About the bugs
Two-spot ladybird
(Adalia bipunctata)
This common ladybird species is one of our most popular bugs. It can often be found in gardens and parks and is the gardener's friend as it eats aphids. However, this species along with other native ladybird species is under threat from the invasion of the Harlequin ladybird. For further information about this click here
Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly
(Libellula depressa)
It is the male of this species of dragonfly that has a beautiful pale blue abdomen, while the female has a brown abdomen with yellow stripes on either side. This stunning dragonfly species is usually seen close to lakes or ponds and eats other flying insects. The length of the adult's body is around 4.5cm.
Brown-lipped snail
(Cepaea nemoralis)
The Brown-lipped snail is an attractive snail that you may come across in your garden, although it lives in a range of different habitats including woodland, hedgerows and grassland. The patterns and colouration of the shell can vary considerably from snail to snail and it is thought that this helps camouflage the snail from predators - snails that live in darker environments have darker shells and snails that live in lighter areas such as open grassland have lighter colour shells! Its predators include song thrushes, hedgehogs and slow-worms.
Early bumblebee
(Bombus pratorum)
Although this beautiful bumblebee species flies from March (hence it's name), in fact there are bumblebee species that fly earlier - from February in fact! Like other bumblebees it depends upon flower-rich areas to survive, and the loss of these in the countryside means that bumblebees are under threat. By gardening for wildlife you too can help to conserve bumblebees - for more information click here
Ladybird spider
(Eresus sandaliatus)
The Ladybird spider is the most endangered of the five bugs in our pin badge range. It is the male spider that has a red spotted abdomen, while the female is significantly bigger and black in colour. It's not difficult to see why this spider is called a Ladybird spider! This spider is incredibly rare and found on just a couple of sites in the UK. It is officially listed as endangered and protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The extinction of this beautiful spider would be a tragic loss.
