What insects might we see?

What insects can we expect to see on the Royal Entomological Society Garden?

View our gallery to find out which insects we actually spotted on the RES Garden during Show Week

Insects on the RES Garden

PLANTING

General planting:

Beetles: Rosemary beetle (Chrysolina americana), 7-spot ladybiord (Coccinella septempunctata)

Caterpillars: Small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae), Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae)

Lacewings: Green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)

Moths: Garden tiger moth (Arctia caja), Angles shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)

True bugs (Hemiptera): Common green shield bug (Palomena prasina), Hawthorn shield bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Nectar / pollen-rich flowers:

Beetles: Cardinal beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) Common malachite beetle (Malachius bipustulatus)

Bees: Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), Ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria)

Wasps: Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Ruby-tailed wasp (Chrysis ignita)

Hornets: European hornet (Vespa crabro)

Sawflies: Birch sawfly (Craesus septentrionalis)

Ants: Common black ant (Lasius niger), Red ant (Myrmica rubra)

Butterflies: Peacock butterfly (Aglais io), Small white butterfly (Pieris rapae)

Hoverflies: Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Drone fly (Eristalis tenax)

Soldierflies: Broad centurion (Chloromyia formosa)

Pond / aquatic plants:

Alderflies: Common alderfly (Sialis lutaria)

Dragonflies and damselflies: Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum), Azure damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

Caddisflies (nymphs): Large Dark Olive (Baetis rhodani)

Mayfly (nymphs): Blue-winged Olive (Serratella ignita)

Hoverflies: Tiger hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)

Meadow / long grass:

Grasshoppers: Meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus), Common field grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)

Crickets: Common field cricket (Gryllus campestris)

Craneflies: Tipula paludosa, Tipula oleracea

Day flying moths: Mint moth (Pyrausta sp.)

Happy hopper, Photo by Georgie Withington, UK

Mating Robber flies, photo by Pete Burford

Trees / shrubs:

Lacewings: Brown lacewing (Hemerobius atrifrons)

Beetles: Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), pine weevil (Pissodes pini)

Hoverflies: Sunfly (Epistrophe eligans), Batman hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Robber flies: Common robber fly (Dioctria linearis), Kite-tailed robber fly(Machimus atricapillus)

Tree wasps: Dolichovespula sylvestris

Shieldbugs: Birch shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)

HABITATS

Dead wood / bark / logs:

Saproxylic (deadwood feeding) beetles: Rhinoceros Beetle (Plagionotus arcuatus)

Barkflies: Psocoptera species

Earwigs: Common earwig (Forficula auricularia)

Leaf-cutter bees (Megachile centuncularis)

European Rhinoceros Beetle, photo by Pawel Bieniewski

Forficula auricularia - Common Earwig, photo by Chris Stringfellow

Leaf litter / decaying plant matter:

Beetles: Violet ground beetle (Carabus violaceus), Devil’s coach-horse beetle (Ocypus olens), Common click beetle (Agriotes obscurus)

Earwigs: Common earwig (Forficula auricularia)

Sand / rubble / stones:

Wasps: Red Banded Sand Wasp (Ammophila sabulosa)

Beetles: Common rove beetle (Staphylinus olens), Black clock beetle (Pterostichus madidus)

Bees: Colletes mining bee (Colletes succinctus)

Did you see an insect at RHS Chelsea Flower Show? Tag us in your photos on social media and be sure to identify it with iRecord

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#RESGarden

The Royal Entomological Society is a non-profit organisation and relies on publishing, membership and donations to pursue its support of scientific, educational, ecological and entomological causes.

We plan to relocate the RES garden to central London with a new education program providing a long-term opportunity for insect study as part of our planned UK network of gardens. The garden will show how remarkable and valuable insects are with visible insect science taking place in the unique – insect eye inspired – outdoor laboratory.

Much like the diversity of insects, there are many ways to support us and our work – your contribution, no matter how big or small, makes a huge impact and enables us to continue to enrich the world with insect science.

Donate to support our work and the relocation of the garden

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What insects can we expect to see on the Royal Entomological Society Garden?

PLANTING

HABITATS

Did you see an insect at RHS Chelsea Flower Show? Tag us in your photos on social media and be sure to identify it with iRecord

#RESGarden

The Royal Entomological Society is a non-profit organisation and relies on publishing, membership and donations to pursue its support of scientific, educational, ecological and entomological causes.

Much like the diversity of insects, there are many ways to support us and our work – your contribution, no matter how big or small, makes a huge impact and enables us to continue to enrich the world with insect science.

See also

Insect Week

Identification help

Our shop

RES Library