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

including dandelions, hawk’s-beards, hawkweeds, oxtongues and ragwort

Clouded Yellow [Colias croceus]

male C. croceus feeding on a yellow composite - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 22 Jul 2026

Black-tailed Aphideater [Eupeodes luniger]

Female on Hawkweed Oxtongue (Picris hieracioides) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 21 Jul 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

Meadow Brown [Maniola jurtina]

faded and worn adult M. jurtina on a yellow composite - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 31 Aug 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

Dingy Skipper [Erynnis tages]

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

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

Dark-edged Bee-fly [Bombylius major]

adult B. major feeding from a Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 1 Apr 2026

Peacock [Aglais io]

Peacock butterfly on a Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 7 Apr 2026

Early Mining Bee [Andrena haemorrhoa]

female A. haemorrhoa on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 7 Apr 2026

Green-veined White [Pieris napi]

male P. napi on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 10 Apr 2026

Gooden's Nomad Bee [Nomada goodeniana]

N. goodeniana on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 10 Apr 2026

Western Honey Bee [Apis mellifera]

female A. mellifera on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 10 Apr 2026

Ferruginous Bee-grabber [Sicus ferrugineus]

male (?) S. ferrugineus on a Rough Hawk's-beard (Crepis biennis) flower - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 May 2026

Ferruginous Bee-grabber [Sicus ferrugineus]

mating pair of S. ferrugineus thick-headed flies on a Rough Hawk's-beard (Crepis biennis) flower with green pot beetles (Cryptocephalus sp.) and a Small Bee-grabber (Thecophora atra?) - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 May 2026

Red-tailed Bumblebee [Bombus lapidarius]

female B. lapidarius on a Rough Hawk's-beard (Crepis biennis) flower – Date of image : 30 May 2026