Southampton Old Cemetery mid summer insects 12th July 2026

One of my regular insect walks open to the public and exploring the fascinating Southampton Old Cemetery. Luckily it was relatively cool, only 29 degrees Celsius but we still shortened the walk a little as the sun was hot. There were six of us. Undoubtedly the highlight was yet another recent colonist – the Jersey or Little Arboreal Ladybird Calvia decemguttata, taken from the large common lime in the south-west of the cemetery, along with 10-spot and harlequin ladybirds. Jersey tiger moths and silver-washed fritillaries were flying today, and numerous common species of bug, beetle and fly were observed. Particularly common were two closely related species of plant-sucking Mirid bugs the extra long legs in proportion to their size, the brown grassland Phytocoris varipes and the lichen-patterned P.tiliae.