Nature on your doorstep in September

THIS MONTH'S CHALLENGE IS:
~ to walk even more slowly, and look even more carefully, in order to find bugs…that is, any kind of insect. Upload your photo observations to iNaturalist and we’ll showcase the best bug pictures on our webpage in October.

THIS MONTH'S TIP IS:
~ Include a water source in your garden/ green space/ balcony. All wildlife needs water, so create a chemical free water feature. Even just leaving places where rainwater can collect, or small containers, provides a place where insects can drink or make their home. (And for an extra challenge, can you (safely) take a picture for iNaturalist of an insect living in / near water?)

FIVE FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT BUGS, from the Royal Entomological Society:

1. The word bug is often used to talk about insects, but there is a group of insects which is actually called ‘true bugs’. They are different from other insects because they have mouths shaped like straws which they use to pierce plants and drink their sap - although some of them eat other insects! Examples are shield bugs (we’ve found plenty in NE Leeds) and aphids.

2. There are approximately 1.4 billion insects for every person on Earth, and the total weight of all these insects is about 70 times more than all the people

3. Insects have been around for more than 350 million years - longer than dinosaurs or flowering plants.

4. About 1 million species of insects are known but it’s estimated that there may be as many as 10 million species of insects on earth; there are over 24,000 species in the UK.

5. Yorkshire hosts some extremely rare insects. One of the rarest is the tansy beetle , which is mostly found along just 30km of the River Ouse near York - though there are currently big efforts to help it get established in other parts of Yorkshire.

THIS MONTH'S NATIONAL SURVEY IS:
~ BugsMatter. This is a citizen science survey organised by BugLife, which is the only organisation in Europe dedicated to the conservation of all invertebrates. They do some fabulous work - have a look at their website here https://www.buglife.org.uk

If you have a car, you can join in with BugsMatter. You count the number of insect splats on your number plate as a marker of insect abundance. The survey runs until the end of September and is used to monitor population trends, and address causes of insect decline. More details are here: https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/surveys/bugs-matter

We so hope that you are enjoying exploring and taking pictures of nature on your doorstep. Please, reach out with any questions; no question is too small. And do invite your friends to join us.

Photo: Cinnamon Bug in Gledhow Valley Wood

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