus brunneus

  Length 14–18mm (m), 19–25mm (f). Colour grey, green, purple or black. Wings narrow, extending beyond the tip of the abdomen. Male’s (and sometimes female’s) abdomen has a reddish tip. Song a hard ‘sst’ sound, lasting about 0.2 seconds, repeated at 2-second intervals. Widespread in dry grassy habitats. Particularly common in southern England. Adults seen July–October.

  Oak Bush-cricket

  Meconema thalassinum

  Length 12–15mm. Pale green with wings extending beyond the tip of the abdomen. Female has a long, upwards-curving ovipositor. Male has two thin, inwards-curving cerci (paired appendages on rear-most segments), about 3mm long. Lives in trees, particularly oaks, and also found in gardens, in much of Europe, but not far north and far south. Adults seen July–October.

  Common Earwig

  Forficula auricularia

  Length 10–15mm; pincers 4–9mm (m), 4–5mm (f). Abundant in Europe in many habitats; very common in gardens. Mainly vegetarian. Displays parental care. Female lays 20–40 eggs in soil and cares for them during winter. After they hatch, she continues to feed and tend the young even after they come above ground.

  Common Cockroach

  Blatta orientalis

  Length 18–30mm. Male’s leathery wings extend to the last three segments of the abdomen. Female’s wings barely cover thorax. Found in warm indoor places such as kitchens, and rubbish tips in summer. Survives outdoors in mild parts of Europe. Originated in Asia and Africa. Scavenges on the ground for food scraps and decaying matter.

  Green Shield Bug

  Palomena prasina

  Length 10–15mm. Bright green in spring and summer, bronze-coloured in autumn. Wing-tips are dark brown. Inhabits woodland edges and glades, hedgerows, and gardens with shrubs and herbaceous borders across much of Europe. Eats the leaves of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Hibernates in leaf litter.

  Common Flower Bug

  Anthocoris nemorum

  Length 3–4mm. Shiny and generally brownish, with a black spot on greyish forewings. Head is black. Found on almost any type of tree, shrub or herbaceous plant. Occurs across most of Europe. A predator of aphids, Red Spider Mites and other insects. Adults hibernate under loose bark and in clumps of grass.

  Common Backswimmer

  Notonecta glauca

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 16mm. Long and bristly hindlegs. Swims on its back, which is keeled, clutching a large air-bubble to its ‘underside’. One of several water boatman species.

  HABITAT

  Swims in still water, and will fly in warm weather. Widespread in Europe, including Britain.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Active all year round. A hunter of tadpoles, small fish and other insects.

  Common Pond Skater

  Gerris lacustris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 10mm. Dark brown with a relatively narrow body and large eyes. Short forelegs, and long and slender hindlegs. Usually fully winged. There are several similar species.

  HABITAT

  Lives on the surface of slow-moving water. In Britain not found in the Outer Hebrides or Shetland Isles.


  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies away from water to hibernate. When swimming it moves across the water’s surface with a rowing action of the middle legs. The trailing hindlegs act as rudders, while the front legs catch insects that fall into the water.

  Woolly Aphid

  Eriosoma lanigerum

  Length 1–2mm. Purplish-brown with or without wings, and covered with strands of whitish fluffy wax. Inhabits orchards and gardens across Europe. Accidentally introduced from America. Sucks the sap of fruit trees. Most young are born live by parthogenesis (form of reproduction in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new individual, occurring quite commonly among insects).

  Rose Aphid

  Macrosiphum rosae

  Length 1–2mm. Can be either green or pink. Long black cornicles on abdomen not found in other aphids. Occurs in woodland edges, hedges and gardens across Europe. Feeds on roses in spring, and scabious or teasel in summer.

  Common Froghopper

  Philaenus spumarius

  Length 6mm. Variable brown pattern. Wings are held together like a tent. Young coat themselves in a white froth called ‘cuckoo-spit’ – the sap of a plant that has passed through them – which acts as a protection from predators and from drying out. Adults do look a little like frogs from above, and jump well. Found on woody and herbaceous plants throughout Europe except far north. Flies June–September. Feeds on plant sap.