In my garden today Isodontia mexicana, Mexican grass-carrying wasp, so called for habit of lining its nest with stands of grass, and stocking the tunnel with grasshopper nymphs. Arrived in UK about 2016; most UK records are from the London area. A large and impressive beast.

Reptalus quinquecostatus (formerly Oliarus panzeri) is a seemingly uncommon plant hopper. Distinguished by its five, rather than three, pronotal costae. A regular on Thames Estuary brownfield sites. This from Rochester last month.

At 1.8 mm Tachys bistriatus is one of the more diminutive British ground beetles, but fairly distinctive under high magnification. Only the third time I’ve seen it this century. Rochester last month.

Rhopalapion longirostre, hollyhock weevil, not quite new to Gloucestershire, but on the extreme edge of its current British distribution at Moreton-in-Marsh. No doubt soon to be all of southern England since its UK landfall in East Dulwich about 20 years ago.

Exit holes of Sesia apiformis, the hornet clearwing, at the foot of a large aspen tree. And the clincher — empty chrysalis shell. Maidstone today.

Lasius fuliginosus is always a delight. Very distinctive shining black ant species with large broad heart-shaped head. Maidstone today. On and in a sycamore tree.

Cool beetle of the day Ablattaria laevigata, snail-hunting made easier by its long narrow head. Gallions Reach.

When it rests on a leaf the Jersey Tiger moth stands out, but its ‘tiger’ pattern is good camouflage in dead stems and twigs.

Aestivating garden snails. There ought to be a name for these knots, sealed together by their epiphragms of dried mucus. If one doesn’t exist already, may I suggest mucluster.

The moment the baby woodlice, mancas, are released from the marsupium brood-pouch.

Marpissa muscosa, under bark near Ascot. Handsome beast.

I don’t think I can have been looking very hard, but this is the first time I’ve found a solitary bee making its nest in an empty snail shell.

Sorry for awful phone picture down the microscope. Platynaspis luteorubra larva. First time in ages I’ve found this secretive ladybird. And first time ever I’ve found the strange round flat larva.

My, what long pincers you have Mr Earwig. Macrolabic male of common earwig. Twice as long as normal for not any well-known reason.

Liorhyssus hyalinus (Rhopalidae) is usually pinky red so this straw yellow one foxed me for a minute. Until about the 1990s this was a scarce vagrant, but it’s now well established in South-east England. Rochester yesterday.

I don’t see this ‘puddling’ behaviour, common in tropical butterflies, very often in Britain. Half a dozen green-veined whites were later joined by a painted lady. Also in abundance Lasius fuliginosus, the jet black ant, desperately seeking moisture for the colony.

This three-quarter-sized painted lady confused my eye in the garden earlier because it was registering as small tortoiseshell in my brain. It spent a lot of time gentle fluttering low over the patio, quite unlike its normally powerful flight style.

Although I did find Polyphylla decemlineata in Guatemala a few years later.

The engravings in the famous multi-volume Biologia Centrali Americana 1879-1915 are exquisite but I’ve only ever identified one species from it — Adistemia watsoni (top right) which I found on a mouldy wall in a rather dank Holborn office in the early 1980s.

I really like the Tephritidae (=Trypetidae), one of the groups of ‘pictures-wing’ flies, and there are good identification keys and an active recording scheme. This one always makes me look twice — actually a snail-killing fly, Sciomyzidae, Well named Trypetoptera punctulata.

Antherophagus pallens, supposedly called a small silken fungus beetle, and although adults are usually found on flowers it apparently breeds in bumblebee nests. Widespread, but uncommon. I seem to come across one specimen from this genus every 8-10 years.

Holopyga ovata/ generosa (whatever its latest name is) seems well established in South-East England now, I’ve found it several times since 2023. Long known from Channel Islands but only recent mainland colonist. Hosts unknown? This from Rochester a fortnight ago.

New to me, Deraeocoris scutellaris, a scarce predatory bug of southern England. Rochester recently. Very striking with that shiny bright orange scutellum.

Flying ant day in East Dulwich. A lopsided Queen has started to shed her wings. After flying to find a mate they’ll just be in her way for the rest of her subterranean life if she successfully founds a colony. The males just die after mating, so why bother dropping your wings?

The snail-killing flies, Sciomyzidae, are a stylish bunch. Euthycera fumigata is particularly striking with its patterned ‘smoky’ wings and its Star Wars livery helmet head. Widespread but local. Rochester last week.

Leptarthrus vitripennis, with its red legs and short thoracic pile, is a rare chalk downland robberfly, seemingly confined to the North Downs and Chilterns. Maidstone last week. First time I’ve seen it in 25(?) years.

I am often asked what is my favourite insect. My rather glib reply is that it is usually the last one I looked at down the microscope. Today it is Cryptocephalus moraei, widespread, but local, usually well-drained sites on Hypericum, St John’s-wort. Favourite for now, anyway.

Can there be such a thing as a handsome woodworm? Grynobius planus looks fresher and brighter when not viewed through the camera on my phone.

What is the point of opposable finger and thumb if not to hold a beautiful beetle carefully for a photo? Rutpela maculata. Near Rochester/Chatham.

Very neatly spaced mines of Phyllonorycter coryli, the hazel leaf miner moth? Odd that they were still small and circular compared to the other larger and more well developed blisters nearby.