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Ian Beavis

@ianbeavis.bsky.social

1.7K followers 680 following 1.5K posts

Research Curator at the Amelia, Tunbridge Wells. Entomologist. Natural historian. Local historian. Ecology & heritage of Scilly & the Channel Islands

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Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 14h

Bronze-leaved form of Procumbent Yellow Sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) in Calverley Grounds. A common naturalised species in Tunbridge Wells, often appearing as a 'street weed'. #wildflowerhour

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 14h

Creeping Thistle still attracting pollinators in Dunorlan Park. In many parks this big patch would have been wiped out as 'weeds' but not here in Tunbridge Wells! #wildflowerhour

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 14h

Common Field Speedwell in Calverley Grounds #wildflowerhour

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 14h

Fennel, originally planted but hopped from a flowerbed to a meadow area, in Calverley Grounds #wildflowerhour

Reposted by Ian Beavis

John Martin @pilning.bsky.social · 16h

Nice welcome home in the garden moth trap this morning - first Merveille du Jour here in 3 years (our nearby oak got rather savagely pruned) amongst 3/3 with a Green-brindled Crescent and an Eppos/LBAM. #teammoth

Merveille du Jour on the gate post near the moth trap. Better camouflaged on a licheny branch

Green-brindled Crescent with subtle pinks and greens

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 1d

In the original provisional atlas of hoverflies it was marked as a strong indicator of primary (i.e. ancient) woodland, although the more recent edition suggests it occurs in other types of woodland too. Certainly round here it occurs in or near old established woods.

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, there's a small third generation in favourable years with a long sunny autumn. There was a female there too.

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

Male (top) and female Common Blue that were interacting in Dunorlan Park yesterday

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

This Peacock butterfly in Dunorlan Park yesterday showing signs of some accidents or narrow escapes over its life

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

Third generation male of Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipes) in Dunorlan Park

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

The ancient woodland hoverfly Didea fasciata at ivy in Dunorlan Park yesterday

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

The colourful Rhododendron Leafhopper in Dunorlan Park

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 2d

The late-flying Willow Emerald damselfly in Dunorlan Park yesterday - showing coppery tint with age. In their usual spot along the hedgeline by the fountain.

Reposted by Ian Beavis

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 3d

It's also not "just another" extinction, it's the first from mainland Europe in centuries. CENTURIES.

And there will be others within our lifetime.

That's biodiversity loss.

We'll never hear this sound, ever again xeno-canto.org/398794

XC398794 Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)

Awful wind noise in the original! See sonogram and notes of the recording circumstances on p12 of Gretton A. (1991) The ecology and conservation of the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). ...

Reposted by Ian Beavis

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · 3d

Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.

Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 3d

Fully grown Vapourer moth caterpillar on bramble in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 3d

Garden Spider with trussed up wasp that it has caught visiting ivy. Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 3d

The hoverfly Eupeodes luniger and the tachinid Tachina fera at ivy in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 3d

Large Conehead seems to be established on Scilly now, with recent records from Bryher and St Martin's

Owen Leyshon @dungenessowen.bsky.social · 4d

Taken the lawnmower way out to the Pilot Path, Dungeness today for its annual mow

This is to help the Autumn Ladies Tresses as there are no sheep or goats to do the munching

Moved a Large Conehead out the way - which is my first of the year

@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@kentfieldclub.bsky.social

Lawnmower - Pilot Path Dungeness

Autumn ladies Tresses

Large Conehead

Reposted by Ian Beavis

Steve Gale @stevewg.bsky.social · 3d

Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a sign of our times - October 9th, stood in a t-shirt watching Redwings and a Brambling at the same time as this Chalkhill Blue butterfly!! It’s all over the place…

Reposted by Ian Beavis

David W. Williams @vc40orthops.bsky.social · Sep 11

Dinarda maerkelii, found by @lancefly.bsky.social in the Wyre Forest, with @exmoormothman.bsky.social & @pilning.bsky.social on Tuesday. A species of rove beetle which is found in Wood Ant nests where they seem to be partly parasitic, there are very few British records. A very top spot!

Reposted by Ian Beavis

Vanna Bartlett @vannabartlett.bsky.social · 15d

Reached a bit of a milestone this week with these little beauties sieved from straw. Allochernes powelli, my 13th species of pseudoscorpion seen this year and I've now clocked up 100 records of pseudoscorpions in Norfolk for 2025.
#pseudoscorpions #arachnids #invertebrates

A white plastic tray with some sieved straw debris in it and two small reddish brown pseudoscorpions in it.

Two reddish-brown pseudoscorpions in amongst some bits of straw debris. One has its claws pulled back against its sides while the other has them outstretched as it clambers underneath a bit of straw.

Two reddish brown pseudoscorpions sitting on some straw debris. The one on the left has its claws pulled back while the one to the right has them widespread in front as it clambers about.

Reposted by Ian Beavis

John Martin @pilning.bsky.social · 7d

Least Adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum lusitanicum) on Wingletang, St Agnes, today on a fine sunny day with @andymus.bsky.social @janettem34.bsky.social About 40 plants seen in 2 tiny patches of habitat #wildflowerhour

Ian Beavis @ianbeavis.bsky.social · 4d

This distinctive hoverfly is quite frequent in autumn in our High Weald woodlands

Robin Parker @thegreatskua.bsky.social · 6d

Saw only my second ever Didea fasciata (Pale-knobbed Lucent) hoverfly, in Taunton this morning, with the distinctive “ski goggle” markings on the abdomen.
#bugsky

A male Didea fasciata hoverfly basking on a sunlit leaf. The fly has a pair of yellow markings at the bottom of the abdomen which are said to resemble ski goggles.

Reposted by Ian Beavis

Debbie Knight @marburybirds.bsky.social · 5d

9/14 in Marbury. Straw Dot (3), Figure of 8, 2 Barred Sallow,2 G-b Crescents,R-g Carpet, Vines Rustic. I was pondering why moth-ing is so addictive(setting the traps up, checking traps at night, the anticipation then checking in the morning, then looking forward to the next night!?) #teammoth

Green-brindled Crescent

Figure of Eight in the wall. Half the moths were on the wall last night. Very few in the traps

Vines Rustic on the wall

Red-green Carpet on the wall I think. Not much Red on it!