David W. Williams
@vc40orthops.bsky.social
Amateur entomologist, naturalist & photographer. Shropshire County Recorder & national iRecord verifier for Orthopteroid insects. Author of 'Orthoptera and Dermaptera' & co-author of 'Micro Ladybirds of Britain and Ireland' FSC Publications AIDGAP Guides.
Its that time of year again: a male Snow Flea, one of 3 seen yesterday in woodland on the Shrops/Herefords border. These 4mm relatives of Scorpionflies live in moss (esp. Polytrichum & relatives) & are winter active as adults. Not fleas of course but they can jump a bit.
November 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Its that time of year again: a male Snow Flea, one of 3 seen yesterday in woodland on the Shrops/Herefords border. These 4mm relatives of Scorpionflies live in moss (esp. Polytrichum & relatives) & are winter active as adults. Not fleas of course but they can jump a bit.
It has taken over two years for @vc40ladybirds.bsky.social & I to attract another Willow Ladybird (Scymnus limbatus), an extremely small & elusive species, to the refugia we designed in an attempt to learn more about them. It has been a long wait but we found one yesterday, plus an Anthocorid bug
November 24, 2025 at 7:36 PM
It has taken over two years for @vc40ladybirds.bsky.social & I to attract another Willow Ladybird (Scymnus limbatus), an extremely small & elusive species, to the refugia we designed in an attempt to learn more about them. It has been a long wait but we found one yesterday, plus an Anthocorid bug
A Forest Bug (Pentatoma rufipes) nymph seen in Buildwas last week. The only British shieldbug which overwinters as a nymph.
November 11, 2025 at 8:03 PM
A Forest Bug (Pentatoma rufipes) nymph seen in Buildwas last week. The only British shieldbug which overwinters as a nymph.
An Orange Ladybird tapped from Sycamore in Buildwas on Wednesday. The first I've seen in a while. Always amused by their transparent 'visor'!
November 9, 2025 at 8:53 PM
An Orange Ladybird tapped from Sycamore in Buildwas on Wednesday. The first I've seen in a while. Always amused by their transparent 'visor'!
A trip to Buildwas on Weds produced no fewer than 7 Red-rumped ladybirds (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis), 5 in one vacuum sample. All from dampish, longish grass. I just about managed to pose one with a Meadow Ladybird (Rhyzobius litura) for a size comparison.
November 7, 2025 at 10:56 AM
A trip to Buildwas on Weds produced no fewer than 7 Red-rumped ladybirds (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis), 5 in one vacuum sample. All from dampish, longish grass. I just about managed to pose one with a Meadow Ladybird (Rhyzobius litura) for a size comparison.
A Green Shieldbug in its brown, winter colours, seen last week in Ketley, Telford.
November 3, 2025 at 9:38 AM
A Green Shieldbug in its brown, winter colours, seen last week in Ketley, Telford.
A Bristly Ladybird (Rhyzobius lophanthae) rather unexpectedly vacuumed from litter beneath heather in Ketley, Telford this week. There were gardens nearby with its usual ornamental evergreen hosts (Cypresses, junipers etc) & heathers do host several species of scale insect, the prey of this species.
October 31, 2025 at 10:20 AM
A Bristly Ladybird (Rhyzobius lophanthae) rather unexpectedly vacuumed from litter beneath heather in Ketley, Telford this week. There were gardens nearby with its usual ornamental evergreen hosts (Cypresses, junipers etc) & heathers do host several species of scale insect, the prey of this species.
10-spot (f. bimaculata), 14-spot & 7-spot Ladybirds, all tapped from gorse in Ketley, Telford yesterday.
October 30, 2025 at 9:42 AM
10-spot (f. bimaculata), 14-spot & 7-spot Ladybirds, all tapped from gorse in Ketley, Telford yesterday.
10-spot Ladybird (f. bimaculata) and Cream-spot Ladybird, both tapped from oaks near Melverley in NW Shropshire last Wednesday, plus Red-rumped Ladybird (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis), vacuumed from rough grass in the same location.
October 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
10-spot Ladybird (f. bimaculata) and Cream-spot Ladybird, both tapped from oaks near Melverley in NW Shropshire last Wednesday, plus Red-rumped Ladybird (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis), vacuumed from rough grass in the same location.
A Crucifer Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea) seen recently in North Shrops, showing its rather smart underside. A species which moved northwards into Shropshire in the last decade.
October 24, 2025 at 9:26 AM
A Crucifer Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea) seen recently in North Shrops, showing its rather smart underside. A species which moved northwards into Shropshire in the last decade.
Lesser Earwigs (Labia minor) discovered in a compost/horse muck heap in All Stretton last Weds. Just the one adult, a 5.6mm female, plus a tiny 2.25mm 1st instar wiglet & a 4.8mm 4th instar wiglet (or 'nymph' if you must!).
October 20, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Lesser Earwigs (Labia minor) discovered in a compost/horse muck heap in All Stretton last Weds. Just the one adult, a 5.6mm female, plus a tiny 2.25mm 1st instar wiglet & a 4.8mm 4th instar wiglet (or 'nymph' if you must!).
Much digging about in a compost / horse dung / straw heap in All Stretton on Weds produced several fab inverts including many of these 1.9mm long Compost Chernes/Chelifer pseudoscorpions (Pselaphochernes scorpioides) incl two females carrying eggs.
October 18, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Much digging about in a compost / horse dung / straw heap in All Stretton on Weds produced several fab inverts including many of these 1.9mm long Compost Chernes/Chelifer pseudoscorpions (Pselaphochernes scorpioides) incl two females carrying eggs.
4 Green shieldbugs, a Hairy Shieldbug & a 7-spot Ladybird, all tapped from an oak in a private woodland in N. Shropshire last week.
October 16, 2025 at 11:36 AM
4 Green shieldbugs, a Hairy Shieldbug & a 7-spot Ladybird, all tapped from an oak in a private woodland in N. Shropshire last week.
Spiked Shieldbug (Picromerus bidens) seen at the Old Riverbed, Shrewsbury last week. A predatory shieldbug, they seem commoner in wetter habitats.
October 13, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Spiked Shieldbug (Picromerus bidens) seen at the Old Riverbed, Shrewsbury last week. A predatory shieldbug, they seem commoner in wetter habitats.
A male Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) seen earlier this week in Brambles near the River Severn in Telford. This species sticks almost exclusively to the Severn corridor in Shropshire, perhaps because of the warmer microclimate?
October 10, 2025 at 10:49 AM
A male Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) seen earlier this week in Brambles near the River Severn in Telford. This species sticks almost exclusively to the Severn corridor in Shropshire, perhaps because of the warmer microclimate?
A Pine Ladybird being dwarfed between two f. spectabilis Harlequin Ladybirds, found today in an oak tree (there were lots of Larches & Yews around too) in north Shropshire. Similar but also rather different!
October 8, 2025 at 7:08 PM
A Pine Ladybird being dwarfed between two f. spectabilis Harlequin Ladybirds, found today in an oak tree (there were lots of Larches & Yews around too) in north Shropshire. Similar but also rather different!
Slender Groundhopper (Tetrix subulata) seen recently at an organic farm in South Shropshire.
October 7, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Slender Groundhopper (Tetrix subulata) seen recently at an organic farm in South Shropshire.
Female Common Earwig (Forficula auricularia complex) seen at an organic farm in south Shrops recently. 'F. auricularia' is a complex of 4 spp., 2 of which have been found in Britain (auricularia s.s. & dentata). They need to be DNA barcoded to separate. Nothing is ever easy...
October 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Female Common Earwig (Forficula auricularia complex) seen at an organic farm in south Shrops recently. 'F. auricularia' is a complex of 4 spp., 2 of which have been found in Britain (auricularia s.s. & dentata). They need to be DNA barcoded to separate. Nothing is ever easy...
Three species of micro ladybird seen recently at an organic farm in South Shropshire: a pair of Meadow Ladybirds (Rhyzobius litura); a female Red-rumped Ladybird (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis) and a Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa).
October 3, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Three species of micro ladybird seen recently at an organic farm in South Shropshire: a pair of Meadow Ladybirds (Rhyzobius litura); a female Red-rumped Ladybird (Scymnus haemorrhoidalis) and a Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa).
A recent trip to an organic farm in South Shropshire produced epic quantities of 16-spot Ladybirds from grass tussocks. A sign of oncoming winter I presume, as they congregate to se out the dark days. The sound of them cascading into my beating tray was quite impressive!
September 30, 2025 at 12:53 PM
A recent trip to an organic farm in South Shropshire produced epic quantities of 16-spot Ladybirds from grass tussocks. A sign of oncoming winter I presume, as they congregate to se out the dark days. The sound of them cascading into my beating tray was quite impressive!
In the garden just now. Its been a funny year...!
September 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
In the garden just now. Its been a funny year...!
Male & female Stripe-winged Grasshoppers seen last week at Crickley Hill CP in Gloucs. Males are less strikingly marked than females (though with redder tails) but the very broad forewing with elongated cells in the dark central area and a prominent white 'stigma' can be seen in both sexes.
September 27, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Male & female Stripe-winged Grasshoppers seen last week at Crickley Hill CP in Gloucs. Males are less strikingly marked than females (though with redder tails) but the very broad forewing with elongated cells in the dark central area and a prominent white 'stigma' can be seen in both sexes.
A pair of Mint Leaf Beetles (Chrysolina herbacea (= menthastri)) seen recently in the Wyre Forest.
September 25, 2025 at 11:26 AM
A pair of Mint Leaf Beetles (Chrysolina herbacea (= menthastri)) seen recently in the Wyre Forest.
Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus) - a rather gravid female, Oak Bush-cricket (Meconema thalassinum) and Lesne's Earwig (Forficula lesnei) also both females, all seen recently at an organic farm in East Shropshire.
September 22, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Lesser Marsh Grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus) - a rather gravid female, Oak Bush-cricket (Meconema thalassinum) and Lesne's Earwig (Forficula lesnei) also both females, all seen recently at an organic farm in East Shropshire.
Portrait of the very confiding Robin who comes & finds me when I'm in the garden. Alost too close to focus on in this shot!
September 20, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Portrait of the very confiding Robin who comes & finds me when I'm in the garden. Alost too close to focus on in this shot!