Bugnoculars

I've recently become aware of the existence of Pentax Papilio binoculars. Most binoculars struggle at close distances, causing double vision or misalignment between the left and right eyes. These binoculars solve this with a mechanism that physically shifts the front lenses as you focus closer, ensuring a comfortable view. For long-range viewing, the lenses automatically return to their normal position. They can focus on subjects just 50cm away, making them useful for examining plants, insects, etc, and very useful for anyone with limited mobility who is unable to bend or kneel. They come in two magnifications: the 6.5x version has a wider field of view and steadier handheld viewing, useful for tracking moving subjects; the 8.5x version provides more magnification for studying distant details.

Psallus on Turkey Oak in Britain

A. Cann & S. Timms. Psallus (Heteroptera: Miridae) on Turkey Oak in Britain. (2026) British Journal of Entomology and Natural History Volume 39, Part 3, p146-7. 

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What's Old is New

I've just spent a weekend in the New Forest, a place I've always wanted to see but have never visited before.  It was called the New Forest a thousand years ago (when it was already 11,000 years old), to confuse American tourists.  And it's stunning, so rich in biodiversity.  It has a medieval feel to it, a mosaic of wood pasture, grazed by cattle and horses, and at this time of the year, herds of pigs turned out into the forest to fatten on acorns (pannage). Almost inevitably, wherever I visit I'm disappointed at the land management practices from a conservation standpoint, but I can't say that about the New Forest.  Dead wood is everywhere, pretty much left where it falls.  The New Forest Authority is doing a first rate job of managing an ancient landscape under intense tourist pressure - hats off to them.  If only more areas were managed with the same care. 

Entomology Update - September 2026

A great many wasps this month.

Squatters

I am absolutely rubbish at rearing insects but I'm trying to be a good Hymenopterist by rearing parasitoids out from their hosts. In theory, this should make my life easier by making the emerging insects easier to identify - but things often don't go to plan.

Notable Finds

Spaniopus dissimilis, 1st record for VC55

Hemiptarsenus fulvicollis, 1st record for VC55

Sycophila mellea, 1st record for VC55

Coelopisthia extenta, 1st record for VC55

Phygadeuon trichops, 1st record for VC55

News from Elsewhere

Invertebrates in big trouble

A new report by the JNCC highlights over three-quarters of all endemic invertebrates in UK Overseas Territories are classified as threatened, meaning that they are at a high risk of extinction. Across all endemic plant and animal types, the three species groups with the highest proportion of threatened species were invertebrates, with almost all crustaceans and nearly 9/10 arachnids and insects considered threatened.

More than meets the eye

A Robin's Pincushion (Bedeguar Gall) isn't just a home for the wasp larvae that caused the gall to form, it's a thriving miniature ecosystem. 

 

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