Cockchafers, more familiarly known as May bugs, are one of those things that go bang in the night.

The ladybirds are leaving hibernation.

A dandelion crammed with tiny bronze-black beetles. Our favourite entomologist emailed us:

They’re pollen beetles. Getting a positive ID is going to be impossible without sending me a specimen (and they’re too small!) but this time of year the most common species is  the Common Pollen Beetle  Meligethes aeneus.

A new species seen in the park on two occasions last week: A cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus) spotted, identified and photographed by Ian Bushell.

There are lots of common red soldier beetles (Rhagonycha fulva) around. Fortunately there are also lots of aphids, a favourite source of food.

Whirligig beetles are actually a whole family (Gyrinidae) of water beetles: almost 700 different species globally, most of them very much alike and extremely difficult to tell apart. We have no idea what particular species live in the pond above the wooden bridge but all the Gyridinae share some fascinating features.

There are forty one species of Cantharidae in Britain and almost all go by the common names of soldier or sailor beetle.

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