Few people in Britain pay much attention to insects, but they are an important part of our native natural history - and in some cases have played their part in human history as well. This week, we take a closer look at some of our more fascinating insects - plus that insect-borne disease that we've half-forgotten.
One of Britain's most beautiful native butterflies - recently brought back from extinction - the Large Blue, has a bizarre life story that involves getting itself adopted by ants whilst a caterpillar. Evolution has equipped the butterfly to fool the ants into looking after it. But some ants seem to be getting wise to what's happening...
On sunny late afternoons in the summer, gardeners in Britain may observe an intriguing creature hovering around their flowers, and feeding on nectar with a long tongue. But are there really small hummingbirds in this country? Well, not quite, but nearly!
Mature antlions look like a cross between a lacewing and a dragonfly. But it is their form at the larval stage that earns them their predatory name. These alarming looking small monsters dig pits in sand to trap the ants that they feed upon.
Dragonflies and damselflies are a countryside delight in Britain during the summer months - familiar for their iridescent pairs of double wings, colourful bodies and darting flight.
Most people can tell the difference between honey bees and bumble bees, but perhaps fewer people are aware of how varied bees in Britain can be. Sometimes that slightly annoying little fly on your plant photos is actually a tiny bee!
Malaria is now regarded as a tropical disease, but it was once endemic in England - known as 'the ague'. Its occurences brought fear and panic, as can be seen in this satirical print from 1788. It was not known at the time that mosquitoes were the vector of the disease.
