Hebrides - Hebridean Wildlife -Insects - The Isle of Harris -The Isle of Lewis - Western Isles - Insects and Butterflies
The Hebrides or Western isles as they are now known is a great place to watch insects and creepy crawlies. You can get observe the insects behaviour - as you come across them on both The Isle of Harris and The isle of Lewis

Orange Beetle - Huisinis

Fly

Caterpillar - Traigh Mhor

This orange beetle was crawling on the sand at Huisinis - Western isles - July 2009. (perhaps a soldier beetle??) If you can identify please email chris@gcwweb.com

Just a close up picture of a fly - I don't know if it is any particular species - so if you have any information email chris@gcwweb.com

This creepy crawly caterpillar was spotted Traigh Mhor - Tolsta Western Isles - Jun 2009

Black Beetle - Garry

Bumble Bee - Garry

Bee - Traigh Mhor - Tolsta

We saw this beetle on the cliff tops just after "The Bridge to Nowhere" - Garry - Tolsta - Isle of lewis - July 2009 If you can identify please email chris@gcwweb.com

This bee - seen close up really does make a pretty picture as it gets pollen from the flowers. - Garry cliff tops - Jun 2009

This bee - seen close up was really enjoying this flower - Traigh Mhor - Tolsta - Western Isles- Jul 2009

Sand Beetle??? - Garry

Orange Beetle - Huisinis

Black Darter - Dragonfly

This insect - I am assuming it is maybe a sand beetle was on Garry beach. If you can identify please email chris@gcwweb.com

This orange beetle was crawling on the sand at Huisinis - Western isles - July 2009. (perhaps a soldier beetle??) If you can identify please email chris@gcwweb.com

This dragonfly is the smallest in the UK. It is quite common throughout the Western Isles and Scotland. This small heathland and moorland species is the only UK black dragonfly. The legs are entirely black.

Click Here to Read More........

Large Red Damselfly

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly

Black Beetle - Harris

This lovely bright red damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula - seen all over the Western Isles is a beautiful damselfly - one of the first dragonflies to show its face throughout Scotland and the UK.
Click Here to Read More........

The four-spotted chaser -seen here in The Western Isles - The Outer Hebrides - Four-Spotted Chasers can be speedily identified by the clearly visible dark spots on each wing.

Click Here to Read More........

We saw this beetle on path along the walk opposite Loch Seaforth that leads to Loch Langavat. If you can identify please mail chris@gcwweb.com

Sand Hopper

Insect - Traigh Mhor

Beetle - Traigh Mhor

Sandhoppers are tiny animals - miniature crustaceans - tiny creatures that are related to crabs and lobsters. In the day time they like to dig themselves just under the sand to stay out of the hot sun.

Sandhoppers will jump speedily and if you are quick enough you may be able to catch one in your hand. At night time they crawl out and eat tiny pieces of dead animals on the beach. Some people call sandhoppers beach fleas.

This creepy crawly was at Tolsta - is is a type of ant????

This black - red beetle was crawling on the sand at the Tolsta beach

Insect - Beetle - Luskentyre Beach

Insect in a Water Lily

Caterpillar

This black beetle was on Luskentyre beach April 2012

This insect was obviously enjoying the water lily in the loch above Garry Beach

There were plenty of caterpillars out in force this Sept morning at Balallan

The Burying Beetle - Traigh Mhor

A beetle actually quite near the sea - on the beach at Traigh Mhor - Tolsta - Western Isles. This gruesome but lovely beetle is the Nicrophorus (Necrophorus) vespilloides commonly called the Burying Beetle or Sexton Beetle.

It has the curious habit of burying dead birds, mice, shrews, voles and other animals by digging the earth away beneath them. A male and female Burying Beetle work together to bury the dead animal, then the strip away the fur or feathers and coat the animal in a special saliva.

The Burying Beetle (also called the Sexton Beetle carries out this odd behaviour to provide food for its young. The female beetle lays her eggs in a tunnel dug near the dead animal, and when they hatch the larvae eat the whole animal.

The Burying Beetle is unusual for insects as not only does it bury dead animals but the male and female beetles also stay behind to look after their young, and to help them feed.