mayflies-caddisflies-earwigs-cockroaches

Ephemerella ignita (15-20 mm incl. tail) Blue-winged olive mayfly . Reddish-brown body, reddish tinged wings. Small but visible hind wings. Has three tails. Male eyes are divided in two. The upper part is large and spherical. Breeds in fast water. Found from April to September. Widespread an d abundant in suitable habitats. Image taken at light source near River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire . E. notata is yellowish-brown rather than red, possessing dark stripes and dots under the abdomen.

Brachycentrus subnubilus (15-18 mm) Grannom Brachycentridae Tibial spurs are 2-3-3. Male palps are hairy and 3 segmented. Flies from March to July, and is common around slow moving rivers. Larvae build cases out of plant debris and the case possesses a square cross-section (12 mm long by 3 mm wide). Image taken at River Avon, Harnham, Salisbury, Wiltshire on16th April 2005 .

Rhyacophila dorsalis (10-12 mm) Sand-fly Rhyacophilidae Tibial spurs are 3-4-4. Sandy brown wings. Maxillary palps have five segments. Flies from April to October near fast turbulent rocky streams. Common and widespread. Image taken at sea wall, Rhyl, North Wales on 3rd April 2005 .

Weak flying insects with 2-3 tails at the back of the abdomen. Males possess a pair of claspers at the rear of the abdomen. Two pairs of wings, hind pair smaller, occasionally absent. Very small antennae. Eyes are well developed and sometimes present as turrets in males. Adults do not feed, their sole function being to mate. Many are nocturnal. Nymphs have three tails and abdominal gills, feeding on algae and detritus. Nymphs include burrowing, crawling or free-swimming forms. Mayflies have two adult stages - after merging as adults, mayflies are initally dull and hairy, termed 'duns' or 'sub-imagines'. The duns rest on bankside vegetation before moulting again and emerging as shiny 'spinners' or 'imagines'. The length of this moulting process depends on species and climate lasting from a few minutes to up to 36h. Identification largely depends on the complex wing venation. There are ~50 species in the UK.

Ephemera danica (30-50 mm incl. tails) Green drake or Common mayfly . Large species. Abdomen is cream coloured with dark markings on the top. Has three tails. Wings spotted. Found from April to October near unpolluted streams, lakes and rivers. Nymphs live in lakes and rivers with gravelly sediment at the bottom. Image taken near River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire . Several similar species with darker abdomens.

E. lineota has longitudinal stripes on some abdominal segments. Yellowish-brick coloured at the front of the abdomen. Prefers large rivers.
E. vulgata has double triangles on the majority of the abdominal segments. Front of abdomen is very dark. Found from april to August near still or slow-moving water with plenty of sediment.
Potamanthus luteus has three tails, yellowish unspotted wings with a barely marked abdomen, wing venation as for Ephemera spp. Flies June to July. Mainly nocturnal. Breeds in large, fast-flowing rivers. Locally distributed in the south of the UK.

Spend much of their lives underwater in the larval form. They are predominately brownish coloured and moth-like, often flying at night, when they can be attracted to light. The wings are generally hairy, the forewings moreso than the hind wings. The antennae are usually as long as the forewings. The daults rarely feed, although some species take nectar. The cospicuous maxillary palps, tibial spurs and wing venation are used for identification. The eggs are laid in a gelatinous mass on waterside vegetation or just below the surface. The larvae are omnivorous making cases out of debris knitted together via silk. There are 189 species in the UK.

Elongated insects with pincer-like cerci. The cerci are generally curved in the males and straighter in the female. Reluctant fliers - elytra short and horny when present, hind wings flimsy when present. Live on the ground, though may be seen on vegetation. Scavenge nocturnally for decaying animal and plant matter. Hide under stones and in crevices by day. Up to 40 eggs may be laid. Females nurse their eggs, often until the young are well grown. Nymphs resemble adults, but have slender cerci, maturing in late summer. Newly moulted earwigs are white. Four species are present in the UK.

Forficula auricularia (10-15 mm) Common earwig . Commonest earwig in the UK. Shiny chestnut brown insect, with small pale brown elytra. Yellowish legs. Male cerci are broad and flat at the base, ending in a curve - resembling the blade of a sickle. The flat part of the cerci is much shorter than that in F. lesnei. The female cerci (see image) are straighter. The hind wings are folded and project beyond the elytra, rarely flies. Female lays 30-50 eggs and care for them over the winter until the spring when they hatch. The nymphs stay within the nest until the 2nd instar, before leaving - here are four instars. Found all year, though adults hibernate in the winter. Widespread and abundant in a range of habitats. Often found in flower heads (e.g. garden roses) where it chews petals. Image is of a female

Forficula lesnei (8-14 mm) - Rare, with a southern distribution. Flat part of the male cerci is over half the total cerci length. Lacks hind wings. Found primarily in the summer amongst dense vegetation.

Apterygida media (10-12 mm) Short-winged earwig . Tiny hind wings are covered by the elytra at rest. Male cerci are more gently curved than in Forficula spp. Primarily southern distribution. Regularly climbs plants, resting in the flowers and chewing petals in late summer and autumn. Vestigial hind wings.

Labia minor (5-7 mm) Lesser earwig . The smallest earwig in Europe. Fairly hairy with a dark head. Flies well, hind wings protrude from the elytra at rest. Common in damp habitats such as nettle patches, compost heaps and rubbish dumps, often near buildings. Mainly nocturnal, coming to lights.

Baetis rhodani (12-15 mm excl. tail) Large dark olive mayfly . Reddish-brown body and clear wings. Small but visible hind wings. Has two tails. Breeds in fast water such as chalk streams and spate rivers. Found from late March to April with a second hatch during early September to October. Widespread and abundant in suitable habitats. Image taken at light source near River Avon, Salisbury, Wiltshire . Image is of the spinner.

Periplaneta australasiae (~40 mm) Australian cockroach Chestnut brown with yellow markings on the pronotum. Probably introduced from Africa. Nocturnal, running away from light. Flies well in warm conditions. Rarely found outside of dwellings. Found in houses, warehouses, greenhouses and sewers. Widespread. Image taken at Aquarium of the Lakes, Lake Windermere, Lake District .

Mystacides azurea (8-10 mm) Black silverhorn Leptoceridae Tibial spurs are 0-2-2. Similar to M. longicornis but the wings are black and the antennae are banded white and black, appearing silvery. Red eyes. Flies from May to September throughout the day. Common and widespread on slow rivers and lakes. Image taken at Gait Barrow, Silverdale, Lancashire . M. nigra is similar but has brown eyes.

Nemoura cinerea (~10 mm) - Adult is dark brown coloured and flies from April to October. Nymph is brown with dense hairs and lacks gills - feeds on algae in all types of water under stones and tree roots. Present all year except August. Image taken at Haweswater reservoir, Lake District, Cumbria .

Weak flyers with soft flattened bodies - sometimes with two long cerci. Generally dull coloured. The wings fold flat over the body at rest. Forewings have two prominent rows of cross-veins, although venation is vairable. Nymphs are quatic, generally preferring cool, running water.

Mystacides longicornis (8-10 mm; wingspan 16-20 mm) Grousewing Leptoceridae Tibial spurs are 0-2-2. Long pale antennae are distinctive with three dark blotches on yellowish-brown forewings. Greyish-black hindwings. Males have large eyes. Long hairy palps. Flies from May to September, breeds in still waters. Larval case is straight and constructed from grains of sand (15 mm long by 2 mm wide). Common and widespread. Image taken at Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Limnephilus lunatus (~15 mm) Cinnamon sedge Limnephilidae Tibial spurs are 1-3-4. Clear patches on truncated forewings; pale translucent crescent. Flies from May to November, breeding in still and slow-moving water. Larval case is made with debris of many kinds, primarily from overlapping leaf segments. Image taken at Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Athripsodes albifrons (8-10 mm) Leptoceridae Tibial spurs are 2-2-2. Dark brown wings with distinctive three white spots, one on the upper edge of the forewing and two on the lower edge. Flies from May to August. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Named after the springing organ (furucula) located at the rear of the majority of species. Acts like a tuning fork that is clipped under the abdomen at rest, but is released when the insect is disturbed, propelling the springtail through the air. Very small insects with scales or hairs and lacking compound eyes. Generally live in leaf litter feeding on fungi and rotting vegetation. Possess a characteristic ventral tube on the underside of the abdomen.

Small, winged or wingless insects that are also called booklice, barklice or dustlice. Possess biting jaws. The wing venation is useful for identification - pterostigma on the front edge of the forewing is semi-circular or lens-shaped; the areola postica is a similar cell on the hind margin of the forewing and is absent in some species. Wings are held roofwise at rest. Found on vegetation feeding on pollen, fungal spores and algae on bark. Often occur indoors feeding on starchy materials including the glue from book spines.

Ectobius lapponicus (male 8-13 mm; female 6-10 mm) Dusky cockroach Greyish-brown native cockroach with a rounded pronotal disc possessing a dark patch. Male is paler than the female and the wings reach the tip of the abdomen. The females wings do not and she is broader, shorter and browner. Found from April to October in woodland, heaths and rough grassland; generally in the leaf litter. The male flies well. Common and widespread in the South of the UK. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire . Image is of a male.

Agrypnia (Phrygganea) varia (15 mm) Speckled Peter Phryganeidae Tibial spurs are 2-4-4. Speckled white, grey and black wings. Light green body when fresh that darkens to olive-green with age. Flies from July to September in the evening. Common and widespread especially near lakes. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Goera pilosa (10-12 mm) Georidae Medium sedge Tibial spurs are 2-4-4. Buff coloured forewings. Short, stout antennae with hairy basal joints that are twice the length of the head.Flies from May to Julyand sometimes into September during the afternoons and evenings. Found near lakes and rivers. Common and widespread. Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .