Guides

Answers to the questions people ask most about the insects and spiders around them. Every statement is backed by at least two published sources.

Big insects that look scary but are harmlessThis insect is huge and looks dangerous: will it sting or bite me?Caterpillars you should not touchWhich caterpillars can irritate or sting my skin, and what should I do if I touch one?Dragonfly or damselfly?How can I tell a dragonfly from a damselfly, and do they sting?Fireflies and glow-worms: how insects make lightHow do fireflies and glow‑worms make light, and why do they do it?Harlequin ladybird or a native one?How do I tell a harlequin ladybird from a native ladybird such as the seven‑spot?Hornet, wasp or honeybee: how to tell them apartI saw a big striped flying insect: is it a hornet, a wasp, a honeybee or a bumblebee, and should I worry?House spiders: are they harmful?There is a big spider in my house: is it dangerous, and what should I do?Hoverflies that look like bees and waspsThis looks like a bee or a wasp but behaves differently: is it a hoverfly, and is it safe?Insects that migrateDo insects really migrate, how far do they go, and how can they do it when they live for weeks?Invasive insects in the gardenWhich non‑native insects are spreading into gardens and farms, how do I recognise them, and are they dangerous?Large, small or green-veined white?Which of the common white butterflies is this, and is it the one eating my cabbages?Praying mantisesWhat is a praying mantis, how does it hunt, and which mantis am I looking at?Shield bugs and stink bugs that come indoors in autumnWhich bugs are crowding into my house in autumn, are they harmful, and what are they?Small moths and beetles that damage clothes and stored foodWhat is the small moth or beetle in my wardrobe or kitchen cupboard, and what does it eat?The moth people mistake for a hummingbirdThat tiny hovering thing at my flowers: is it a hummingbird, a bee or a moth?