Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Eoghan Daltun 🌍 @irishrainforest.bsky.social · 1d

Don't care about the massive damage done to native ecosystems by the constant release of vast numbers of invasive pheasants for shooting?

Maybe you'll care about catching Lyme disease instead.

British Birds @britishbirds.bsky.social · 12d

Ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease in areas where Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus are released, according to new research.

Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...
🥇Subscriber Content

9 45 150

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 11d

On yesterday's @kentfieldclub.bsky.social meeting at Castle Foote on the North Kent coast, I was really pleased to find the rare ground bug Henestaris halophilus in numbers across the saltmarsh. Habitat shot has notes in alt text. #bugs #truebugs #Hemiptera #KentNature @britishbugs.bsky.social

A small, brown bug on the fabric of an insect net. Its head, with eyes on protruding stalks, is lower left.

A stretch upper saltmarsh sward, consisting of a mix of grasses and fairly low-growing Sea-purslane. The bug was swept easily from this vegetation. However, it was not found where Sea-purslane grew in dense, shrubby, single-species stands.

1 2 19

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Patrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 12d

This is the story of my daughter Milly and Lyme Disease. There was no rash, no "summer flu", NHS blood tests negative. And she's been ill for a quarter of her life.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Thank you @lymediseaseuk.bsky.social & @lymeresourcecentre.bsky.social for raising UK awareness.

As my daughter got sicker and sicker, our quest for answers dragged on. How did we all miss the bacteria taking over her body?

I write about nature, but when Milly got sick with a mystery illness, it never occurred to me that a long-forgotten tick bite could be the cause

www.theguardian.com

23 50 130

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Prof Duncan Westbury @duncanwestbury.bsky.social · 16d

PLEASE READ! No more #BeeWashing. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Why saving the honeybee could be bad news for other bees

In this week’s newsletter: a conservation success story has a sting in its tail as wild pollinators pay the price

www.theguardian.com

18 35

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Richard Moyse @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social · 17d

Spent the afternoon in part of the new North Kent Woods & Downs NNR. Was looking for Hop-garden Earwig (a no-show) but did find some nice bugs: Iassus scutellaris, Vernal Shieldbug Peribalus strictus & Asiraca clavicornis. #KentNature #NNR #bugs #Hemiptera @naturalengland.bsky.social

A view from Ranscombe Farm towards Luddesdown. Most of what's visible in the picture is core NNR or associated land. Rough grassland in the foreground, woods and open grassland in the background.

Iassus scutellaris - a leaf-hopper with green body and brown head, on an Elm leaf.

Vernal Shieldbug Peribalus strictus. A mid-sized shieldbug with a largely brown body and characteristic pale margins to the 'shoulders' of the pronotum.

Asiraca clavicornis, an unusual looking planthopper with expanded antennae and leaf-like front legs.

1 2 20

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · 17d

Thanks Andy. Hoping both these will be written up - nipponicus found NTB by Max Barclay in 2021, the earwig more recent.

1

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

ginowazza.bsky.social @ginowazza.bsky.social · Aug 18

14 adult Trapezium Shieldbugs were found at Samphire Hoe, near Dover on 10th Aug 2025.

2 16

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Andrew Jewels @andrew-jewels.bsky.social · 20d

Counted 37 nymphs and 60 adult Striped Shieldbugs (Graphosoma italicum) at Ninefields, Waltham Abbey today. This has been the primary population this year, numbers down in other areas and no new spread to other nearby habitat patches that I have been checking. #EssexWildlife #UKBugs

Nymph of Striped Shieldbug on nettle leaf

Newly emerged pale orange Striped Shieldbug nymph on Hogweed stem next to its shed skincase.

Hogweed stem with numerous adults and nymphs of Striped Shieldbugs.

4 29

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · 20d

if you email the britishbugs website I will send you something

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · 21d

not from those photos. Have you tried keying it out? If it doesn't have a dark base to A1 it might be cymoides

1

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

AJCann @ajcann.bsky.social · 24d

Edwardsiana rosae.
Common as muck, nightmare to I.D. :-)

#Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #Cicadellidae

1 1 9

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · 25d

looks good

1 1

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Martine Fenn @martinefenn.bsky.social · 29d

I’ve always wanted to see a Blue Shieldbug, Zicrona caerulea, and now I have! Saw this one on our walk at the weekend. Such a stunning little creature! #InsectThursday #Bugsky

2 2 32

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Rob Yaxley @robyaxley.bsky.social · Sep 9

Does this look good for Ortholomus punctipennis @britishbugs.bsky.social ? Brownfield site, South Cambs.

2 1 10

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 9

without a doubt - please do iRecord this

1 2

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 8

Finally made the pilgrimage to Purflleet for Sciocoris sideritidis and Southern Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket with @sjb2010.bsky.social today.

2 4 46

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Georgie W-S @wightmansmithg.bsky.social · Sep 4

@britishbugs.bsky.social I think I’ve finally reached a conclusion on this bug I found at Spurn, is it just Megalonotus chigara? On the first photo it is on the right, with a specimen of M.chigara on the left. I was hoping it was a very lost Eremocoris plebejus but I think that’s wishful thinking

1 1 2

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 5

possibly. put it on irecord and see what Jim thinks. I'm pretty sure Bill Dolling recorded this at Spurn

1 1

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Vic Brown @viccbrown.bsky.social · Sep 4

My first sighting of Rhaphigaster nebulosa (Mottled Shieldbug), in my S. Cambridgeshire garden this afternoon. A recent arrival to our shores, with the first mainland record in London in 2010.
Following its rapid northwards expansion on the continent, it's doing the same here in the UK.

1 2 19

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 4

looks like Drymus latus to me - v nice record

2 1

Reposted by Tristan Bantock

Mark Gurney @markgurn.bsky.social · Sep 2

If you want to identify, well, anything, I recommend this post from @weevil-see.bsky.social. His choice of weevils to illustrate it is of course excellent, but it applies to everything from mushrooms to marsupials. This is how you can be a good identifier of things.

[Link contains spider]

Jakob Jilg @weevil-see.bsky.social · Aug 8

I started a blog and my first post is online!
The posts will try to explore topics which are not typically covered by introductory literature and textbooks, e.g. because they are considered to be "too basic". Let me know what you think!

weevil-see.github.io/taxonomy/Ide...

Species Identifications: Common Pitfalls

Some thoughts about Identifications. How do we identify properly? How do we avoid mistakes?

weevil-see.github.io

2 10 27

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 3

yes

1 1

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 1

yup

1 1

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Sep 1

yes a female. Likely to be ribauti

1 1

Tristan Bantock @britishbugs.bsky.social · Aug 29

yes

1 1