Concise Garden Wildlife Guide Read online

  Celery Fly

  Euleia heraclei

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 6mm. Wings mottled dark or reddish-brown. Body bulbous.

  HABITAT

  Found in gardens and open countryside where umbellifers grow, in most of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies April–November. Larvae eat the leaves of umbellifers from the insides, causing brownish mines.

  Yellow Ophion

  Ophion luteus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 15–20mm. Yellowish-brown with a strongly arched abdomen and thorax. Large black eyes.

  HABITAT

  Well-vegetated habitats in most of Europe except far north.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Adults fly July–October. Attracted by lighted windows. Feeds on nectar and pollen. Eggs are laid in larvae or pupae of several species. Usually one grub per host. Adult always emerges from the host’s pupa.

  Horntail

  Urceros gigas

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 40mm, including ovipositor (in female). Female is black and yellow. Male is smaller with an orange abdomen with a black tip, and orange legs. Despite the fearsome appearance of the females, horntails are harmless.

  HABITAT

  Coniferous woodland; can also survive in treated timber, from which they may emerge in new houses.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies May–October in sunshine. Males usually fly near tree tops. Females drill into bark and deposit eggs in the trunk. Larvae are almost legless and feed on the timber.

  Red Ant

  Myrmica rubra

  Length 4–5mm (worker). Workers chestnut-brown. Males and queens, which appear in late summer and early autumn, about one-and-a-half times as long as workers. Males have longer and less bulbous abdomens than females. Red Ants can sting. Occurs in open habitats across Europe. Omnivorous, tending towards animal food.

  Black Garden Ant

  Lasius niger

  Length to 5mm (worker). Workers black or dark brown. Flying ants, which emerge July–August, are males and females. They are about twice the size of workers. Black Garden Ants do not sting. Occurs in open habitats across Europe, including gardens. Omnivorous, but especially fond of sweet foods – will ‘milk’ aphids for their honeydew.

  Common Wasp

  Vespula vulgaris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 11–14mm (worker). Black and yellow with four yellow spots at the rear of the thorax. Yellow marks on either side of the thorax usually have parallel sides.

  HABITAT

  Common in most habitats across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Usually nests in well-drained underground sites such as hedge banks, but also uses cavities in walls and lofts. Nests are built of yellowish paper.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  German Wasp (V. germanica). 12–16mm long (worker). Like Common Wasp, but with marks on either side of the thorax bulge. Common in most habitats except far north. Nesting similar to Common Wasp, but nest paper is greyer and less brittle.

  Hornet

  Vespa crabro

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 18–25mm (worker). Chestnut-brown and yellow in colour.

  HABITAT

  Wooded areas, parks and gardens throughout most of Europe, but not Scotland, Ireland and northern Scandinavia.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Nests in hollow trees, wall cavities and chimneys. Preys on insects as large as butterflies and dragonflies to feed young.

  Honey Bee

  Apis mellifera

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 12–15mm. Queens are about 20mm long, but are rarely seen outside the nest. Colours vary. Can be identified by a narrow cell near the tip of the wing’s leading edge. Male has a stouter body than female.

  HABITAT

  Found almost everywhere in Europe, but becoming increasingly scarce.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies spring–late autumn. Lives in colonies with a single queen. Males, or drones, appear spring–summer in small numbers. Nests contain combs of hexagonal cells, used for rearing grubs and storing pollen and honey.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva). 10–12mm long. Female has a bright yellow abdomen; male is smaller and dark. Favours open habitats including gardens, parks and woodland edges, in central and southern Europe, including southern England. Flies April–June. Nests in the ground, especially on lawns, throwing spoil from nest hole into a small volcano-like mound. Solitary species.

  Buff-tailed Bumblebee

  Bombus terrestris

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 20–22mm. Orange collar and second abdominal segment. Tip of the abdomen is buffish-white; queen’s abdominal tip is buffish in Britain, but white elsewhere.

  HABITAT

  Well-vegetated habitats across Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Queens visit sallow catkins in March–April; workers visit apple and cherry blossoms. Nests well below ground level.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  White-tailed Bumblebee (B. lucorum). 20–22mm long. Yellow collar and second abdominal segment, with a white tip to the abdomen. Inhabits well-vegetated places across Europe. A very early flier, with queens emerging in February and feeding on sallow catkins. Nests below ground.

  Garden Bumblebee

  Bombus hortorum

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 20–24mm. Collar, rear of the thorax and first segment of the abdomen are yellow. Tip of the abdomen is whitish. Fairly ‘scruffy’ appearance, with long hair. Tongue is as long as the body.

  HABITAT

  Common in well-vegetated habitats, especially in gardens, throughout Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Queens often seen on White Dead-nettle. Exceptionally long tongue allows it to obtain nectar from plants with deep-tubed flowers. Nests on or just beneath the ground, typically in banks and among tree roots. Like many other bumblebee species, has undergone a decline due mainly to changes in agricultural practices that have lead to loss of habitats and foodplants.

  Devil’s Coach Horse

  Staphylinus olens

  Length 20–30mm. Long-bodied black rove beetle with small and almost square elytra (wing-cases), which leave the long abdomen exposed. Inhabits woods, hedges, parks and gardens throughout Europe. Often found in damp outhouses. Nocturnal predator with powerful jaws. Feeds on slugs, worms, woodlice and other invertebrates. When under threat it raises its tail and opens its jaws.

  Cockchafer

  Melolontha melolontha

  Length 20–30mm. Black thorax. Rusty elytra do not quite cover the abdomen, exposing the pointed tip. Legs are brown and the antennae fan out. Male has larger antennae than female. Whitish larva has a brown head. Inhabits woodland margins, parks and gardens throughout Europe, but absent above 1,000m and from far north. Flies May–July at night. Adults chew the leaves of trees and shrubs. Larvae, which take three years to develop, feed on roots.

  Rose Chafer

  Cetonia aurata

  Length 14–18mm. Flattened squarish elytra are green, but may be bronze or bluish-black. Found in woodland margins, hedges, scrub and gardens in southern and central Europe, including southern England. Adults fly May–August by day, and nibble the petals and stamens of flowers. Larvae feed in decaying wood, taking 2–3 years to develop.

  Click Beetle

  Athous haemorrhoidalis

  Length 7–10mm. Long black or dark brown thorax and ridged brown back. Larva is brown with a thin segmented body. Found in grassland, including parks and gardens, across Europe except far north. Flies May–July. Adults chew grasses and flowers, especially stamens with pollen. Larvae, called ‘wireworms’, cause severe damage to roots. Click beetles are so-called because if they find themselves on their back, they can snap their thoracic segments with an audible ‘click’, causing their body to flip in the air to right themselves. />
  Carabid Beetle

  Carabus nemoralis

  Length 20–30mm. Black tinged with metallic colours varying from bronze to brassy green. Elytra are pitted in lines and finely ridged. Female is less shiny than male. Occurs in most habitats throughout Europe, but not northern Scandinavia. Fast-moving flightless beetle that is a nocturnal predator of ground-dwelling invertebrates.

  Violet Ground Beetle

  Carabus violaceus

  Length 20–35mm. Black with violet tinges to the thorax and elytra. Thorax is flanged and the elytra have a smooth oval shape. Larva has a shiny black head and thorax, and a long, segmented dusky body. Found in woods, hedges, gardens and scrub. Non-flying, fast-running nocturnal predator of invertebrates. Larva is also a predator, but is less agile than the adult beetle.

  Cardinal Beetle

  Pyrochroa coccinea

  Length 14–18mm. Bright reddish-orange elytra and thorax, with a black head and feathery antennae. Black legs. Larvae are yellowish-brown with a squarish rear end. Found in woodland edges in northern and central Europe. Flies May–July. Found on flowers and old tree trunks. Larvae live under bark and prey on other insects.

  Soldier Beetle

  Cantharis rustica

  Length 11–14mm. Black elytra. Orange thorax bears a dark mark. Beaded antennae. Larva has a flattened and segmented dark brown body with a pair of legs on each of the first three segments. Abundant throughout Europe in damp situations, including woodland edges and open country. Flies May–August. Preys on other insects, which it finds on flower blossoms.

  Pea Weevil

  Sitona lineatus

  Length 4–5mm. Pale and dark brown stripes run along the body. Eyes are very prominent. Found wherever wild and cultivated leguminous plants grow. Native to Europe, but absent from far north. Adults, which are mainly active in spring and autumn, chew semi-circular pieces from the edges of leaves and may damage seedlings. Larvae live inside root nodules. There are several species of weevil that attack garden plants.

  Potato Flea Beetle

  Psylliodes affinis

  Length 2.8mm. Reddish-brown beetle with thick black thighs on its hind legs. Common on nightshades and potatoes in Europe, including southern and central Britain. Adults nibble leaves, while larvae feed on roots. Beetles hibernate under bark and leaf litter, emerging in spring to resume feeding.

  Stag Beetle

  Lucanus cervus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 25–75mm. Smooth dark-tan elytra, and black head and thorax. Male’s huge jaws look like antlers (hence the name). Whitish larva has a brown head.

  HABITAT

  Oakwoods, parks and gardens in England, and in central and southern Europe. In Britain, may be seen in gardens in London and elsewhere in the south-east. Becoming rare everywhere.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies May–August in the evenings and at night. Feeds on tree sap. ‘Antlers’ are used by breeding males for grappling with each other – males are harmless to humans. Larvae take about three years to mature. They feed on rotting wood.

  Seven-spot Ladybird

  Coccinella 7-punctata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 5.2–8mm. Bright-red elytra with seven black spots. Larva is steely blue with yellow or cream spots.

  HABITAT

  Abundant in well-vegetated habitats in Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Flies early spring–autumn. Adults and larvae feed on aphids. Passes winter in small groups or individually in leaf litter and sheltered places near the ground.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  Twenty-two-spot Ladybird (Thea 22- punctata). 5mm long. Lemon yellow with 10–11 black spots on each elytron and five spots on the pronotum. Inhabits well-vegetated places across Europe. Flies April–August. Eats mildew on umbellifers and other plants. Winters in leaf litter, but may appear in mild weather.

  European Long-tailed Scorpion

  Euscorpius flavicaudis

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 35–45mm. Dark brown body and pincers, and paler legs. Sting on the end of its tail is yellowish.

  HABITAT

  An uncommon species found in southern and central Europe, including in gardens; favours cracks in old walls. In Britain there is a well-known colony at the docks in Sheerness in Kent, where it arrived by boat in the 1860s; small colonies are reputed to exist elsewhere.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Most active at night, taking cover during the day. Feeds on small insects, spiders, woodlice and other scorpions. Ambushes prey from the entrance to its home, and despatches it with its claws. Mildly venomous and rarely uses its sting, which is like a bee sting to humans.

  Garden Spider

  Araneus diadematus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 18mm (f), 9mm (m). Abdomen bears a white cross. Colours vary from pale yellowish-brown to very dark brown. Male has a smaller abdomen than female. Also called Cross Spider.

  HABITAT

  Common in woodland, heathland, gardens and hedges across northern Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  A web-spinner that preys on flies and other insects. In autumn the female lays up to 800 eggs in a single mass; they are protected by a layer of silk. She stays with them until her death a month later. The classic orb webs of these spiders are most obvious in late summer–autumn, when the spiders mature.

  How an orb web is made

  Green Orb-weaver

  Araniella cucurbitina

  Length 3.5–6mm. Female has a green abdomen with dark brown spots, and a brown head and legs. Slightly smaller male has a smaller abdomen and an orange-brown head. Found in low bushes and trees across Europe. Adults are seen summer–autumn. Web is small and haphazard. Egg sacs are attached to the undersides of leaves and covered by a mass of silk. The leaves bearing the egg sacs fall to the ground; young emerge in spring.

  Common Orb-weaver

  Meta segmentata

  Length 4–8mm. Colours are very variable, but the pattern on the abdomen is more or less constant. Abundant in gardens and other well-vegetated habits that will support its orb web. Adults mature late summer–autumn. When disturbed, male especially stretches his legs forwards along leaves or stems. Web is slung from vegetation up to 2m above ground. Spherical egg sacs are attached to vegetation near the nest.

  Missing Sector Orb-weaver

  Zygiella x-notata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 9mm (f), 6mm (m). Leaf-like dark pattern fringed with pink on the abdomen. Very long front legs. Male is similar to female, but smaller.

  HABITAT

  Widespread throughout Europe except Finland. Favours human habitation.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Slings a vertical web around window- and door-frames. There are empty sectors at the top of the web, hence the common name of this spider. Waits in a crevice for insect prey to become trapped in the web.

  Wasp Spider

  Argiope bruennichi

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 25mm (f), 7mm (m). Female is much larger and more colourful than male, with a black-and-yellow-barred abdomen.

  HABITAT

  Near field edges, in woodland clearings, on waste ground and in gardens. Found in Europe as far as Sweden. In Britain it was first discovered in Sussex in the 1940s.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Adults seen June–September. Low-built orb-type web traps jumping insects such as grasshoppers. Female lays eggs in a large and fluffy egg sac close to the web. This has thick zigzag stitching (stabilimentum) worked into the centre (purpose disputed).

  Giant House Spider

  Tegenaria duellica

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 16mm (f), 14mm (m). A grey-brown sheet-web weaver with pale markings. Male is smaller than female, but has longer (50–60mm) legs. Among the largest of European spiders.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in northern Europe near human habitation and in ro
cky and wooded places.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  May be seen running across floors at night, especially in the autumn, when the males are seeking mates. Builds a triangular web with a tubular retreat in the corner, where it waits for its prey to become entrapped. Females may live for many years.

  Mothercare Spider

  Theridion sisyphium

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length 2.5–4mm. Brown thorax and a boldly marked abdomen. Female is slightly larger than male.

  HABITAT

  Widespread in northern Europe in woodland margins, scrub, hedges and gardens.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Female spins a three-dimensional web of criss-cross strands on bushes, particularly gorse, making a retreat at the top, where she rears her brood. She guards her greenish-blue egg sac and feeds her young by regurgitation. Maturity is reached in summer.

  Rabbit Hutch Spider

  Steatodea bipunctata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  Length to 8mm (f), 5mm (m). Female has a reddish-brown abdomen with thin pale markings near the thorax. Male has a narrow white marking down the centre of the abdomen and much larger palps (which contain sex organs).