Innovative Moth Monitoring: Farmer Citizen Science Using AI

Dr Abigail Lowe (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) presents how AI is being used to help farmers monitor moth diversity on farms.

How Many Moths and Butterflies? The Importance of Taxonomy

Explore the stories behind the latest checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles with Dr David Agassiz (British Entomological & Natural History Society).

Molluscs on the March: Engaging the Public with Mollusc Collections

Mark Carnall (Oxford University Museum of Natural History) takes us on a journey into the magnificent world of molluscs with tales from the museum collections.

Using Bioturbation Behaviour To Create New Functional Groups for Earthworms

Delve into an experiment investigating the burrowing, feeding and casting behaviour of 50 species of earthworm with Yvan Capowiez (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in France).

The Mind of a Bee: An Exploration of the Intelligence of Bees

Delve into the mind of a bee with Prof Lars Chittka (Queen Mary College of the University of London) and explore how bee brains are unparalleled in the animal kingdom.

Earthworm Watch: Insights Into Urban Earthworm Communities

Dr Victoria J. Burton (Natural History Museum) discusses how her PhD used citizen science to gain insights into UK urban earthworm communities.

Insect Dogfights: How Aerial Combat Shapes the Patterns of Insect Flight

Dr Sam Fabian (Imperial College London) explores the fascinating world of insect flight.

Biodiversity Net Gain and Invertebrates: Are We Getting It Right?

Natalie Duffus (University of Oxford) presents her research into the ecological outcomes from biodiversity offsetting.

Improving Bee Hotel Design: The Big Bee Hotel Experiment

Prof Dave Gouslon (University of Sussex) explains how the Buzz Club are investigating the effectiveness of different bee hotels for UK bees.

Insect Welfare: What Benefits Bugs?

Dr Meghan Barrett (Insect Welfare Research Society) explores insect sentience, pain and welfare considerations.

Insects That Live In The Sea: Why Are There Are So Few?

Prof Stuart Reynolds delves into the world of marine insects and why there are so few of them.

British Springtails: How Many Species Really Are There?

James McCulloch (National Springtail Recorder) discusses the constantly increasing species list for UK Collembola.

Networking Nutrients: Nutrients as a Driver of Invertebrate Interactions

Jordan Cuff (Newcastle University) presents research integrating nutrients into networks to investigate the drivers and structures of entomological interactions.

Falling through the Cracks: iNaturalist Invertebrate Records in the UK

Joss Carr discusses his MSc Research Project investigating the data quality of UK invertebrate records on iNaturalist.

The Bizarre Biology of Bdelloid Rotifers

Dr Chris Wilson (University of Oxford) provides insights on reproduction, disease and antibiotics from these microscopic animals.

Syrph-ing the Continents: Hoverflies, Our Unsung Agricultural Heroes

Samm Reynolds (University of Guelph) explores the ecosystem services and long-distance migration of hoverflies.

Getting to Know Weevils

Mark Gurney (UK Weevil Recording Scheme) provides an introduction to this adorable, fascinating and diverse group of beetles in the UK.

More Moths Please! Breeding and Reintroducing the Dark Bordered Beauty

Georgina Lindsay (RZSS) discusses the conservation breeding and reintroduction of the Endangered Dark Bordered Beauty moth in Scotland.

The Shining Guest Ant: An Unexpected Houseguest

Prof Elva Robinson (University of York) explores the fascinating lifestyle of one of the UK’s most interesting ant species.

The Key to the Queendom: Driver Ants as Keystone Species in Tropical Africa

Dr Max Tercel (Université de Montpellier) shares his cutting-edge research into the ecology and lives of driver ants in tropical Africa.

Showcase Butterflies: Expanding Networks of Farmers & Biological Recorders

Dr Stuart Edwards (University of Reading) discusses his work connecting farmers and biological recorders to monitor farmland butterflies.

The Return of the Native: The Great Fox-spider in Britain

Mike Waite (Surrey Wildlife Trust) delves into the fascinating story of the Great Fox-spider – an invertebrate that was feared to be lost from the UK until recently.

Leeches: Life History and Identification

Craig Macadam (Buglife) delves into the fascinating world of leeches, with guidance on identifying British species.

Darwin’s Earthworms: A Groundbreaking Piece of Soil Ecology

Kerry Calloway (Earthworm Society of Britain) takes us on a 44-year journey through Darwin’s research into earthworms, their intelligence and ecological importance.

Nature Overheard: Acoustic Monitoring for Insects Through Community Science

Dr Abigail Lowe (Natural History Museum) explains how you can help investigate the impact of noise pollution on insects.

The Plight of the Bumblebee: A 12-Year Reintroduction Case Study

Dr Nikki Gammans (Bumblebee Conservation Trust) presents the story of the Short-haired Bumblebee, its extinction in Britain and a long-term reintroduction programme.

Refurbishing the Bee Hotel: Different Bees, Different Needs

Dr Linda Birkin & Isobel Sexton from the Buzz Club (University of Sussex) report their findings on what does and doesn’t work when it comes to providing your very own Air Bee ‘n’ Bee.

Spiders, Earthworms and Beetles: The Impacts of Cover Crop Frost Tolerance

Dr Amelia Hood (University of Reading) presents the results of a collaborative experiment looking at invertebrate-associated ecosystem benefits from cover crops.

Butterflies Through Time: Climate Change, Conservation & Historic Specimens

Matthew Hayes (University of Cambridge) discusses how historical specimens and modern-day research allow wildlife of the past to inform conservation of the future.

Bees and Heatwaves: Preparing For A Warming World

Yanet Sepúlveda and Isobel Sexton from the Buzz Club (University of Sussex) discuss the Bees and Heatwaves project that is investigating the impacts of extreme weather on bee populations.

The Noble Jewel-wasp: The Range Expansion of a Brood Parasite

Aaron Bhambra (University of Birmingham) looks at the potential reasons behind the range expansion of the Noble Jewel-wasp.

Hoverfly Lagoons Project: A Journey into the Past, Present and Future

Dr Ellen Rotheray (University of Sussex) explores the highly successful Hoverfly Lagoons project about introducing aquatic habitats into small spaces.

Bees and Beyond: Ecosystem Services at a Garden Scale

Dr Linda Birkin (University of Sussex) explores the importance of gardens for the wider environment in which they are nestled.

A World of Wasps: Researching the Ichneumonid Wasps

Dr Gavin Broad (Natural History Museum) delves into the taxonomy of the Ichneumonid Wasps.

Sow Wild! and Insect Identification

Dr Janine Griffiths-Lee and Isobel Sexton (The Buzz Club) explore citizen science projects investigating the success of ‘mini meadows’ and the ability of citizen scientists to sample and identify insects.

Cave Spiders: Behavioural Adaptations in Webs, Foraging and Dispersal

Dr Thomas Hesselberg (University of Oxford) explores behavioural adaptations in cave spiders.

Biodiversity Net Gain: What Could BNG Mean For Pollinators?

Professor Jeff Ollerton explores what Biodiversity Net Gain could mean for pollinating insect conservation in England.

Plants for Pollinators: Using DNA to Explore Relationships in Gardens

Dr Abigail Lowe (Bangor University) presents her research using DNA to explore the intricate relationships between organisms in gardens.

Tiny Midges, Devastating Diseases

Dr Marion England (The Pirbright Institute) presents research into the impact of diseases spread by biting midges on livestock.

Glowing, Glowing, Gone? The Plight of the Glow-worm in Essex

Dr Tim Gardiner discusses his research into the decline of one of Britain’s most iconic beetles.

Rarities in Arachnology: Finding and Recording Rare Spiders in Britain

Richard Gallon (British Arachnology Society) discusses the Spider Recording Scheme, with an emphasis on how to find and record rare spiders in Britain in this blog.

Streams To Spiders: How Aquatic Insects Interconnect Our Ecosystems

Liam Nash (Queen Mary, University of London) explores how insects connect terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Mass Marine Die-offs: Searching for the Cause of These Events in North East England

Something is causing swathes of our marine life to die in the Northeast of England. Dr Gary Caldwell (Newcastle University) discusses the ongoing investigation.

Disguised By Difference: Phenotypic Polymorphism As A Means Of Camouflage

Dr Jamie Weir (University of Edinburgh) takes us on a journey into the fascinating world of using patterns to confuse predators, with a focus on case studies involving moths.

Camouflage in the Rockpools: How to Hide in a Variable World

Dr Sam Green (University of Exeter) delves into the rockpools where chameleon prawns have mastered the art of staying hidden in a constantly changing habitat.

The Tale of the Ivy Bee: A New British Species

Aaron Bhambra (University of Birmingham) tells the story of a new species of bee to colonise Britain and the research being undertaken to monitor it.

Ant Navigation: How To Be A Champion Navigator With A Small Brain

Prof Paul Graham (University of Sussex) explores how the neural and sensory mechanisms of ants facilitate their remarkable foraging skills.

Water Beetles: Recording & Atlases of Britain and Ireland

Prof Garth Foster (Balfour-Browne Club) explains the history (and future) of recording water beetles in Britain and Ireland.

Riverflies: The Canary of Our Rivers

Trine Bregstein (Freshwater Biological Association) provides an overview of the Riverfly Monitoring Initiative methodology, sharing the progress of the project, looks at some case studies and what’s in store for the future.

The Rothamsted Insect Survey NBRI: From Microscopes to Machine Learning

Dr James Bell (Rothamsted Research) explores the Rothamsted Insect Survey and how their 50+ year aphid and moth datasets inform scientists, policy makers and conservationists.

Team PollinATE: Feeding People and Pollinators

Dr Beth Nicholls (University of Sussex) discusses a citizen science project that worked with allotment holders and investigated pollination and urban food production.

Slipping Under the Radar: Recording Slugs in British Gardens

Dr Imogen Cavadino (Newcastle University and Royal Horticultural Society) showcases how citizen scientists have helped further our knowledge of slugs in British gardens.

The Downland and Dung Beetle Project: The Story of Onthophagus joannae

Sally-Ann Spence discusses the accidental restoration of a large area of downland due to a personal obsession to conserve one particular species of dung beetle.

The State of the UK’s Butterflies: Are Conservation Efforts To Save Our Butterflies Working?

Dr Richard Fox (Butterfly conservation) presents the latest information coming from decades of monitoring the UK’s butterfly populations.

American Signal Crayfish: A Losing Battle?

Dr Nicky Green discusses her work trialling new and innovative techniques to control the invasive American Signal Crayfish.

SmartRivers: Using Freshwater Invertebrates to Monitor the Health of Our Rivers

Dr Sam Green (WildFish) explains how SmartRivers is empowering communities and organisations to use freshwater invertebrate populations to monitor river health.

Yellow Meadow Ants: An Important Contributor To Biodiversity In Grasslands

Explore the subterranean world of the Yellow Meadow Ants with Dr Tim King (Oxford University) and learn how their mounds support diverse ecological communities.

From Springtails to Pauropods: Soil Biodiversity Monitoring in the UK

Delve into the underground world of soil biodiversity with Dr Frank Ashwood (Forest Research) and learn how scientists are monitoring the microarthropods that most people don’t even know.

Waking The Dead: Inside the Insect Collection at National Museums Scotland

Dr Nicky Green discusses her work trialling new and innovative techniques to control the invasive American Signal Crayfish.

Gardening For Earthworms: The Mutual Benefits of an Earthworm-friendly Garden

Learn about the different ecological groups of earthworms with Keiron Derek Brown (Earthworm Society) and how to use this knowledge to improve your garden for earthworms.

Wriggling Into Recording: 10 Years of the National Earthworm Recording Scheme

Keiron Derek Brown (Earthworm Society) discusses how the data generated by biological recorders and earthworm researchers is improving our understanding of British and Irish earthworms.

No Brain, No Problem? 20 Years of the National Jellyfish Survey

Amy Pilsbury (Marine Conservation Society) discusses the National Jellyfish Survey and what the data can tell us about these weird and wonderful marine invertebrates.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Impacts of Climate Change on Aquatic Insects

Climate change is an issue that we are all too familiar with, but what is the impact on our aquatic invertebrates? Craig Macadam (Buglife) presents recent research on riverflies.

The Most Remarkable Migrants of All: The Fascinating World of Fly Migration

Dr Wil Leo Hawkes(University of Exeter) presents work from his PhD on insect migrations and the pollinator services they provide.

Flying Squids: Their Life Story and Relationships With Each Other

Fernando Ángel Fernández-Álvarez delves into the mysterious world of flying squids and explores about their life histories.

Hop of Hope: Restoring the Large Marsh Grasshopper Through Citizen Keepers

Stuart Green (Citizen Zoo) presents an innovative invertebrate reintroduction project trialling the use of ‘citizen keepers’ to rear Large Marsh Grasshoppers.

The Pine Hoverfly: Bringing Them Back From The Brink Of Extinction

Dr Helen Taylor (Royal Zoological Society of Scotland) discusses the captive breeding and Cairngorms release programme for the Pine Hoverfly.

Weird But Wonderful World of Worms: Tales From The Museum Collections

Emma Sherlock (Natural History Museum) provides a tour of some of the weirder worms from the museum’s collections.

Celebrating Ladybirds: Developing Our Knowledge Through Citizen Science

Prof Helen Roy (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) explains how our understanding of the ecology of these beautiful beetles is partly due to an army of citizen scientists.

Crawfish: Trending in South-west Britain

Delve into the mysterious reappearance of the Crawfish is the southwest of England with Dr Angus Jackson (Seasearch).

Unlocking Invertebrate Genomes: Trying to Sequence Every Species

Dr Liam Crowley (University of Oxford) explains how an aspirational project is trying to sequence every species in Britain and Ireland.

The London Bee Situation: How Sustainable Is Beekeeping in London?

Mark Patterson (Apicultural) discusses how the honeybee may be impacting local wild bee populations in the densely urban environment that is London.

DragonflyWatch: The National Dragonfly Recording Scheme

Eleanor Colver (British Dragonfly Society) discusses the data from the National Dragonfly Recording Scheme and how you can contribute to the dataset.

Big Wasp Survey: Investigating Social Wasp Populations Through Citizen Science

Prof Seirian Sumner (University College London) how social wasp populations are being investigated through citizen science.

Restoration, Rearing and Reintroductions: Saving the Freshwater Pearl Mussel

Louise Lavictoire (Freshwater Biological Association) discusses the captive breeding programme for one of the most endangered freshwater invertebrates in Europe.

The Marine Mollusc Recording Scheme: Discoveries from the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Simon Taylor (Conchological Society of Britain and Ireland) explores some of the mollusc marvels that are found in marine environments around Britain and Ireland.

The National Honey Monitoring Scheme: A Peak Behind The Scenes

Jenny Shelton (UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Honey Monitoring Scheme.

Bumblebees & Their Differing Habitats: How a Decade of Citizen Science Has Increased Our Knowledge

Dr Penelope Whitehorn (Highlands Rewilding) walks us through how 10 years of biological recording is telling us about the ecological preferences of our bumblebees.

The Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey: Where Every Journey Counts

Dr Lawrence Ball (Kent Wildlife Trust) reports on the Bugs Matter citizen science project that monitors insect splatter on road vehicles and explains what’s new for the survey in 2023.

Invertebrate Sentience: Do Invertebrates Experiences Deserve Respect & Welfare Protection?

Prof Jonathan Birch (London School of Economics) explores the research and reports informing UK policy and legislation on invertebrate sentience and welfare.