Many different groups can be recorded in February, but there are a few we would like you to keep an eye open for. More...

February - the temperature may be bracing but the days are getting longer and the buds are swelling ready to burst. And there's lots of species you can record - birds, fungi, lichens, mosses, springtails, etc. But here are a few species that may be around in February which we would like you to keep an eye out for. Do you accept our challenge? 

Meliscaeva auricollis
One of the first hoverflies to appear each year. Warm days bring it out of hibernation. 

Spring Usher - Agriopis leucophaearia
A very variable species of moth, associated with Oaks. 

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - Bombus terrestris
One of the earliest bees to be seen and the largest to visit gardens. 

Xylocleptes bispinus
This 2-3mm beetle was first recorded in Leicestershire in 2021. Look for the holes in the dead stems of Clematis species, particularly Traveller's-joy (Clematis vitalba). 

Scarlet Elfcup - Sarcoscypha austriaca
This species is found growing on fallen pieces of dead hardwood among mosses and leaf litter in damp habitats from late winter to early spring.

Daffodil Fly - Norellia spinipes
A small orange fly with long legs most likely to be found on or around daffodils.