camelot-forum.co.uk

The winged insects may have a bad rep but their low profile this summer could spell trouble for the environment

We think of them as pests to run away from, or to squash with the nearest object to hand, before they sting us or target our jam sandwiches. But wasps are actually one of the most fascinating species around; apex predators that kill and dismember prey for their young and have complex and fascinating social lives.
This year they are in the spotlight after experts began to notice they were not around in the usual numbers. Unlike butterflies and bees, there is no nationwide effort to chart wasp numbers; they are very much neglected in the public eye.

That is despite the fact that there are more than 100,000 species of described wasps, with 9,000 of these in the UK, and scientists estimate five to 10 times this number are yet to be discovered. Most do not sting, and the large majority of those that do are solitary wasps that only hunt specific types of prey. The yellowjackets and hornets that do sting humans represent only about 70 species globally, and in the UK there are only nine species of these.
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Professor Seirian Sumner is an entomologist at University College London who has spent her career studying wasps. She said she was “thrilled” that people were worrying about low wasp numbers because “usually they only get airtime when they start annoying people”.
“The fact that the low wasp numbers are making people take notice and, dare I say it, worry whether the lack of wasps is a bad thing, is really heartwarming for someone like me who’s been a cheerleader for wasps against a tide of wasp-fearmongering and negativity.”
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Moxi wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2024 9:13 am
Me and my six year old saw a common lizard while collecting stone for more gabion baskets Saturday.

Moxi

Moxi wrote: ↑Sun Aug 11, 2024 6:58 pm Wow that’s a bit special, last time I saw an otter was up in Scotland in the harbour that’s at the end of the Harry Potter train line - can’t think of the name sorry but I’m sure someone here will know, it was a very long drive to get there I recall but the scenery was magnificent.
Moxi