Garden Insects

Here is a gallery of photographs I've taken of insects in the garden of my house in south Norwich, Norfolk, UK, from 2008 onwards. Macrophotography of garden insects is rewarding because it helps one appreciate the rich variety of insects found in one's own backyard; for example, the garden attracts a surprising diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (even the regional specialities, Norfolk Hawker and Willow Emerald), and this was the case even before it had a small pond (from spring 2020). To me, garden insect photography has the further advantage that the only strange looks I get while stalking insects, camera in hand, are from my family.

All images are © Andrew Bourke. If you would like to use one, please contact me (see e-mail address on Contact page). If you think I've made a mistake in any of the identifications, please also let me know.

To enlarge any images (and see the scientific name), and/or to click through them, click on any one.

Broad-bodied Chaser, adult male	Broad-bodied Chaser, immature male
Broad-bodied Chaser, adult female	Southern Hawker, female
Southern Hawker, male	Brown Hawker, female
Brown Hawker, male	Norfolk Hawker, male
Migrant Hawker, female	Migrant Hawker, male
Emperor Dragonfly, female	Common Darter, female
Common Darter, immature male	Ruddy Darter, female
Willow Emerald, female	Azure Damselfly, female
Azure Damselfly, male	Blue-tailed Damselfly, immature male
Common Blue Damselfly, male	Large Red Damselfly, female
Large Red Damselfly, male	Speckled Bush-cricket, early-instar nymph (missing a hind leg)
Speckled Bush-cricket, late-instar nymph, female	Speckled Bush-cricket, adult male
Oak Bush-cricket, female	Long-winged Conehead, female nymph
Long-winged Conehead, adult female	Long-winged Conehead, adult male
Field Grasshopper, female	Field Grasshopper, male
Lesser Marsh Grasshopper	Dock Bug, adult
Dock Bug, nymph	Box Bug, adult
Box Bug, nymph	Rhopalid bug
Ant Damsel Bug, nymph	Mirid bug
Mirid bug	Mirid bug
Mirid bug	Mirid bug
Mirid bug	Mirid bug
Hawthorn Shieldbug	Hairy Shieldbug
Woundwort Shieldbug	Crucifer Shieldbug
Green Shieldbug, adult	Green Shieldbug, adult (winter form)
Green Shieldbug, nymph	Forest Shieldbug, dark form
Vernal Shieldbug	Gorse Shieldbug, spring form
Pied Shieldbug	Lupin Aphid
Eared Leafhopper	Issid planthopper
Small Skipper	Essex Skipper
Large Skipper, male	Orange Tip, male
Large White	Green-veined White
Brown Argus, male	Holly Blue, female
Common Blue, male	Small Copper
Small Tortoiseshell	Peacock
Comma	Red Admiral
Painted Lady	Speckled Wood
Ringlet	Meadow Brown
Hedge Brown, male	Box Tree Moth
Micromoth	Green Longhorn Moth, male
Longhorn micromoth, male	Elephant Hawk-moth, caterpillar
Red-tipped Clearwing	Currant Clearwing, female
Silver Y	Hoverfly, female
Hoverfly (hornet/wasp mimic), male	Hoverfly (hornet mimic), female
Hoverfly (bumble bee mimic, white-tailed form), male	Hoverfly (bumble bee mimic, red-tailed form), female
Narcissus Fly (bumble bee mimic, brown form)	Narcissus Fly (bumble bee mimic, banded and red-tailed form)
Narcissus Fly (bumble bee mimic, black and red-tailed form)	Narcissus Fly (bumble bee mimic, banded and buff-tailed form)
Hoverfly, male	Hoverfly, female
Hoverfly, male	Hoverfly, female
Hoverfly, male	Hoverfly
Hoverfly, female	Hoverfly, male
Hoverfly, male	Drone Fly, female
Hoverfly	Hoverfly, female
Hoverfly, female	Hoverfly, male
Hoverfly, female	Hoverfly, female
Anthomyiid fly	Miltogrammine fly, male
Muscid fly, female	Muscid fly, male
Muscid fly	Bee-fly (bumble bee mimic)
Soldier-fly	Soldier-fly, female
Little Snipe-fly, male	Black Snipe-fly, female
Black Snipe-fly, male	Tephritid fly
Celery Fly	White Bryony Berry-fly
Tephritid fly	Tephritid fly
Tephritid fly, male	Greenbottle
Empidid fly	Robber-fly
Robber-fly	Robber-fly, female
Common Awl Robber-fly, female	Common Awl Robber-fly, male
Crane fly	Tachinid fly
Tachinid fly	Tachinid fly
Flesh Fly	Yellow Dung Fly
Conopid fly	Stilt-legged fly
Common Stiletto Fly	Sawfly
Sawfly	Rose Sawfly, larva
Sawfly, larvae	Yellow Lawn Ant, workers and larvae
Black Garden Ant, swarming males	Red Ant, worker
Parasitoid wasp	Parasitoid wasp
Ruby-tail Wasp	Digger wasp
Digger wasp, female	Digger wasp, female
Bee-wolf (hunting wasp), female	Common Wasp, worker
Tawny Mining Bee, female	Flower bee, female
Flower bee, male	Ivy Bee, female
Pantaloon Bee, female	Pantaloon Bee, male
Leaf-cutter bee, female	Leaf-cutter bee, male
Red Mason Bee, female	Garden Bumble Bee, worker
Tree Bumble Bee, worker	Red-tailed Bumble Bee, worker
Red-tailed Bumble Bee, male	Common Carder (Bumble) Bee, worker
Early Bumble Bee, worker	Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, worker
Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, queen	Cuckoo Bumble Bee, female
Cuckoo Bumble Bee, male	Honey Bee, worker
Cleptoparasitic bee, female	Carrion beetle
Welsh Chafer	Garden Chafer
Ten-spot Ladybird	Cream-spot Ladybird
Seven-spot Ladybird	Seven-spot Ladybird, larva
Harlequin Ladybird	Harlequin Ladybird, larva
Pine Ladybird	Fourteen-spot Ladybird
Twenty-two-spot Ladybird	Soft-winged flower beetle
Rosemary Leaf Beetle	Weevil
Apple Fruit Weevil	Weevil
Lily Beetle	Common Malachite
Thick-legged Flower Beetle, male	Soldier beetle
Black-tipped Soldier Beetle	Red-headed Cardinal Beetle
Wasp Beetle	Longhorn beetle
Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle	Longhorn beetle
Black-striped Longhorn Beetle, female