Two new insects

Yesterday, Jayne and I spent some time in and around Shalfleet, a small village on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. We went there to search for a new species of damselfly; Beautiful Demoiselle. This is a damselfly with a limited range in the UK, and, as far as I know, is absent from Derbyshire. Find out more about this species on the British Dragonfly Society's website here.

We managed to find 4 individuals (3 males and 1 female) flying around the churchyard, and I managed to get a photo of one of the males perched up.

Beautiful Demoiselle

The other new species of insect I've seen this week is a species of Bee Wolf, the European beewolf or Philanthus triangulum. This insect isn't a bee at all, but a species of solitary, mining wasp. It is mainly found in the south of England, but appears to be spreading north. The individual I saw was on the cliff sides at Compton Chine on Sunday. More information here.

European beewolf