Wild privet Perfumes and poisons Wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare, Oleaceae family) is a very dense shrub, growing up to 5 meters tall. The leaves are dark green and turn violet in the autumn. The leaves remain on the plant during the winter along with the fruits, small pea-sized black berries that are highly toxic. In May, the wild privet is covered in a very rich bloom with white panicles that emit a sweet, intense fragrance, attracting bees and other insects in search of nectar. Wild privet can be found in clumps or isolated in sparse forests, at the edges of [...]

Oedemera nobilis The insect with swollen thighs... This elongated-bodied beetle has a beautiful metallic green color, often with golden or coppery highlights. It measures 7-10 mm in length, and the male is characterized by greatly enlarged hind leg femurs. In spring and summer, it feeds on the pollen and nectar of various flower species , particularly favoring the common daisy and umbellifers. Adults can be observed in large numbers, but the larvae are more difficult to find as they hide in the dead wood of various plants. Did you know? The name Oedemera derives from Greek, meaning swollen thigh; nobilis, [...]

Comfrey To mend broken bones... Comfrey (scientific name Symphytum officinale) is an herbaceous plant of the Boraginaceae family. Its stems, reaching heights of up to 120 cm, rise at the edges of ditches, streams, and very damp areas. The pendulous and bell-shaped flowers are gathered in panicles and can be white-purple, pink, or violet, but always of the same color in each plant. This plant has a long corolla, and only insects with a long mouth apparatus can reach the nectar. Sometimes smaller Hymenoptera are forced to pierce the flower wall, and when this happens, the insect does not come [...]

Common drone fly The "bee" fly Although it resembles a bee, the Common drone fly (Eristalis tenax) is actually a Dipteran (a relative of flies) and belongs to the Syrphid family. Its appearance is similar to that of a common bee but can be distinguished by its plumper body, the lack of a constriction between the abdomen and thorax, and having only 2 wings instead of 4. The Common drone fly is probably the most common species of Syrphid in Europe and can be observed from April to October on flowers while feeding on nectar Did you know? The larvae [...]

Osmia cornuta A solitary wild bee Osmia cornuta belongs to the Megachilidae family and is one of the most common species of wild bees in Europe. It's a solitary bee that doesn't form colonies and doesn't produce honey. Each female lays her own eggs. It has thick hair and a black-rust coloration. It plays a vital role in pollinating many types of fruit trees because it's one of the first bees to become active, often starting in early March. Did you know? Osmia cornuta nests in holes in wood and walls, using dry stems as well. It can even nest [...]