Rogues (and Heroes) Gallery

Having failed to find a helpful insect identification site online, I'm going to attempt to record and identify every creepy-crawlie I encounter on the plot or in the garden - at least, all those that let me photograph them - and categorise them simply for the layman (I haven't figured out how yet...). Some you'll recognise at once, some you may never have seen before - and maybe you can even help me ID one or two...

This page is (constantly) under construction!


Unidentified hanging pupa found in compost bin, mid-March (on upturned bin lid). Approx 3-4mm.
Unidentified eggs found in compost bin, late March.
Unidentified cocoon found in soil, early March. Some kind of fly? Approx 4-5mm.
Turnip moth larvae, I'm pretty sure. A nasty cutworm. Found in compost bin!
Lesser Yellow Underwing moth larva - a very common and destructive cutworm.
Lesser Yellow Underwing moth larva
Lesser Yellow Underwing moth larva
Seven-spotted ladybirds


Sciarid fly (fungus gnat) larva. From those annoying little black flies that live in your houseplant pots. Usually not a problem, but this little larva destroyed a whole tray of pepper seedlings as they germinated.
Unidentified. Found in asparagus bed, late March. Approx 25-30mm. Unusually hard body with 18-19 segments.
 As above.
 Devil's Coach Horse larva. The Devil's Coach Horse is a generally beneficial ground beetle that eats grubs and worms in the soil.
  Devil's Coach Horse larva
 Unidentified. Found among grass roots, late March. Approx 10mm.
 As above.
 Unidentified larva, found in strawberry bed, mid-March








As above
 Red Lily beetle
 Squash bug?








Red fox
Cabbage moth (Mamestra Brassicae) caterpillar. Bad news! Pick off by hand, or spray with water and dust with flour to block their breathing holes.
 Snake spotted millipedes. Feed on organic matter. They don't cause plant damage themselves, but sometimes move in on slug damage.
 Bee









Bee
Small cabbage white (Pieris Rapae) caterpillar. Bad news! Pick off by hand, or spray with water and dust with flour to block their breathing holes.
Caterpillar, Arctiidae family, possibly Ruby Tiger moth. Found mid-March.


 Common newt






Common newt
Red velvet mite. A garden friend, despite its alarming appearance.

 Soldier beetle







Soldier beetle
Asparagus beetle. Eats asparagus and lays eggs on it. Larvae are even more destructive. Reduce numbers by growing petunias, tomatoes, basil and parsley beneath/beside asparagus, and pick any beetles or larvae off by hand.

Seven-spotted ladybird. One of a gardener's greatest friends! Eats aphids, and its larvae eat even more.









Seven-spotted ladybird
 Tortoiseshell butterfly
 Tortoiseshell butterfly
 Cinnabar moth
 Mint moth. Eats mint, but rarely does significant damage. Very pretty!
 Shield bug eggs
 Ladybird eggs
 House spider
 House spider








Mealy cabbage aphids
 Blackfly (aphids)









Whitefly and eggs on underside of broccoli leaf
 Damselfly nymph
 Damselfly, newly emerged

 Damselfly nymph skins
 Pond snail
 Tadpoles
 Pond snail
 Pond snail eggs
 Pond skater
Common garden snail
 Common frog, baby
 Meadow grasshopper, purple
 Meadow grasshopper, purple
Harlequin ladybird. An invasive species, outcompeting our natives, but still a useful aphid-muncher. Useful info on identifying ladybirds here and here.
Bean weevils (dead), hatched out in stores - doh! To avoid this, freeze beans after drying to kill any eggs.
 Grey squirrel
 Common frog
 Brown-lipped snail, multi-striped form
 Whitefly eggs on underside of kale leaf
 Mottled Arum aphid








Mottled Arum aphid and young
 Unidentified weevil (not vine weevil)
 Common garden snail
 Sciarid fly (fungus gnat) - commonly lives in houseplant soil.
 Hawthorn shield bug
 Unidentified cocoon found on rosemary plant, late March. 2-3mm.
 Red and black froghopper
 Moth larvae, probably a Drinker. Harmless.
 Unidentified fly
 Six spot burnet moth
 White legged snake millipede
 Arion Ater slug (black slug), brown form
 Large cabbage white (Pieris Brassicae) caterpillar
 Large cabbage white (Pieris Brassicae) caterpillar
 Earth-boring dung beetle
 Meadow grasshopper
 Garden spider
 Peacock butterfly
Asparagus beetle
Gatekeeper butterfly
Unidentified hoverfly
Unidentified hoverfly
Unidentified hoverfly
 Tortoiseshell butterfly
 Frogspawn
Large cabbage white (Pieris Brassicae) caterpillar on nasturtium leaf. Nasturtiums can be effective 'bait crops' to tempt these destructive pests away from brassicas.
 Wolf spider carrying egg sac
 Tortoiseshell butterfly
 Unidentified moth larvae, probably Geometrid family
 Blackfly (black bean aphid)
 Wasp nest with larvae
 Common groundhopper

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