There are two groups of plants that are always spoken of as “THE” obligatory species to grow in a wildlife garden – Asters and Golden Rod.

Very hot and sunny this afternoon in the garden and ten minutes baking in front of a single Golden Rod produced these eight species. There were more but these were the ones I photographed. naturally some were well known but four of the eight were brand new (lifer) species for the garden. It was so busy sone insects were almost lining up for their turn on the flowers.

  • Western Honey Bee
  • European Common Blue Butterfly
  • Yellow-legged Flower (= Hover) Fly
  • Five-banded Thynnid Wasp (solitary wasps whose larvae are parasitoids of various beetle larvae)
  • Philanthis spp (a genus commonly known as Beewolves)
  • Eastern Hornet Fly (not a hornet)
  • Ectemnius sp. (really tiny – one of the square headed wasp group)
  • Dark paper Wasp