This is Insect Week, organised by the Royal Entomological Society to celebrate and learn about 'the little things that run the world.' There are over 24,000 insect species in the UK alone, with most gardens and green spaces containing hundreds of species. Insects are immensely helpful to us - many pollinate plants so that they can create fruits for us to eat, and make seeds to grow more plants. Insects are also very important in agriculture, medicine, forensics and more.
By far the largest order of insects is coleoptera, or beetles. There are roughly 400,000 species of beetle known to science, from minuscule insects less than half a millimetre long, to giants longer than a chihuahua! Amazingly, beetles make up more than a quarter of all known animal species on our planet! Many of these insects play important roles in their ecosystems.
With so many beetles and insects, where to start? Let's focus in on those attracted to a common wildflower favourite at this time of year, namely the oxeye daisy. These white and yellow flowers are abundant around midsummer, in roadside verges, wildflower meadows and our own Flatford Wildlife Garden. The open shape of their flowers makes them a favourite for pollinators, so they are a great flower to grow in your own garden to attract a wide range of insects.
One striking beetle we have seen on the oxeye daisies at Flatford is the aptly named thick legged flower beetle, also know as swollen thighed beetle or false oil beetle, due to its metallic green sheen. They are a common sight on a sunny day, the males being instantly recognisable for the large green bulges on the femora (thighs) of their hind legs. In contrast to many species of insect, the thick legged flower beetle as a species is currently enjoying a period of expansion. It was formerly limited to local and restricted sites in the south of England, but following a period of expansion since the 1990s it is now common throughout southern England and Wales, and there are a few records further north to the Scottish borders. The thick legged flower beetle belongs to the Oedemeridae family, sometimes also known as the ‘false blister beetles’ (owing to a resemblance to the true ‘blister beetles’ which contain a blistering chemical known as Cantharidin).
Thick legged flower beetle Oedemera nobilis, on oxeye daisy
Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Another recent sighting on Flatford's oxeye daisy is the fairy ring longhorn beetle. Longhorn beetles are one of Britain’s most spectacular families of insects. Their distinctively long antennae help distinguish the group and give it its name. The species found in Britain are generally large and stocky. Some grow as long as 55mm (not including the legs and antennae), while others can be as small as 2.5mm! Most species are associated with dead wood, where the larvae develop, and a couple of species use the stems of herbaceous plants. However, the fairy ring longhorn Pseudovadonia livida is a little unusual as it is associated with a fungus that's found in grass. Females lay their eggs in humus rich soil infested with the fairy ring mushroom fungus, hence the beetle’s common name. The larvae develop over two years before pupating in springtime.
These beetles are just two of the fascinating insects you may attract to your garden by planting oxeye daisies - others include butterflies, bees and hoverflies. Why not celebrate Insect Week with a trip to Flatford Wildlife Garden, which is open every day form 10:30-4:30. Or back at home, you could build a bug hotel or even a bee B&B! Who knows who may pay you a visit?!