Wild West Yorkshire nature diary
male orange tip red-tailed bumblebee

Ginger Bee

Wednesday 24th May 2000
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female orange tipunderside of wings
A FEMALE Orange Tip makes a brief visit to the herb bed. As she lacks the orange wingtip of the male she looks rather like other white butterflies but, like the male, the undersides of her hindwings are mottled with a greenish camouflage.


common carder bee Visiting the Chive flowers, this small ginger bumble bee (which I identify as Bombus pascuorum, the Common Carder Bee) has no bands of colour on its body. Its tongue appears to be a little longer than its head.

ichneumon fly; Netelia testacea An orange hunting wasp, an Ichneumon, probably Netelia testacea, looks as if it is searching for prey (or rather a moth larva on which to lay its egg) as it walks around on our back door. The Collins Guide to Insects warns that it has a 'short ovipositor capable of piercing human skin if molested'. I'm glad I opened the door and let it find its own way out. It walked around to the outside of the door rather than flying away. Still hunting.

Richard Bell
Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail; 'richard@daelnet.co.uk'

  
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