David Holland's photos

Maybe Vestal Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus vestalis), Ravensbourne Road Bromley

From hoverfly.uk/hrs/species/merodon/merodon_equestris Biology The larva of this species (the 'Greater bulb fly'), tunnels in the bulbs of many plants, especially cultivated daffodils Narcissus, and are regarded as a pest by some gardeners. Adults visit flowers close to breeding sites and can often be seen resting and mating on the leaves of larval food plants. They frequently settle on stones, dead vegetation or patches of bare ground in the sunshine. The general shape and colour patterns of the adult mimic those of bumblebees and a number of colour forms occur, mimicking a variety of bumblebee species. Status Believed to have been accidentally introduced to Britain in imported Daffodil bulbs in the late 19th Century. Distribution Most records lie south of a line between the Ribble and the Humber but Merodon equestris has been recorded as far north as the Moray Firth and Sutherland. Whilst its distribution shows a tendency to follow urban areas, this species is by no means restricted to synanthropic habitats; wild Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta bulbs, for example, provide an equally acceptable larval

Maybe Fork-tailed Flower Bee (Anthophora furcata), Bromley From Bwars bwars.com/bee/apidae/anthophora-furcata Common name Fork-tailed flower bee Description and notes An unusual Anthophora species, which excavates its nest burrows in rotten wood, rather than in the soil. Unusually for Anthophora the mandible is tridentate, with both an inner and outer subapical tooth. PaginationCurrent page1Page2Page3Next pageNext ›Last pageLast » Distribution Widely distributed in England, Wales and Scotland (Kircudbrightshire). There are no records from Ireland or the Channel Islands. A Eurasian species, the range extending from western Europe to Kashmir. Status (in Britain only) The bee is not regarded as being scarce or threatened. Habitat Virtually ubiquitous within its range in lowland Britain, being reported from gardens, woodland, grasslands, moors, heaths and fenlands. Flight period Univoltine; late May to August or early September. Nesting biology Nest burrows and cells are excavated in rotten wood. A nest generally consists of two or more parallel burrows. Cells are oval in outline and are enlarged sections of the burrow; each cell is lined with compacted wood dust (pers. obs.). A nest is illustrated by Müller, Krebs & Amiet (1997). The winter is passed as a prepupa, not contained within a cocoon. Flowers visited Bastard balm (Melissa melissophyllum), black horehound (Ballota nigra), bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), butterfly-bush (Buddleja davidii), cat-mint (Nepeta cataria), hawkweed (Hieracium), hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), iris (Iris sp. ), knapweed (Centaurea sp.), marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre), marsh woundwort (Stachys palustris), nightshades (Solanum sp.), red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), white dead-nettle (Lamium album), wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia). Parasites Both Coelioxys quadridentata and C. rufescens have been cited as bee cleptoparsites of A. furcata, having been reared from nests of the species (M Edwards, pers. comm., and Richards (1949) respectively). Author of profile G R Else. Year profile last updated 2006 Proofed: January 2012

Hoverfly, Ravensbourne Road Bromley

Common Red Ants, Myrimica Rubra (I think) destroying a gooseberry - I forgave them

Flesh Flies and Satellite Flies (Family Sarcophagidae), Ravensbourne Road Bromley

Armored Resin Bees (Genus Heriades),Bromley

Hoverfly Bromley

female Episyrphus balteatus, Bromley

Genus Aphis, Aphids, The real size is 1.59 mm, magnification is 3.08, Elmstead Woods, Chiselhurst

Genus Plagiognathus, Bug The real size is 4.48 mm, magnification is 1.4, Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst

Masked Bees (Genus Hylaeus), Bee The real size is 5.25 mm, magnification is 2.1, Elmstead woods, Chislehurst

Masked Bees (Genus Hylaeus), Bee the real size is 4.58 mm, magnification is 1.68

Genus Rhinophora, Fly The real size is 4.27 mm, magnification is 1.4 Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst

Pond Olive (Cloeon dipterum), Ravensbourne Road Bromley

Dioctria hyalipennis Stripe-legged Robber Fly Bromley Glassmill Lane