Drake Circus Exhibition

Create vital habitats for pollinating insects with our Wildflower Seed Packets!

Highlighting the UK’s diverse pollinators.

 Honey Bee I
(Apis mellifera)

  • Honey bees can count to four and even understand the concept of zero — an ability once thought unique to humans and some primates. (The Mind of a Bee, Lars Chittka). They also use a “waggle dance” to tell each other where to find food, communicating direction, distance, and quality.

  • Most commonly spotted in gardens, parks, and farmland from spring through autumn. Look for them buzzing around flowering plants or returning to hives in wooden boxes or tree cavities.

  • They’re generalists, but favourites include lavender, borage, clover, dandelion, blackberry, and wildflower meadow mixes rich in nectar and pollen.

 Honey Bee II
(Apis mellifera)

  • This image captures a newborn honey bee emerging from her wax cell — known as “eclosing.” After 21 days developing from egg to adult, she chews her way out of the capped cell to join the hive. Her first job? Cleaning and caring for other brood cells. Only after weeks of hive duties will she leave to forage.

  • Honey bees live in large colonies of up to 60,000 individuals, either in managed beehives or in wild tree cavities and walls. Beekeepers across the UK tend hives in gardens, orchards, farms, and even rooftops — helping sustain bee populations while harvesting honey, wax, and propolis.

  • Honey bees are generalist foragers, visiting a wide variety of plants. They collect nectar and pollen from clover, apple blossom, borage, lavender, brambles, and many wildflowers — making them one of the UK’s most important agricultural pollinator

 Honey Bee III
(Apis mellifera)

  • Before modern beekeeping, honey bees in the UK lived naturally in tree cavities like this one. For centuries, people gathered honey from wild colonies — a practice called “bee hunting.” Today, traditional and natural beekeeping is still practised across Britain, especially in Devon, Wales, Northumberland, and parts of Scotland, where hollow logs or skeps (straw hives) are still used by enthusiasts.

  • Although most honey bees in the UK now live in managed wooden hives, some colonies still thrive in tree hollows, church walls, chimneys, or old barns. These feral colonies often behave more like their wild ancestors and play a vital role in pollination.

  • Wild and kept honey bees forage for nectar and pollen across a wide range of flowers — including bramble, hawthorn, clover, wild marjoram, and tree blossoms like lime and chestnut. Their honey is made by evaporating nectar and sealing it in wax cells — a process unchanged for millions of years.

Red Mason Bee
(Osmia bicornis)

  • Female Red Mason Bees possess two distinctive facial 'horns' used to mold mud when constructing their nest cells. Unlike many bees that collect pollen on their hind legs, these bees gather pollen on specialized hairs located on the underside of their abdomen, known as a 'pollen brush'

  • Common across England and Wales, Red Mason Bees are frequently found in gardens, parks, allotments, and urban areas. They often nest in pre-existing cavities such as hollow plant stems, old nail holes in fence posts, air bricks, and bee hotels.

  • These bees are generalist foragers, collecting pollen and nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants. Early in the season, they favor trees like oak (Quercus) and maple (Acer), and as the season progresses, they shift to herbaceous plants such as buttercups (Ranunculus), poppies (Papaver), and dandelions (Taraxacum).

Brassy Mining Bee (Lasioglossum morio)

  • The Brassy Mining Bee is one of the UK's most common metallic-green bees.
    Despite their solitary nature, females often nest in large aggregations, creating a buzz of activity in suitable habitats. Interestingly, this species exhibits primitively eusocial behavior, with some females acting as workers to assist the dominant reproductive female

  • Widespread across England and Wales, Brassy Mining Bees inhabit various environments, including gardens, meadows, woodland edges, and urban parks. They are particularly fond of sunny spots with bare or sparsely vegetated soil, which they use for nesting.

  • These bees are generalist foragers, visiting a wide range of flowers for nectar and pollen.
    Notable food sources include dandelions, brambles, buttercups, knapweeds, and scabious. Their foraging activity plays a vital role in pollinating various wildflowers.

Small Sallow Mining Bee
(Andrena praecox)

  • The Small Sallow Mining Bee is a specialist pollinator, relying almost exclusively on willow catkins (Salix spp.) for pollen. Emerging in early spring, it plays a crucial role in pollinating willows, which are among the first plants to bloom each year.

  • This bee is typically found in southern Britain, inhabiting willow-rich environments such as woodland edges, heathlands, old quarries, and brownfield sites. It prefers sparsely vegetated, well-drained soils for nesting and is active from early March to May.

  • Females forage almost exclusively on the catkins of Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) and Goat Willow (Salix caprea), synchronizing their life cycle with the flowering period of these trees. Males are often seen flying around willow blossoms but rarely feed.

Bearded Mining Bee (Andrena barbilabris)

  • The Bearded Mining Bee earns its name from the dense hairs on its face, resembling a beard. These hairs are thought to aid females in navigating and excavating their nests in loose, sandy soils

  • This species is commonly found across the UK, particularly in southern regions, inhabiting sandy environments such as coastal dunes, heathlands, woodland edges, and even sandy urban areas like footpaths and gardens.

  • Bearded Mining Bees are generalist foragers, visiting a variety of spring-flowering plants. They are frequently observed on dandelions, willows, hawthorns, and other early-blooming shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Six-spot Burnet Moth
(Zygaena filipendulae)

  • While most moths are nocturnal, the Six-spot Burnet is a vibrant day-flyer, easily spotted by its metallic green wings adorned with six vivid red spots. This striking coloration serves as a warning to predators, as the moth contains cyanide compounds, making it unpalatable. Butterfly Conservation

  • Common across the UK, especially in meadows, grasslands, and coastal areas, these moths are active on sunny days from June to August, often seen feeding on wildflowers.
    Butterfly Conservation

  • Adults feed on nectar from flowers like knapweed, thistles, and scabious. Their larvae primarily feed on bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), a plant prevalent in grasslands. Butterfly Conservation

Poplar Hawk-moth
(Laothoe populi)

  • The Poplar Hawk-moth is one of the UK's largest and most distinctive moths, boasting a wingspan of up to 90 mm.Unusually, it rests with its hindwings held forward of the forewings, creating a unique silhouette. When threatened, it flashes bright orange-red patches on its hindwings to startle predators. Woodland Trust+4UKMoths+4Wikipedia+4

  • This moth is widespread across the UK and can be found in various habitats, including woodlands, parks, gardens, fens, and moorlands. Adults are nocturnal and are often attracted to lights between May and July, with a possible second generation emerging from August to September in southern regions.
    Butterfly ConservationScottish Wildlife Trust

  • While adult Poplar Hawk-moths do not feed, their caterpillars are voracious eaters of poplar, aspen, and willow leaves. The bright green larvae, adorned with diagonal yellow stripes and a characteristic tail horn, can be spotted on these trees from early summer onwards.
    Wildlife Insight

Small Square-spot Moth (Diarsia rubi)

  • Despite its small size, the Small Square-spot Moth is a master of camouflage. By day, it rests on tree bark or among leaf litter, blending in perfectly with its earthy tones and speckled wing pattern. Look closely and you'll spot the faint, pale square-shaped marks that give this moth its name.

  • Widespread across the UK, the Small Square-spot Moth thrives in various habitats, including damp woodlands, marshes, heathlands, and gardens. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to light sources, making them common visitors to light traps between May and September.

  • The caterpillars feed on a variety of herbaceous plants such as dandelion, foxglove, and dock. Adults are known to visit flowers like heather and ragwort for nectar, contributing to pollination under the cover of night.

Skipper Butterflies
(Thymelicus spp.)

  • Skipper butterflies are named for their fast, darting flight — like they’re skipping through the air. Though small and often overlooked, they have hooked antennae (unlike most butterflies) and are an important sign of grassland health.

  • Several skipper species are widespread across the UK from May to September, including the Small, Essex, and Large Skippers. You’ll spot them in grassy meadows, woodland rides, parks and even roadside verges.

  • Adult skippers feed on nectar from flowers like thistles, knapweed, and bird’s-foot trefoil.
    Their caterpillars depend on grasses such as Yorkshire fog, timothy grass, and cock’s-foot.

Brimstone Butterfly
(Gonepteryx rhamni)

  • The Brimstone Butterfly is often credited with inspiring the English word "butterfly" due to the male's bright yellow, butter-colored wings. Remarkably, it boasts one of the longest lifespans among UK butterflies, living up to a year and hibernating through the winter as an adult.

  • Brimstones are widespread across much of England and Wales, frequenting woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, and meadows. They are among the earliest butterflies to emerge in spring, often seen on warm days as early as February.

  • Adult Brimstones feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, including primroses, bluebells, and thistles. Their caterpillars, however, are dependent on buckthorn and alder buckthorn plants, which influences the butterfly's distribution.

Common Blue Butterfly
(Polyommatus icarus)

  • The Common Blue is the UK's most widespread blue butterfly. Males display vibrant blue wings with a white fringe, while females are typically brown with orange spots and a hint of blue near the body. Interestingly, the blue coloration is not due to pigment but results from microscopic scales on the wings that reflect light, creating a shimmering effect.

  • Common Blues inhabit a variety of sunny, grassy environments across the UK, including meadows, coastal dunes, woodland clearings, and even urban gardens. They are active from May to October, with two generations per year in southern regions and one in the north.

  • Adult butterflies feed on nectar from flowers such as clovers, buttercups, and daisies. Their caterpillars primarily consume plants in the pea family, especially Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), which is crucial for their development

 Red-tailed Bumblebee
(Bombus lapidarius)

  • The Common Blue is the UK's most widespread blue butterfly. Males display vibrant blue wings with a white fringe, while females are typically brown with orange spots and a hint of blue near the body. Interestingly, the blue coloration is not due to pigment but results from microscopic scales on the wings that reflect light, creating a shimmering effect.

  • Widespread across the UK, the Red-tailed Bumblebee thrives in diverse habitats, including gardens, meadows, hedgerows, and urban green spaces. They typically nest underground, often in abandoned rodent burrows or under stones, with colonies housing up to 300 workers.

  • This bumblebee favors a range of flowering plants. In spring, queens are often seen on dandelions, bluebells, and flowering currant. As the season progresses, workers and males forage on knapweed, lavender, heather, and thistles

White-tailed Bumblebee
(Bombus lucorum)

  • The White-tailed Bumblebee is often considered the classic bumblebee due to its distinctive black body with two bright lemon-yellow bands and a clean white tail. Interestingly, what we commonly refer to as the White-tailed Bumblebee is actually a complex of three nearly identical species: Bombus lucorum, Bombus magnus, and Bombus cryptarum, which can only be reliably distinguished through DNA analysis.

  • This species is widespread across the UK and can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens, parks, woodlands, farmland, and heathlands. They are among the earliest bumblebees to emerge in spring, with queens appearing as early as March, and can be seen foraging until late summer.

  • White-tailed Bumblebees are generalist foragers with a preference for open, shallow flowers due to their relatively short tongues. They commonly feed on plants such as clovers, knapweed, bramble, dandelions, and thistles. Occasionally, they may engage in "nectar robbing" by piercing the base of deep flowers to access nectar, bypassing the pollination process

Marmalade Hoverfly
(Episyrphus balteatus)

  • The Marmalade Hoverfly is one of the UK's most common and widespread hoverflies, easily recognized by its orange body adorned with distinctive black bands. Despite its wasp-like appearance—a clever form of mimicry to deter predators—it is entirely harmless. Remarkably, this species is migratory; each year, millions travel from continental Europe to the UK, providing essential pollination services along the way

  • These hoverflies are abundant across the UK and can be found in a variety of habitats, including gardens, parks, meadows, and woodland edges. They are active throughout the year, with peak numbers observed in the summer months.

  • Adult Marmalade Hoverflies feed on nectar and pollen from a wide range of flowering plants, favoring species like tansy, ragwort, and cow parsley. Their larvae are voracious predators of aphids, making them valuable allies in natural pest control.

Common Hoverfly
(Syrphus ribesii)

  • This hoverfly is a master of disguise — it mimics the yellow-and-black stripes of a wasp but is completely harmless. Unlike wasps, Syrphus ribesii can’t sting or bite. Its larvae play a vital role in pest control, munching on aphids in gardens and fields.

  • One of the UK’s most common hoverflies, this species is widespread in gardens, meadows, hedgerows, and parks. You’ll spot them hovering or darting between flowers from April to October, particularly on sunny days.

  • Adults feed on nectar and pollen from a wide range of wildflowers including daisies, dandelions, cow parsley, and hogweed.
    The larvae develop in colonies of aphids, helping reduce their numbers naturally.

Bee Wolf Wasp
(Philanthus triangulum)

  • The Bee Wolf Wasp, aptly named for its predation on honeybees, is a solitary wasp known for its remarkable hunting behavior. Females paralyze honeybees with a precise sting and transport them to underground nests as nourishment for their larvae. To protect their offspring from harmful fungi, they employ a unique method: secreting a substance containing beneficial bacteria into the brood cells, which produces antibiotics to safeguard the developing larvae

  • Bee Wolf Wasps are typically found in sandy habitats such as coastal dunes, lowland heaths, and occasionally urban parks with suitable soil conditions. In the UK, their range has expanded significantly since the 1990s, and they are now observed as far north as Yorkshire.

  • Adult Bee Wolf Wasps feed on nectar from various flowers, including bramble, sea holly, and heather. Their larvae, however, rely exclusively on paralyzed honeybees provided by the female wasp

Red-banded Sand Wasp
(Ammophila sabulosa)

  • The Red-banded Sand Wasp is a solitary wasp with a dramatic lifestyle. Females paralyse caterpillars with a sting, drag them into burrows, and lay an egg on them — providing a fresh meal for their developing larvae. It’s a perfect example of nature’s precision and survival strategy.

  • You’ll find this wasp in sandy or well-drained soils, especially on heathlands, dunes, grasslands, and quarries across southern and central Britain. Look for them from June to September, often foraging on flat-topped flowers like wild carrot and hogweed.

  • While the adults feed on nectar from umbellifer flowers such as cow parsley, hogweed, and yarrow, they hunt moth and butterfly caterpillars to feed their young. Females can be spotted dragging their prey backward across open ground — a fascinating sight!

A Pit Stop for Pollinators

  • Since the 1930s, the UK has lost a staggering 97% of its wildflower meadows, and in some areas, insect populations have declined by over 75%. The UK is now recognised as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Yet there is still hope — starting right here.

  • Urban spaces — from business parks and schoolyards to roadside verges and roundabouts — are often overlooked as wildlife habitats. But by planting native wildflowers in these spaces, we can create crucial ‘pit stops’ for pollinators, helping them move through increasingly fragmented landscapes.

  • interventions can make a big difference. Patches like this provide nectar, pollen, and shelter, turning neglected grass into living infrastructure. These meadows don’t just support insects — they support us, by sustaining food systems and boosting biodiversity.