UK Insects
Species found in the United Kingdom
38 species in this collection
Southern Jumping Bristletail
Dilta hibernica
A bristletail found on rocky coasts of western Europe, from Ireland to Portugal. It has large eyes and a distinctively h...
Alpine Click Beetle
Hypnoidus rivularius
A small, dark click beetle found in damp alpine and subalpine habitats. Its larvae develop in moist soil among grass roo...
Bog Jet Beetle
Stenus juno
One of the largest Stenus species, with a shiny black body and the characteristic bulging eyes of its genus. It frequent...
Broad-shouldered Diving Beetle
Dytiscus latissimus
The largest European diving beetle and one of the largest aquatic beetles in the world. It inhabits clean, fish-poor lak...
Cockchafer
Melolontha melolontha
A large, clumsy-flying chafer beetle that emerges en masse on warm May evenings. Its white C-shaped larvae are familiar ...
Conifer Rove Beetle
Quedius plagiatus
A medium-sized, dark rove beetle strongly associated with coniferous bark and dead wood. It is an important predator of ...
European Large Firefly
Lamprohiza splendidula
A central European firefly whose males produce a continuous greenish glow while flying. Its predatory larvae spend up to...
Fen Rove Beetle
Stenus providus
A tiny rove beetle of wetland margins with exceptionally large eyes for a beetle its size. Uses a retractable sticky lab...
Granulated Ground Beetle
Carabus granulatus
A widespread dark bronze ground beetle with distinctly ridged and granulated wing cases. It thrives in damp habitats nea...
Nebroides Ground Beetle
Carabus problematicus
A common black ground beetle of northern European heathlands and moorlands. It is an active nocturnal predator with ridg...
Northern Taiga Ground Beetle
Pterostichus adstrictus
A medium-sized black ground beetle common across the boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the most ab...
Rough-Skinned Diving Beetle
Dytiscus lapponicus
A large diving beetle of northern and alpine regions across Europe and Asia. Both sexes have finely sculptured elytra, d...
Spined Bark Longhorn
Acanthocinus reticulatus
A small flattened longhorn with reticulate patterning on its elytra and long lateral spines on the pronotum. Found acros...
Alpine Soldierfly
Oxycera morrisii
A small, brightly patterned soldierfly found near mountain springs and seepages. Its larvae develop in calcareous spring...
Dark Giant Horse Fly
Tabanus sudeticus
The largest horse fly in the British Isles, dark brown with a robust build. Females deliver an extremely painful bite to...
European Malaria Mosquito
Anopheles atroparvus
A medium-sized Anopheles mosquito that was the principal malaria vector in northern Europe before the disease was elimin...
Glacier Black Fly
Prosimulium alpestre
A small black fly whose larvae develop in fast-flowing alpine streams. Adults are among the earliest insects active afte...
High-altitude Hover Fly
Platycheirus alpinus
A small hover fly with flattened front legs, found in alpine and arctic habitats. It is an important pollinator of mount...
Mountain Fungus Gnat
Boletina alpina
A delicate, long-legged gnat found in damp montane forests. Larvae develop in fungi and decaying wood at high elevations...
Mountain Hover Fly
Arctophila superbiens
A furry, bumblebee-mimicking hover fly of alpine meadows. Its dense body hair helps it retain heat in cold mountain envi...
Ashy Mining Bee
Andrena cineraria
A striking black and grey solitary bee with silvery-white hair bands on its thorax. It nests in compacted soil and is on...
Common Carder Bee
Bombus pascuorum
A fluffy ginger-brown bumblebee that builds nests on the ground surface using moss and grass. It has one of the longest ...
Hercules Ant
Camponotus herculeanus
A large black carpenter ant of boreal and montane forests across the Northern Hemisphere. Major workers have massive hea...
Patchwork Leafcutter Bee
Megachile centuncularis
A solitary bee that neatly cuts oval pieces from rose and other leaves to line its nest cells. The characteristic semici...
Red Mason Bee
Osmia bicornis
A compact, ginger-haired solitary bee that nests in hollow stems and bee hotels. It is an exceptionally efficient pollin...
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Bombus lapidarius
A jet-black bumblebee with a vivid orange-red tail that is unmistakable in flight. It commonly nests underground in old ...
Saxon Wasp
Dolichovespula saxonica
A social wasp that builds distinctive grey football-shaped nests in trees and bushes. It is generally docile and its col...
Argent and Sable Moth
Rheumaptera hastata
A strikingly patterned black and white day-flying moth. Found on moorland and in birch woodland. Has declined severely i...
Dark Green Fritillary
Speyeria aglaja
A fast-flying fritillary with a powerful gliding flight over open grasslands. Its underside features large silver spots ...
Poplar Admiral
Limenitis populi
Europe's largest nymphalid butterfly with broad dark wings bearing white bands and orange submarginal crescents. It is s...
Northern Snow Scorpionfly
Boreus westwoodi
A small, dark, flightless scorpionfly that appears on snow in late autumn and early winter. It is glossy black-brown wit...
Fimble Brown Lacewing
Hemerobius fenestratus
A small brown lacewing with fenestrate wing markings found in boreal forests. Associated with spruce and birch in northe...
Giant Green Lacewing
Nothochrysa fulviceps
One of the largest European lacewings with a tawny head and green body. An uncommon species associated with old-growth d...
Common Darter
Sympetrum striolatum
Europe's most abundant dragonfly, with mature males turning bright orange-red. It is often the last dragonfly flying in ...
Northern Emerald Dragonfly
Somatochlora arctica
A rare dragonfly of northern bogs and moorland pools. Has brilliant emerald-green eyes and a bronzy-green body. One of t...
Common Green Grasshopper
Omocestus viridulus
A small grasshopper varying from bright green to brown with a characteristic buzzing song that accelerates to a crescend...
Large Marsh Grasshopper
Stethophyma grossum
Europe's largest grasshopper, with bold red, yellow, and green colouring and bright red hindleg tibiae. It requires very...
Meadow Grasshopper
Pseudochorthippus parallelus
A common European grasshopper with shortened wings that render it flightless. It produces a regular, ticking song from d...