Meadow Grasshopper in Gunnersbury Triangle’s Anthill MeadowField Grasshopper, on a refugiumCommon Darter female on dried bramble in Picnic MeadowJersey Tiger by pond boardwalk with red underwing; yellow underwing specimens are also visible around the reserve. The underwing colour appears as a startling flash when the insect takes off, but unlike many other moths, grasshoppers and so on which have such deimatic coloration, the Jersey Tiger is conspicuous when it rests. There must be a reason for the polymorphism; perhaps the startle effect works better when a predator has not seen too many insects with a particular underwing colour.
Speckled Bush Cricket in picnic meadow. The insect’s a bit small in the photo to give an idea of the length of the antennae, enormously long compared to those of grasshoppers. Worth zooming in to see the speckled body!
Holly Blue on Ragwort in picnic meadow
The English seem unemotional … except for their passion for nature
