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British Invertebrates - terrestrial and freshwater

Species 1 - 43 of 43

Sandbowl snail (Catinella arenaria)
One of the family of amber snails, this extremely rare snail has an amber-coloured shell, with three whorls and an almost circular... More	5 Images	0 Videos

Sandhill rustic moth (Luperina nickerlii leechi)
There are four races, or subspecies of the Sandhill Rustic moth in Great Britain. Luperina nickerli leechi has silvery-grey... More	2 Images	0 Videos

Saproxylic weevil (Dryophthorus corticalis)
This endangered wood-boring weevil has a robust, stocky appearance with an elongated snout, correctly known as a rostrum, a feature... More	3 Images	0 Videos

Scaly cricket (Pseudomogoplistes vicentae)
First recorded in Britain in 1949, this species is small, with a chestnut brown to grey body and pale legs, which are covered with... More	2 Images	0 Videos

Scarce blackneck moth (Lygephila craccae)
Adult Scarce Blackneck moths are similar in appearance to the blackneck moth (Lygephila pastinum), but have a deeper black collar... More	3 Images	0 Videos

Scarce merveille du jour moth (Moma alpium)
The Scarce Merveille du Jour is an attractive moth, which has green coloured forewings with white and black patches; the hind-wings... More	4 Images	2 Videos

Scarlet malachite beetle (Malachius aeneus)
This attractive insect is one of Britain's rarest. It has a striking livery of scarlet and metallic emerald... More	4 Images	0 Videos

Scottish wood ant (Formica aquilonia)
All wood ants are red and black in colour and are the largest ants in Britain. Examination of the head allows species... More	5 Images	0 Videos

Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
Ladybirds are perhaps the most well-known and popular of all British beetles, and the seven-spot ladybird is one of the commonest... More	19 Images	6 Videos

Shining guest ant (Formicoxenus nitidulus)
This tiny ant lives inside the nests of wood ants of the genus Formica, hence the name 'guest' ant. Workers, queens and males are... More	1 Image	0 Videos

Shining pot beetle (Cryptocephalus nitidulus)
This beetle, as its name suggests, has a shining metallic blue, bronze or purplish-green sheen over its body. The legs and antennae... More	2 Images	0 Videos

Shining ram's-horn snail (Segmentina nitida)
The shining ram's-horn snail has a smooth, glossy and iridescent shell, measuring up to 6mm across, with no more than 5 whorls. The... More	6 Images	0 Videos

Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum)
The shrill carder bee is one of the smaller members of the bumblebee family. It has a distinctive combination of markings, being... More	4 Images	0 Videos

Silky wave moth (Idaea dilutaria)
The Silky Wave is a pale tan-coloured moth, with a slightly darker-brown wavy pattern on both the fore- and hindwings.... More	6 Images	0 Videos

Silver-spotted skipper (Hesperia comma)
This butterfly is orange-brown in colour with pale spots that are more noticeable on females. The underside is pale brown with... More	8 Images	1 Video

Silver-studded blue (Plebeius argus)
Males are deep blue with a dark border and white fringe, and can be distinguished from other blue butterflies by the presence... More	13 Images	3 Videos

Six-spot burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae stephensi)
The six-spot burnet is a brightly coloured day-flying moth. Its bright colours warn potential predators that it is poisonous. The... More	13 Images	0 Videos

Six-spotted pot beetle (Cryptocephalus sexpunctatus)
This shiny beetle has a yellow thorax and yellow wing-cases, which are each marked with three black spots. However, despite the... More	1 Image	0 Videos

Slender Scotch burnet (Zygaena loti scotica)
The Slender Scotch Burnet is a striking red and black moth that can be distinguished from other burnet moths by its hairy abdomen... More	2 Images	0 Videos

Small black ant (Lasius niger)
This is the commonest ant seen in Britain. Workers (non-reproductive females) are blackish-brown in colour and covered in small... More	18 Images	5 Videos

Small copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeus)
One of the UKs smaller butterflies, the small copper makes up for its diminutive size by being one of the most territorial and... More	9 Images	0 Videos

Small garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
This is a large bumblebee, which has a fairly 'scruffy' appearance with long hair. It is a yellow, black and white banded species... More	6 Images	4 Videos

Small heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus)
The small heath is amongst the smallest of the butterflies found in the UK. It has pale orange upperwings bordered with brown and... More	4 Images	0 Videos

Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene)
This species is similar in appearance and size to the pearl-bordered fritillary, but has darker brown spots on the underwing and... More	7 Images	2 Videos

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
The small tortoiseshell is one of the most widespread and familiar butterflies in Britain. Its beautiful patterning, comprising... More	21 Images	6 Videos

Small white (Pieris rapae)
This widespread and familiar white butterfly is one of the most common butterflies in Europe. As the name suggests, adults have... More	7 Images	3 Videos

Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
This soldier beetle called the bloodsucker in some areas because of its bright red colouration. It is the most common soldier... More	6 Images	2 Videos

Southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale)
Males are sky-blue and black in colour, with blue eyes and two small eyespots. They can be distinguished from the males of similar... More	7 Images	0 Videos

Southern wood ant (Formica rufa)
The southern wood ant can generally be distinguished from similar wood ants by the fact that it lacks a fringe of hairs on the eyes... More	9 Images	8 Videos

Spangled diving beetle (Graphoderus zonatus)
This beetle has the appearance of being sheathed in gold lamé but only, it seems, when photographed under certain lighting... More	4 Images	0 Videos

Speckled footman moth (Coscinia cribraria bivittata)
This species of moth is very variable in the colouration and markings of the upper, or forewings. They can range from pale grey and... More	3 Images	0 Videos

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria)
The speckled wood is a common woodland butterfly. It is a brown butterfly with yellowish-orange spots on the wings and numerous... More	11 Images	3 Videos

Springtail (Tomocerus longicornis)
This species is the largest springtail in the UK. The antennae are longer than the body when straight but curl into spirals from... More	3 Images	0 Videos

Square-spotted clay moth (Xestia rhomboidea)
The forewings of the scarce Square-spotted Clay moth vary in colour from pale reddish brown to almost black, and the hindwings are... More	6 Images	0 Videos

Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus)
The stag beetle is arguably the most spectacular looking beetle in Britain; the male looks like something from a prehistoric age.... More	10 Images	3 Videos

Stiletto fly (Cliorismia rustica)
This stiletto fly has a greyish-black thorax. The abdomen is long and tapering, and is patterned with grey and... More	1 Image	0 Videos

Stiletto fly (Spiriverpa lunulata)
The stiletto fly Spiriverpa lunulata is a pale grey colour, and covered in fine downy hairs that give the fly... More	2 Images	0 Videos

Straw belle moth (Aspitates gilvaria gilvaria)
The hindwings of this moth are white with a faint diagonal grey streak and a dot on the upper surface. The forewings have... More	3 Images	0 Videos

Striped lychnis moth (Shargacucullia lychnitis)
Adult Striped Lychnis moths are rarely seen, they are bone-yellow in colour with darker markings towards the edges of the wings.... More	8 Images	0 Videos

Suffolk ant-lion (Euroleon nostras)
Ant-lions are fascinating insects that belong to the same order as the more familiar lacewings. Free-flying Euroleon nostras adults... More	1 Image	4 Videos

Sussex emerald moth (Thalera fimbrialis)
This moth was given the common name 'Sussex Emerald' because it was first identified in Britain at Beachy Head in Sussex... More	4 Images	0 Videos

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus)
The swallowtail is perhaps one of our rarest and most beautiful butterflies. The endemic race that occurs in Britain (Papilio... More	16 Images	0 Videos

Sword-grass moth (Xylena exsoleta)
Sword-grass moth adults are large, with greyish-brown wings. The forewings can vary in colour, being darker in some individuals.... More	6 Images	0 Videos

Species 1 - 43 of 43

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