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

a catch-all term for the many blackberry species in the Rubus fructicosus species aggregate

Tree Bumblebee [Bombus hypnorum]

B. hypnorum on a Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 26 May 2026

Harlequin Ladybird [Harmonia axyridis]

H. axyridis of form succinea onbramble (Rubus sp.) leaf, with Yellow Spear-winged Fly (Lonchoptera lutea) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 10 Apr 2026

2 bumblebees

at left a male Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) and a female Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus sylvestris?) on Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) flowers - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 May 2026

Small White [Pieris rapae]

female Small White on a bramble leaf - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 14 Apr 2026

White Plume Moth [Pterophorus pentadactyla]

P. pentadactyla on bramble (Rubus sp.) flower buds - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 30 May 2026

Batman Hoverfly [Myathropa florea]

female M. florea on Rubus sp. leaf - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 16 Apr 2026

Yellow Weevil [Lixus iridis]

adult L. iridis on a bramble (Rubus sp.) leaf - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 17 Apr 2026

German Wasp [Vespula germanica]

V. germanica on a bramble leaf, showing characteristic triangular yellow marks on thorax and black dot markings on face - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 18 Apr 2026

Sun Fly (a.k.a. The Footballer) [Helophilus pendulus]

female H. pendulus on Rubus sp. leaf - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 29 Apr 2026