What have I seen on Asteraceae? - A diary of wildlife on Banstead Downs

including knapweeds, thistles, yellow composites and ragwort

Common Carder Bee [Bombus pascuorum]

Adult on Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 11 Oct 2025

Ashy Mining Bee [Andrena cineraria]

male A. cineraria on Dandelion – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 Mar 2026

Small Copper [Lycaena phlaeas]

adult L. phlaeas feeding on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 24 Jul 2026

Six-spot Burnet [Zygaena filipendulae]

Adult on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 24 Jul 2020

Chalk Hill Blue [Lysandra coridon]

female L. coridon feeding on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 24 Jul 2026

Small Green Pot Beetle [Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis]

C. hypochaeridis on a Rough Hawk’s-beard (Crepis biennis) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 23 May 2026

Banded Comb-footed Spider [Anelosimus vittatus]

A. vittatus on its web on an Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 24 May 2026

Common Purple-and-Gold [Pyrausta purpuralis]

adult P. purpuralis resting on Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 24 Jul 2026

Chalk Hill Blue [Polyomattus coridon]

Female on Common Knapweed – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 25 Jul 2025

Five-spot Burnet [Zygaena trifolii]

Mating pair on Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 22 Jun 2015

Black Garden Ant [Lasius niger]

Adult ‘farming’ ragwort aphids - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 16 Jul 2021

Dingy Skipper [Erynnis tages]

E. tages on a Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 01 May 2026

Small Heath [Coenonympha pamphilus]

Adult on Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 26 Jun 2019

tumbling flower beetle [Variimorda villosa]

Adult on Ox-eye Daisy - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 17 Jun 2025

Marbled White [Melanargia galathea serena]

Females of sub-species serena on Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 21 Jun 2025

Patchwork Leafcutter Bee [Megachile centuncularis]

Female collecting pollen from Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica) – Location : London Wetland Centre, Barnes, Greater London, England – Date of image : 06 Sep 2021

Small Copper [Lycaena phlaeas eleus]

Adult of sub-species eleus on Smooth Hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 25 Jun 2025

Small Copper [Lycaena phlaeas eleus]

Adult of sub-species eleus on Smooth Hawk's-beard (Crepis capillaris) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 25 Jun 2025

Cinnabar Moth [Tyria jacobaeae]

Larvae on Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 25 Jun 2025

Swollen-thighed Beetle [Oedemera nobilis]

Male - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 01 May 2025