Fact of the week

In Britain we have two native species of oak which look very similar. This is how to tell them apart: pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur) produce acorns which hang on a stalk or peduncle while the acorns of the sessile oak (Quercus petraea) are stalkless.

Left: sessile oak; right: pedunculate oak. Header image: the oak by the bridge between Sleepers and Cornfield photographed by Ian Bushell

November 18, 2022

Fact of the week

Like all winged Hymenoptera, honey bees have two sets of wings: a larger outer pair and a smaller inner pair. When the bee is flying, the large wing and the small one are hooked together with Velcro-like teeth called hamuli. At rest, the wings are unhooked for easy storage, the outer wing folding over the inner one.