2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:53 Page 1

Molluscs and annelids Insects Insects Insects Insects

Invertebrate No legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs
Snails, slugs and earthworms Beetles True bugs Bees, wasps and ants True flies
Identification Guide
This guide can be used for the OPAL Bugs Count Survey
and OPAL  Biodiversity Survey Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes
Snails coiled shell Pincer-shaped jaws (can be Wing cases usually meet in an X- or Y-shape (not true Long antennae Antennae often
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. They come in many shapes, sizes • Soft, slimy body hard to see on smaller beetles) for some true bugs, like aphids and scale insects) very short
Two pairs of
and colours. This chart covers what you are most likely to find during an OPAL • Hard, coiled shell see-through wings Large eyes
Hard forewing cases (elytra) to
survey: insects, arachnids, molluscs, myriapods and crustaceans. • Shell can vary from a (may almost fill
protect the delicate hindwings Most have a narrow waist
sphere, to a flattened bees the head)
antennae disc or a pointed spire Bees are often hairy while
You don’t need fancy equipment to survey bugs. Your eyes Wing cases meet in a straight One pair of
line making a T shape wasps and anta are not
are your most important tool, but these may help too: see-through wings
Slugs wasps
• Soft, slimy body
• Do not have a hard, coiled shell Hoverfly
legs (although a few species have a very
long
tiny disc of shell towards the broad young often hide in legs
long thin snout foam (‘cuckoo spit’)
end of their body) shoulders
very narrow waist
a magnifier pencil and paper a camera a jar small often has black and yellow marks
(to put bugs Earthworms Top tip: Not sure if you Wasp sawflies on body, imitating a wasp
in while you Weevil Other have a beetle or a true adults ants usually lack narrow Top tip: Hoverflies have
• Long, thin body divided into segments bug? Check how the wing jump
identify them) Main features used in this guide beetle some ants fat furry body waist
much shorter antennae
(which look like a series of rings or stripes) saddle
cases meet. Beetles have when
Top tip: Unlike true bugs, have wings body often than wasps and bees.
disturbed
• Thickened ‘saddle’ visible on adult worms a T-shape, but true bugs
the wing cases of beetles but most Ant Bumblebee metallic in Blowfly Cranefly
‹

Start here – how many legs? usually have an X- or Y- Shieldbug do not Top tip: Don’t confuse

‹
Ladybird Froghopper Aphid meet in a T-shape. wasps and hoverflies.
colour
shape. X-shape Did you know?
2 or more spots
• There are around 150 species of land snails and slugs in • Over 1,700 species of true bug have been found in the • Over 7,000 species of bees, wasps, ants and sawflies
no legs 6 legs 8 legs lots of legs Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? • There are approximately 7,000 species known from the
the UK. UK. live in the UK.
UK and more are discovered each year.
• They belong to a group of molluscs called Gastropoda • They belong to a group of insects called Hemiptera, • They belong to a group of insects called Hymenoptera.

Photographs: Roger Key (aphids), Alan Stewart (cuckoo spit)

• There are over 4,000 species of beetle in the UK. • True flies belong to a group of insects called Diptera

Photograph: Martin Hall (bluebottle mouthparts)

which means ‘stomach-foot’! which means ‘half-winged’. • Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors over 100 million which means ‘two-winged’.
• Beetles belong to a group of insects called Coleoptera.
• Earthworms belong to a group called Annelida – the • Most true bugs feed by puncturing their food and then years ago.
• Beetles can be found in a wide variety of habitats on land • Although we often think of them as pests, true flies are
segmented worms. There are 27 species in the UK. sucking up juices using their tube-like mouthparts. • Bees and wasps are incredibly important pollinators, carrying important, whether as predators, pollinators of plants, or
Apart from a few hoverflies
Reaching an incredible and in freshwater. pollen from one plant to the next as they feed on nectar. which can crunch up
• Slugs, snails and earthworms all need to keep their skin 16cm long, the Leopard • Many species feed on plants and some can be as food for other animals (like bats and birds). Others pollen, all true flies must
damp so that they can breathe. They are particularly • Many beetles help to pollinate plants, reduce pests and The Stag Beetle (scientific important pests (e.g. aphids). The young of froghoppers • Some (but not all) bees and wasps can sting if they feel Ants are one of the most
Slug (scientific name help break down dead plants and animals. eat food in liquid form –
active at night and when the ground is wet. Limax maximus) is one of recycle nutrients. name Lucanus cervus) is protect themselves from threatened, while Wood Ants defend themselves by abundant organisms on whether that is nectar,
the biggest beetle in the
• Aphids feed on plant sap, which is full of sugars. They predators and becoming earth. Colonies can exceed • There are lots of insects that have the word ‘fly’ in their
Myriapods • All three groups are a vital food source for many other
the UK’s largest slugs. • Many beetles eat living plants or fungi, others are active secrete some of this as honeydew. Ants often feed on biting and spraying formic acid. names that aren’t true flies, e.g. dragonfly, butterfly,
dung, blood, or something
UK, growing to an amazing too dry by surrounding 1 million individuals. This else! Mouthparts vary in
Molluscs and animals, including birds, mammals and amphibians. It eats fungi, rotting plants predators of invertebrates, while some eat dead plants 7cm long! Their larvae this honeydew and in return protect the aphids from themselves in patches of • A diverse group of wasps called ‘parasitoids’ reproduce picture shows Wood Ants greenfly and mayfly. shape from the long,
and annelids Insects Arachnids crustaceans and other slugs. When and animals – even dung! (young) live in rotting wood predators. foam bubbles – often called by laying their eggs inside living invertebrates. (scientific name Formica sucking tubes of

‹
mating, a pair of Leopard for up to seven years, but ‘cuckoo spit’. They create rufa) massing outside their mosquitoes and bee flies,
Discover more about slugs and snails on the Slugs will often hang from the adult beetles only live these bubbles while nest to absorb heat from to the disc-shaped
Now try to name your invertebrate using this guide Conchological Society’s website www.conchsoc.org a thread of mucus (slime). Love beetles? Why not join the UK Ladybird for a few months. Discover more about true bugs at feeding on plant sap. Buzzing about bees? Visit the Bees, Wasps and the spring sunshine. Discover more about true flies at ‘hoovers’ of blowflies.
For earthworms visit www.earthwormsoc.org.uk Survey? www.ladybird-survey.org www.britishbugs.org.uk Ants Recording Society website www.bwars.com www.dipteristsforum.org.uk
2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:53 Page 1

Molluscs and annelids Insects Insects Insects Insects

Invertebrate No legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs
Snails, slugs and earthworms Beetles True bugs Bees, wasps and ants True flies
Identification Guide
This guide can be used for the OPAL Bugs Count Survey
and OPAL  Biodiversity Survey Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes
Snails coiled shell Pincer-shaped jaws (can be Wing cases usually meet in an X- or Y-shape (not true Long antennae Antennae often
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. They come in many shapes, sizes • Soft, slimy body hard to see on smaller beetles) for some true bugs, like aphids and scale insects) very short
Two pairs of
and colours. This chart covers what you are most likely to find during an OPAL • Hard, coiled shell see-through wings Large eyes
Hard forewing cases (elytra) to
survey: insects, arachnids, molluscs, myriapods and crustaceans. • Shell can vary from a (may almost fill
protect the delicate hindwings Most have a narrow waist
sphere, to a flattened bees the head)
antennae disc or a pointed spire Bees are often hairy while
You don’t need fancy equipment to survey bugs. Your eyes Wing cases meet in a straight One pair of
line making a T shape wasps and anta are not
are your most important tool, but these may help too: see-through wings
Slugs wasps
• Soft, slimy body
• Do not have a hard, coiled shell Hoverfly
legs (although a few species have a very
long
tiny disc of shell towards the broad young often hide in legs
long thin snout foam (‘cuckoo spit’)
end of their body) shoulders
very narrow waist
a magnifier pencil and paper a camera a jar small often has black and yellow marks
(to put bugs Earthworms Top tip: Not sure if you Wasp sawflies on body, imitating a wasp
in while you Weevil Other have a beetle or a true adults ants usually lack narrow Top tip: Hoverflies have
• Long, thin body divided into segments bug? Check how the wing jump
identify them) Main features used in this guide beetle some ants fat furry body waist
much shorter antennae
(which look like a series of rings or stripes) saddle
cases meet. Beetles have when
Top tip: Unlike true bugs, have wings body often than wasps and bees.
disturbed
• Thickened ‘saddle’ visible on adult worms a T-shape, but true bugs
the wing cases of beetles but most Ant Bumblebee metallic in Blowfly Cranefly
‹

Start here – how many legs? usually have an X- or Y- Shieldbug do not Top tip: Don’t confuse

‹
Ladybird Froghopper Aphid meet in a T-shape. wasps and hoverflies.
colour
shape. X-shape Did you know?
2 or more spots
• There are around 150 species of land snails and slugs in • Over 1,700 species of true bug have been found in the • Over 7,000 species of bees, wasps, ants and sawflies
no legs 6 legs 8 legs lots of legs Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? • There are approximately 7,000 species known from the
the UK. UK. live in the UK.
UK and more are discovered each year.
• They belong to a group of molluscs called Gastropoda • They belong to a group of insects called Hemiptera, • They belong to a group of insects called Hymenoptera.

Photographs: Roger Key (aphids), Alan Stewart (cuckoo spit)

• There are over 4,000 species of beetle in the UK. • True flies belong to a group of insects called Diptera

Photograph: Martin Hall (bluebottle mouthparts)

which means ‘stomach-foot’! which means ‘half-winged’. • Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors over 100 million which means ‘two-winged’.
• Beetles belong to a group of insects called Coleoptera.
• Earthworms belong to a group called Annelida – the • Most true bugs feed by puncturing their food and then years ago.
• Beetles can be found in a wide variety of habitats on land • Although we often think of them as pests, true flies are
segmented worms. There are 27 species in the UK. sucking up juices using their tube-like mouthparts. • Bees and wasps are incredibly important pollinators, carrying important, whether as predators, pollinators of plants, or
Apart from a few hoverflies
Reaching an incredible and in freshwater. pollen from one plant to the next as they feed on nectar. which can crunch up
• Slugs, snails and earthworms all need to keep their skin 16cm long, the Leopard • Many species feed on plants and some can be as food for other animals (like bats and birds). Others pollen, all true flies must
damp so that they can breathe. They are particularly • Many beetles help to pollinate plants, reduce pests and The Stag Beetle (scientific important pests (e.g. aphids). The young of froghoppers • Some (but not all) bees and wasps can sting if they feel Ants are one of the most
Slug (scientific name help break down dead plants and animals. eat food in liquid form –
active at night and when the ground is wet. Limax maximus) is one of recycle nutrients. name Lucanus cervus) is protect themselves from threatened, while Wood Ants defend themselves by abundant organisms on whether that is nectar,
the biggest beetle in the
• Aphids feed on plant sap, which is full of sugars. They predators and becoming earth. Colonies can exceed • There are lots of insects that have the word ‘fly’ in their
Myriapods • All three groups are a vital food source for many other
the UK’s largest slugs. • Many beetles eat living plants or fungi, others are active secrete some of this as honeydew. Ants often feed on biting and spraying formic acid. names that aren’t true flies, e.g. dragonfly, butterfly,
dung, blood, or something
UK, growing to an amazing too dry by surrounding 1 million individuals. This else! Mouthparts vary in
Molluscs and animals, including birds, mammals and amphibians. It eats fungi, rotting plants predators of invertebrates, while some eat dead plants 7cm long! Their larvae this honeydew and in return protect the aphids from themselves in patches of • A diverse group of wasps called ‘parasitoids’ reproduce picture shows Wood Ants greenfly and mayfly. shape from the long,
and annelids Insects Arachnids crustaceans and other slugs. When and animals – even dung! (young) live in rotting wood predators. foam bubbles – often called by laying their eggs inside living invertebrates. (scientific name Formica sucking tubes of

‹
mating, a pair of Leopard for up to seven years, but ‘cuckoo spit’. They create rufa) massing outside their mosquitoes and bee flies,
Discover more about slugs and snails on the Slugs will often hang from the adult beetles only live these bubbles while nest to absorb heat from to the disc-shaped
Now try to name your invertebrate using this guide Conchological Society’s website www.conchsoc.org a thread of mucus (slime). Love beetles? Why not join the UK Ladybird for a few months. Discover more about true bugs at feeding on plant sap. Buzzing about bees? Visit the Bees, Wasps and the spring sunshine. Discover more about true flies at ‘hoovers’ of blowflies.
For earthworms visit www.earthwormsoc.org.uk Survey? www.ladybird-survey.org www.britishbugs.org.uk Ants Recording Society website www.bwars.com www.dipteristsforum.org.uk
2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:53 Page 1

Molluscs and annelids Insects Insects Insects Insects

Invertebrate No legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 6 legs
Snails, slugs and earthworms Beetles True bugs Bees, wasps and ants True flies
Identification Guide
This guide can be used for the OPAL Bugs Count Survey
and OPAL  Biodiversity Survey Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes Common body shapes
Snails coiled shell Pincer-shaped jaws (can be Wing cases usually meet in an X- or Y-shape (not true Long antennae Antennae often
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. They come in many shapes, sizes • Soft, slimy body hard to see on smaller beetles) for some true bugs, like aphids and scale insects) very short
Two pairs of
and colours. This chart covers what you are most likely to find during an OPAL • Hard, coiled shell see-through wings Large eyes
Hard forewing cases (elytra) to
survey: insects, arachnids, molluscs, myriapods and crustaceans. • Shell can vary from a (may almost fill
protect the delicate hindwings Most have a narrow waist
sphere, to a flattened bees the head)
antennae disc or a pointed spire Bees are often hairy while
You don’t need fancy equipment to survey bugs. Your eyes Wing cases meet in a straight One pair of
line making a T shape wasps and anta are not
are your most important tool, but these may help too: see-through wings
Slugs wasps
• Soft, slimy body
• Do not have a hard, coiled shell Hoverfly
legs (although a few species have a very
long
tiny disc of shell towards the broad young often hide in legs
long thin snout foam (‘cuckoo spit’)
end of their body) shoulders
very narrow waist
a magnifier pencil and paper a camera a jar small often has black and yellow marks
(to put bugs Earthworms Top tip: Not sure if you Wasp sawflies on body, imitating a wasp
in while you Weevil Other have a beetle or a true adults ants usually lack narrow Top tip: Hoverflies have
• Long, thin body divided into segments bug? Check how the wing jump
identify them) Main features used in this guide beetle some ants fat furry body waist
much shorter antennae
(which look like a series of rings or stripes) saddle
cases meet. Beetles have when
Top tip: Unlike true bugs, have wings body often than wasps and bees.
disturbed
• Thickened ‘saddle’ visible on adult worms a T-shape, but true bugs
the wing cases of beetles but most Ant Bumblebee metallic in Blowfly Cranefly
‹

Start here – how many legs? usually have an X- or Y- Shieldbug do not Top tip: Don’t confuse

‹
Ladybird Froghopper Aphid meet in a T-shape. wasps and hoverflies.
colour
shape. X-shape Did you know?
2 or more spots
• There are around 150 species of land snails and slugs in • Over 1,700 species of true bug have been found in the • Over 7,000 species of bees, wasps, ants and sawflies
no legs 6 legs 8 legs lots of legs Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? Did you know? • There are approximately 7,000 species known from the
the UK. UK. live in the UK.
UK and more are discovered each year.
• They belong to a group of molluscs called Gastropoda • They belong to a group of insects called Hemiptera, • They belong to a group of insects called Hymenoptera.

Photographs: Roger Key (aphids), Alan Stewart (cuckoo spit)

• There are over 4,000 species of beetle in the UK. • True flies belong to a group of insects called Diptera

Photograph: Martin Hall (bluebottle mouthparts)

which means ‘stomach-foot’! which means ‘half-winged’. • Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors over 100 million which means ‘two-winged’.
• Beetles belong to a group of insects called Coleoptera.
• Earthworms belong to a group called Annelida – the • Most true bugs feed by puncturing their food and then years ago.
• Beetles can be found in a wide variety of habitats on land • Although we often think of them as pests, true flies are
segmented worms. There are 27 species in the UK. sucking up juices using their tube-like mouthparts. • Bees and wasps are incredibly important pollinators, carrying important, whether as predators, pollinators of plants, or
Apart from a few hoverflies
Reaching an incredible and in freshwater. pollen from one plant to the next as they feed on nectar. which can crunch up
• Slugs, snails and earthworms all need to keep their skin 16cm long, the Leopard • Many species feed on plants and some can be as food for other animals (like bats and birds). Others pollen, all true flies must
damp so that they can breathe. They are particularly • Many beetles help to pollinate plants, reduce pests and The Stag Beetle (scientific important pests (e.g. aphids). The young of froghoppers • Some (but not all) bees and wasps can sting if they feel Ants are one of the most
Slug (scientific name help break down dead plants and animals. eat food in liquid form –
active at night and when the ground is wet. Limax maximus) is one of recycle nutrients. name Lucanus cervus) is protect themselves from threatened, while Wood Ants defend themselves by abundant organisms on whether that is nectar,
the biggest beetle in the
• Aphids feed on plant sap, which is full of sugars. They predators and becoming earth. Colonies can exceed • There are lots of insects that have the word ‘fly’ in their
Myriapods • All three groups are a vital food source for many other
the UK’s largest slugs. • Many beetles eat living plants or fungi, others are active secrete some of this as honeydew. Ants often feed on biting and spraying formic acid. names that aren’t true flies, e.g. dragonfly, butterfly,
dung, blood, or something
UK, growing to an amazing too dry by surrounding 1 million individuals. This else! Mouthparts vary in
Molluscs and animals, including birds, mammals and amphibians. It eats fungi, rotting plants predators of invertebrates, while some eat dead plants 7cm long! Their larvae this honeydew and in return protect the aphids from themselves in patches of • A diverse group of wasps called ‘parasitoids’ reproduce picture shows Wood Ants greenfly and mayfly. shape from the long,
and annelids Insects Arachnids crustaceans and other slugs. When and animals – even dung! (young) live in rotting wood predators. foam bubbles – often called by laying their eggs inside living invertebrates. (scientific name Formica sucking tubes of

‹
mating, a pair of Leopard for up to seven years, but ‘cuckoo spit’. They create rufa) massing outside their mosquitoes and bee flies,
Discover more about slugs and snails on the Slugs will often hang from the adult beetles only live these bubbles while nest to absorb heat from to the disc-shaped
Now try to name your invertebrate using this guide Conchological Society’s website www.conchsoc.org a thread of mucus (slime). Love beetles? Why not join the UK Ladybird for a few months. Discover more about true bugs at feeding on plant sap. Buzzing about bees? Visit the Bees, Wasps and the spring sunshine. Discover more about true flies at ‘hoovers’ of blowflies.
For earthworms visit www.earthwormsoc.org.uk Survey? www.ladybird-survey.org www.britishbugs.org.uk Ants Recording Society website www.bwars.com www.dipteristsforum.org.uk
2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:54 Page 2

Insects Insects Insects Arachnids Lots of

Myriapods and crustaceans
6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 8 legs
legs
Butterflies and moths Crickets, grasshoppers and earwigs Lacewings Spiders and harvestmen Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes Can’t find a match?
There are well over 30,000 different species of invertebrate in the UK, so this guide
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Nothing really! They are very Crickets and grasshoppers have long back legs that are strengthened for jumping. Lacewings have clear wings, which are held like a tent over the body when resting. Spiders and harvestmen have eight legs. Many spiders build webs to catch prey. Myriapods (centipedes and millipedes) are often found at ground level, but sometimes cannot possibly show them all. If you find an invertebrate you cannot identify, record
closely related and there is no one feature that separates the two. The following tips Earwigs have a pair of pincer-shaped claspers called ‘cerci’ at the end of their Harvestmen feed on a range of plant and animal matter. climb onto plants. Crustaceans (such as woodlice) have 14 legs and an armoured body. it as ‘other’ and check our website for further help.
will help you decide, but there are always a few species that break the rules! brown body. long antennae

Spider bodies are clearly divided Woodlice • body divided into many To learn more about UK invertebrates, visit
Butterflies • usually fly during the day • have ‘clubs’ (lumps) on into two parts: segments • 7 pairs of legs • oval www.opalexplorenature.org/bugscount.
the end of their antennae • rest with wings closed vertically above Grasshoppers have shaped body (when viewed from above)
short antennae, The front part is called the • some woodlice can roll into a ball
their body lacewing usually grey Great resources for identifying bugs include the OPAL
much shorter than long cephalothorax (and includes
Moths • usually fly at night but some fly during the day • have one pair of legs iSpot website www.ispotnature.org, and the Natural
their body brown the head) Centipedes • long, thin body divided
pointed and often feathery antennae • rest with their wings folded Legs hard per segment History Museum’s identification forums
Insect larvae (young)
body
into many segments • at least 15
flat over their body to see The back part is called the abdomen www.nhm.ac.uk/identification.
Crickets have Earwig pairs of legs, but can have many
‘clubs’ on antennae long antennae, Many insects go through a four stage life-cycle: egg - larva - pupa - adult. The larvae more • 1 pair of legs on each body
Harvestmen have segment • usually orange or yellow
no ‘clubs’ on usually longer and pupae can be difficult to identify, as they do not always look like the adult.
large pincers at one small body part
antennae
than their body end of body Look after yourself and the bugs you find
What are insect larvae? Most insects reproduce by laying eggs. The young that which is round or oval Millipedes • long, thin body two pairs
hatch from these eggs are of two types: shaped (unlike
of legs per • Handle bugs gently. Only pick them up when necessary and always put them back
divided into segments • usually segment
where you found them.
caterpillar 1 Larvae look very different from the adults. They feed and grow, then their skin spiders which have long less than 50 pairs of legs • 2 pairs
• There are 33 species of cricket and grasshopper in the Did you know? thin • If you put a bug in a jar to look at it, don’t keep it for too long, or leave it in the sun.
hardens and they turn into a pupa. Inside the pupa, they undergo a complete two body parts) of legs on each body segment
caterpillars develop UK and seven species of earwig. legs
butterfly into adult butterflies
change, before hatching as adults. • pill millipedes can roll into a ball dark brown or black • Always act in a safe and careful manner and tell someone where you are going.
and moths moth • Crickets and grasshoppers belong to a group called
Orthoptera, meaning ‘straight-winged’. It refers to the • The UK has 27 species of harvestmen and 650 species Did you know? • See the Field Notebook for further advice.
2 Nymphs look quite like small versions of the adult. To grow, they moult their
way they hold their wings in a line along their back. of spider. • There are 39 species of woodlouse, 57 species of
• There are over 2,500 species of moth in the UK but Did you know? hard skin several times, each time getting bigger and looking more like the adult. Did you know?
fewer than 60 species of butterfly! • Earwigs belong to a closely related group called • All UK spiders are predators of invertebrates, especially centipede and 60 species of millipede in the UK.
• They both belong to a group of insects called Lepidoptera. Dermaptera. The Mole Cricket Butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars) insects. They immobilise them with venom injected • Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes are not closely Learn more about insects – join the Amateur Entomologists’
Photographs: Robert Thompson, Matt Berry, David Green (scientific name Gryllotalpa through their jaws (‘fangs’).
• Grasshoppers only eat plants, while crickets and earwigs related. Centipedes belong to a group called Chilopoda, Society www.amentsoc.org.
• Adult moths and butterflies feed by sucking liquids such gryllotalpa) is one of the
eat other invertebrates as well as plants. • Not all spiders use silken webs to catch their prey. Some millipedes to the Diplopoda, and woodlice are
as nectar through a straw-like tube called a proboscis. UK’s weirdest, rarest and
• Crickets sing (‘chirp’) by rubbing their back legs against most spectacular butterfly caterpillar moth caterpillars actively hunt, and others are ambush predators that sit Thin, wispy cobwebs in crustaceans in a group called Isopoda. For more help with identification visit ispotnature.org.
• Butterflies and moths are important pollinators, as well invertebrates. Like moles, in likely places and wait for prey to pass by. your house, garage or shed
Despite their gentle their wings, or drumming them on a surface. Grasshoppers • All have a large number of legs, but not thousands!
as being a vital food source for other animals. In Britain, they use their shovel-like may well belong to the Eating a woodlouse was
fluttering flight, some chirp by rubbing their wings together. Beetle larvae True fly larvae • Harvestmen are at their most abundant and visible Daddy Long-legs Spider • They live on damp ground surfaces, among fallen leaves once thought to cure Written by Martin Harvey, Gill Stevens, John Tweddle, Lucy Carter and Simon Norman.
Blue Tit chicks eat an estimated 35 billion moth front legs to dig tunnels
butterflies and moths like during the late summer and early autumn – the traditional and decaying logs, and under objects like plant pots.
caterpillars every year. this Red Admiral (scientific
• Earwigs don’t live in ears! through the soil. Mole and pupae crop ‘harvest time’.
(scientific name Pholcus
phalangioides). Originally a
stomach ache (but don’t
try this at home).
Colour artwork © Chris Shields 2010. Photographs © Harry Taylor, Roger Key, Alan Stewart,
Crickets live almost • Woodlice and millipedes mainly eat dead or damaged plants. Martin Hall, Robert Thomson, Matt Berry, David Green.
• Moths are often disliked because it is thought they eat name Vanessa atalanta) click beetle larva tropical species, it has
migrate all the way from
entirely underground,
ladybird larva • Harvestmen do not produce silk or venom, but can spread around the world. • Centipedes eat other invertebrates, which they immobilise Woodlice have been given
clothes and other woollen fabrics. In fact, only two of the eating the roots of plants
southern Europe or North produce a pungent smell to put off predators. In the UK it prefers to live using venom injected from a pair of poison claws near
many different nicknames
2,500 species of moths in the UK are likely to eat clothes. Africa to the UK. They
as well as invertebrates
indoors and in including slaters,
arrive here in spring, breed
that live in soil. bluebottle fly bluebottle fly outbuildings. It eats a wide
their head. cheeselogs, chiggypigs,
stag beetle larva ground beetle larva larva (maggot) pupa pry lludw and
over the summer and most range of invertebrates,
Discover more about these insects on the Butterfly leave again in autumn. Want to discover more about grasshoppers, crickets Discover more at the British Arachnological including other spiders! Discover more at the British Myriapod and Isopod gammerzows!
Conservation website www.butterfly-conservation.org and their relatives? Visit www.orthoptera.org.uk Society’s website www.britishspiders.org.uk Group's website www.bmig.org.uk
2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:54 Page 2

Insects Insects Insects Arachnids Lots of

Myriapods and crustaceans
6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 8 legs
legs
Butterflies and moths Crickets, grasshoppers and earwigs Lacewings Spiders and harvestmen Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes Can’t find a match?
There are well over 30,000 different species of invertebrate in the UK, so this guide
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Nothing really! They are very Crickets and grasshoppers have long back legs that are strengthened for jumping. Lacewings have clear wings, which are held like a tent over the body when resting. Spiders and harvestmen have eight legs. Many spiders build webs to catch prey. Myriapods (centipedes and millipedes) are often found at ground level, but sometimes cannot possibly show them all. If you find an invertebrate you cannot identify, record
closely related and there is no one feature that separates the two. The following tips Earwigs have a pair of pincer-shaped claspers called ‘cerci’ at the end of their Harvestmen feed on a range of plant and animal matter. climb onto plants. Crustaceans (such as woodlice) have 14 legs and an armoured body. it as ‘other’ and check our website for further help.
will help you decide, but there are always a few species that break the rules! brown body. long antennae

Spider bodies are clearly divided Woodlice • body divided into many To learn more about UK invertebrates, visit
Butterflies • usually fly during the day • have ‘clubs’ (lumps) on into two parts: segments • 7 pairs of legs • oval www.opalexplorenature.org/bugscount.
the end of their antennae • rest with wings closed vertically above Grasshoppers have shaped body (when viewed from above)
short antennae, The front part is called the • some woodlice can roll into a ball
their body lacewing usually grey Great resources for identifying bugs include the OPAL
much shorter than long cephalothorax (and includes
Moths • usually fly at night but some fly during the day • have one pair of legs iSpot website www.ispotnature.org, and the Natural
their body brown the head) Centipedes • long, thin body divided
pointed and often feathery antennae • rest with their wings folded Legs hard per segment History Museum’s identification forums
Insect larvae (young)
body
into many segments • at least 15
flat over their body to see The back part is called the abdomen www.nhm.ac.uk/identification.
Crickets have Earwig pairs of legs, but can have many
‘clubs’ on antennae long antennae, Many insects go through a four stage life-cycle: egg - larva - pupa - adult. The larvae more • 1 pair of legs on each body
Harvestmen have segment • usually orange or yellow
no ‘clubs’ on usually longer and pupae can be difficult to identify, as they do not always look like the adult.
large pincers at one small body part
antennae
than their body end of body Look after yourself and the bugs you find
What are insect larvae? Most insects reproduce by laying eggs. The young that which is round or oval Millipedes • long, thin body two pairs
hatch from these eggs are of two types: shaped (unlike
of legs per • Handle bugs gently. Only pick them up when necessary and always put them back
divided into segments • usually segment
where you found them.
caterpillar 1 Larvae look very different from the adults. They feed and grow, then their skin spiders which have long less than 50 pairs of legs • 2 pairs
• There are 33 species of cricket and grasshopper in the Did you know? thin • If you put a bug in a jar to look at it, don’t keep it for too long, or leave it in the sun.
hardens and they turn into a pupa. Inside the pupa, they undergo a complete two body parts) of legs on each body segment
caterpillars develop UK and seven species of earwig. legs
butterfly into adult butterflies
change, before hatching as adults. • pill millipedes can roll into a ball dark brown or black • Always act in a safe and careful manner and tell someone where you are going.
and moths moth • Crickets and grasshoppers belong to a group called
Orthoptera, meaning ‘straight-winged’. It refers to the • The UK has 27 species of harvestmen and 650 species Did you know? • See the Field Notebook for further advice.
2 Nymphs look quite like small versions of the adult. To grow, they moult their
way they hold their wings in a line along their back. of spider. • There are 39 species of woodlouse, 57 species of
• There are over 2,500 species of moth in the UK but Did you know? hard skin several times, each time getting bigger and looking more like the adult. Did you know?
fewer than 60 species of butterfly! • Earwigs belong to a closely related group called • All UK spiders are predators of invertebrates, especially centipede and 60 species of millipede in the UK.
• They both belong to a group of insects called Lepidoptera. Dermaptera. The Mole Cricket Butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars) insects. They immobilise them with venom injected • Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes are not closely Learn more about insects – join the Amateur Entomologists’
Photographs: Robert Thompson, Matt Berry, David Green (scientific name Gryllotalpa through their jaws (‘fangs’).
• Grasshoppers only eat plants, while crickets and earwigs related. Centipedes belong to a group called Chilopoda, Society www.amentsoc.org.
• Adult moths and butterflies feed by sucking liquids such gryllotalpa) is one of the
eat other invertebrates as well as plants. • Not all spiders use silken webs to catch their prey. Some millipedes to the Diplopoda, and woodlice are
as nectar through a straw-like tube called a proboscis. UK’s weirdest, rarest and
• Crickets sing (‘chirp’) by rubbing their back legs against most spectacular butterfly caterpillar moth caterpillars actively hunt, and others are ambush predators that sit Thin, wispy cobwebs in crustaceans in a group called Isopoda. For more help with identification visit ispotnature.org.
• Butterflies and moths are important pollinators, as well invertebrates. Like moles, in likely places and wait for prey to pass by. your house, garage or shed
Despite their gentle their wings, or drumming them on a surface. Grasshoppers • All have a large number of legs, but not thousands!
as being a vital food source for other animals. In Britain, they use their shovel-like may well belong to the Eating a woodlouse was
fluttering flight, some chirp by rubbing their wings together. Beetle larvae True fly larvae • Harvestmen are at their most abundant and visible Daddy Long-legs Spider • They live on damp ground surfaces, among fallen leaves once thought to cure Written by Martin Harvey, Gill Stevens, John Tweddle, Lucy Carter and Simon Norman.
Blue Tit chicks eat an estimated 35 billion moth front legs to dig tunnels
butterflies and moths like during the late summer and early autumn – the traditional and decaying logs, and under objects like plant pots.
caterpillars every year. this Red Admiral (scientific
• Earwigs don’t live in ears! through the soil. Mole and pupae crop ‘harvest time’.
(scientific name Pholcus
phalangioides). Originally a
stomach ache (but don’t
try this at home).
Colour artwork © Chris Shields 2010. Photographs © Harry Taylor, Roger Key, Alan Stewart,
Crickets live almost • Woodlice and millipedes mainly eat dead or damaged plants. Martin Hall, Robert Thomson, Matt Berry, David Green.
• Moths are often disliked because it is thought they eat name Vanessa atalanta) click beetle larva tropical species, it has
migrate all the way from
entirely underground,
ladybird larva • Harvestmen do not produce silk or venom, but can spread around the world. • Centipedes eat other invertebrates, which they immobilise Woodlice have been given
clothes and other woollen fabrics. In fact, only two of the eating the roots of plants
southern Europe or North produce a pungent smell to put off predators. In the UK it prefers to live using venom injected from a pair of poison claws near
many different nicknames
2,500 species of moths in the UK are likely to eat clothes. Africa to the UK. They
as well as invertebrates
indoors and in including slaters,
arrive here in spring, breed
that live in soil. bluebottle fly bluebottle fly outbuildings. It eats a wide
their head. cheeselogs, chiggypigs,
stag beetle larva ground beetle larva larva (maggot) pupa pry lludw and
over the summer and most range of invertebrates,
Discover more about these insects on the Butterfly leave again in autumn. Want to discover more about grasshoppers, crickets Discover more at the British Arachnological including other spiders! Discover more at the British Myriapod and Isopod gammerzows!
Conservation website www.butterfly-conservation.org and their relatives? Visit www.orthoptera.org.uk Society’s website www.britishspiders.org.uk Group's website www.bmig.org.uk
2047 OPAL guide to invertebrates_Invertebrates 888 x 210 copy 21/04/2015 12:54 Page 2

Insects Insects Insects Arachnids Lots of

Myriapods and crustaceans
6 legs 6 legs 6 legs 8 legs
legs
Butterflies and moths Crickets, grasshoppers and earwigs Lacewings Spiders and harvestmen Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes Can’t find a match?
There are well over 30,000 different species of invertebrate in the UK, so this guide
What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Nothing really! They are very Crickets and grasshoppers have long back legs that are strengthened for jumping. Lacewings have clear wings, which are held like a tent over the body when resting. Spiders and harvestmen have eight legs. Many spiders build webs to catch prey. Myriapods (centipedes and millipedes) are often found at ground level, but sometimes cannot possibly show them all. If you find an invertebrate you cannot identify, record
closely related and there is no one feature that separates the two. The following tips Earwigs have a pair of pincer-shaped claspers called ‘cerci’ at the end of their Harvestmen feed on a range of plant and animal matter. climb onto plants. Crustaceans (such as woodlice) have 14 legs and an armoured body. it as ‘other’ and check our website for further help.
will help you decide, but there are always a few species that break the rules! brown body. long antennae

Spider bodies are clearly divided Woodlice • body divided into many To learn more about UK invertebrates, visit
Butterflies • usually fly during the day • have ‘clubs’ (lumps) on into two parts: segments • 7 pairs of legs • oval www.opalexplorenature.org/bugscount.
the end of their antennae • rest with wings closed vertically above Grasshoppers have shaped body (when viewed from above)
short antennae, The front part is called the • some woodlice can roll into a ball
their body lacewing usually grey Great resources for identifying bugs include the OPAL
much shorter than long cephalothorax (and includes
Moths • usually fly at night but some fly during the day • have one pair of legs iSpot website www.ispotnature.org, and the Natural
their body brown the head) Centipedes • long, thin body divided
pointed and often feathery antennae • rest with their wings folded Legs hard per segment History Museum’s identification forums
Insect larvae (young)
body
into many segments • at least 15
flat over their body to see The back part is called the abdomen www.nhm.ac.uk/identification.
Crickets have Earwig pairs of legs, but can have many
‘clubs’ on antennae long antennae, Many insects go through a four stage life-cycle: egg - larva - pupa - adult. The larvae more • 1 pair of legs on each body
Harvestmen have segment • usually orange or yellow
no ‘clubs’ on usually longer and pupae can be difficult to identify, as they do not always look like the adult.
large pincers at one small body part
antennae
than their body end of body Look after yourself and the bugs you find
What are insect larvae? Most insects reproduce by laying eggs. The young that which is round or oval Millipedes • long, thin body two pairs
hatch from these eggs are of two types: shaped (unlike
of legs per • Handle bugs gently. Only pick them up when necessary and always put them back
divided into segments • usually segment
where you found them.
caterpillar 1 Larvae look very different from the adults. They feed and grow, then their skin spiders which have long less than 50 pairs of legs • 2 pairs
• There are 33 species of cricket and grasshopper in the Did you know? thin • If you put a bug in a jar to look at it, don’t keep it for too long, or leave it in the sun.
hardens and they turn into a pupa. Inside the pupa, they undergo a complete two body parts) of legs on each body segment
caterpillars develop UK and seven species of earwig. legs
butterfly into adult butterflies
change, before hatching as adults. • pill millipedes can roll into a ball dark brown or black • Always act in a safe and careful manner and tell someone where you are going.
and moths moth • Crickets and grasshoppers belong to a group called
Orthoptera, meaning ‘straight-winged’. It refers to the • The UK has 27 species of harvestmen and 650 species Did you know? • See the Field Notebook for further advice.
2 Nymphs look quite like small versions of the adult. To grow, they moult their
way they hold their wings in a line along their back. of spider. • There are 39 species of woodlouse, 57 species of
• There are over 2,500 species of moth in the UK but Did you know? hard skin several times, each time getting bigger and looking more like the adult. Did you know?
fewer than 60 species of butterfly! • Earwigs belong to a closely related group called • All UK spiders are predators of invertebrates, especially centipede and 60 species of millipede in the UK.
• They both belong to a group of insects called Lepidoptera. Dermaptera. The Mole Cricket Butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars) insects. They immobilise them with venom injected • Woodlice, centipedes and millipedes are not closely Learn more about insects – join the Amateur Entomologists’
Photographs: Robert Thompson, Matt Berry, David Green (scientific name Gryllotalpa through their jaws (‘fangs’).
• Grasshoppers only eat plants, while crickets and earwigs related. Centipedes belong to a group called Chilopoda, Society www.amentsoc.org.
• Adult moths and butterflies feed by sucking liquids such gryllotalpa) is one of the
eat other invertebrates as well as plants. • Not all spiders use silken webs to catch their prey. Some millipedes to the Diplopoda, and woodlice are
as nectar through a straw-like tube called a proboscis. UK’s weirdest, rarest and
• Crickets sing (‘chirp’) by rubbing their back legs against most spectacular butterfly caterpillar moth caterpillars actively hunt, and others are ambush predators that sit Thin, wispy cobwebs in crustaceans in a group called Isopoda. For more help with identification visit ispotnature.org.
• Butterflies and moths are important pollinators, as well invertebrates. Like moles, in likely places and wait for prey to pass by. your house, garage or shed
Despite their gentle their wings, or drumming them on a surface. Grasshoppers • All have a large number of legs, but not thousands!
as being a vital food source for other animals. In Britain, they use their shovel-like may well belong to the Eating a woodlouse was
fluttering flight, some chirp by rubbing their wings together. Beetle larvae True fly larvae • Harvestmen are at their most abundant and visible Daddy Long-legs Spider • They live on damp ground surfaces, among fallen leaves once thought to cure Written by John Tweddle, Lucy Carter, Martin Batson, Martin Harvey and Gill Stevens.
Blue Tit chicks eat an estimated 35 billion moth front legs to dig tunnels
butterflies and moths like during the late summer and early autumn – the traditional and decaying logs, and under objects like plant pots.
caterpillars every year. this Red Admiral (scientific
• Earwigs don’t live in ears! through the soil. Mole and pupae crop ‘harvest time’.
(scientific name Pholcus
phalangioides). Originally a
stomach ache (but don’t
try this at home).
Colour artwork © Chris Shields 2010. Photographs © Harry Taylor, Roger Key, Alan Stewart,
Crickets live almost • Woodlice and millipedes mainly eat dead or damaged plants. Martin Hall, Robert Thomson, Matt Berry, David Green.
• Moths are often disliked because it is thought they eat name Vanessa atalanta) click beetle larva tropical species, it has
migrate all the way from
entirely underground,
ladybird larva • Harvestmen do not produce silk or venom, but can spread around the world. • Centipedes eat other invertebrates, which they immobilise Woodlice have been given
clothes and other woollen fabrics. In fact, only two of the eating the roots of plants
southern Europe or North produce a pungent smell to put off predators. In the UK it prefers to live using venom injected from a pair of poison claws near
many different nicknames
2,500 species of moths in the UK are likely to eat clothes. Africa to the UK. They
as well as invertebrates
indoors and in including slaters,
arrive here in spring, breed
that live in soil. bluebottle fly bluebottle fly outbuildings. It eats a wide
their head. cheeselogs, chiggypigs,
stag beetle larva ground beetle larva larva (maggot) pupa pry lludw and
over the summer and most range of invertebrates,
Discover more about these insects on the Butterfly leave again in autumn. Want to discover more about grasshoppers, crickets Discover more at the British Arachnological including other spiders! Discover more at the British Myriapod and Isopod gammerzows!
Conservation website www.butterfly-conservation.org and their relatives? Visit www.orthoptera.org.uk Society’s website www.britishspiders.org.uk Group's website www.bmig.org.uk