Monday 22 July 2024



 A swathe of Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) on the Pegsdon Hills.



 I include this rather out of focus image so I can tell the story of this fascinating critter- the Brassy Longhorn Moth (Nemphora metallica). Those 'horns' are actually antennae. Field and Small Scabious are its larval food plant. 
 Moreover plant and insect have a symbiotic relationship with a parasitoid wasp Stilbops ruficornis which lays its eggs among or near the eggs of the moth. The moth needs the plant, the wasp needs the moth and the plant needs the wasp. The wasp larvae feed on the moth caterpillars keeping their numbers in check which helps the plant to survive.