A diary of wildlife on Banstead Downs

Explore the diverse flora and fauna on the Downs from season to season through personal observations and photographs

Category: Fungi & lichens

Fungi, lichens and slime moulds, which come into their own in autumn and winter when the insects are fewer. As always with these, there is a big question mark against many of my IDs.

Saturday, 2 Aug 2025

Jersey Tiger Moth on Hemp-agrimony flower

New insects added today were Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) moth, a possible Common Furrow Bee (Lasioglossum calceatum?) and Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea). Latest photographs of already recorded species include a Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) seen for the first time despite its name on Dock, Sun Fly (Helophilus pendulus) hoverfly (a.k.a. ‘The Footballer’), a Common Wasp […]

Wednesday, 30 Jul 2025

Dingy Footman moth

Another very overcast morning after a few overnight rain showers, which didn’t stop me adding several new insects to the list for this year. A moth, two flies and two wasps – Dingy Footman (Collita griseola), grass fly (Meromyza sp.), Snail-killing Fly (Trypetoptera punctulata), Yellow-tipped Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon stramentor) and Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) […]

Friday, 2 May 2025

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle on a Common Dogwood leaf

The Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is now blooming across the Downs, the May blossom adding a touch of colour to the otherwise green hedges and woodland. In the grassland areas the latest flowers to appear are Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum), Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) and Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). On the leaf of one as yet non-flowering Salad […]