We are all connected - B
Violet Carpenter Bee (Xylopa violacea), the common and the largest bee in Europe. Like most members of the genus Xylocopa, it makes nests in dead wood; this is why its name. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Bottlebrush Weevil (Rhinostomus barbirostris), the third largest weevil in the world, native to Central and South Americas.
Manchester Museum.
Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus), a common species found from Europe to Central Asia. Lives in a n awide variety of habitats, including forests, hedges, riverbanks and swamps. Read more here.
Manchester Museum, A.2434.7
Common Shrew (Sorex araneus), one of the commonest shrew species in the UK, found in gardens, deciduous and mixed woodland, grassland and agricultural fields.
Manchester Museum, A.1513
Glass model of the Great Black Slug (Arion ater), a common native British slug, found in any well vegetated area, including gardens. Read more here. The glass model was made by the German father-and-son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in the nineteenth century; see here for more information about them.
Manchester Museum.
Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the Common Rat, Street Rat, Sewer Rat, etc. Read more here.
Manchester Museum, A.2415.1.
Death's Head Cockroach (Blaberus cranifer), native to the West Indies and Central America; it is a common pet species among cockroach keepers.
Manchester Museum.
Top: Blue-spotted Emperor (Charaxes cithaeron), native to south-east Africa. Middle: Black-bordered Charaxes (Charaxes pollux), native to tropical Africa. Bottom: Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp.), native to Central and South Americas. In search of mineral nutrients, many butterflies regularly feed on such moist substances as rotting plant matter, mud and even carrion. Such behaviour is called mud-puddling, or just puddling. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
In the wild, Hide and Larder Beetles of the family Dermestidae are scavengers associated with carcasses and bird’s nests where they feed on hides, skins, feathers, dried meat and tendons. Although these beetles are important natural decomposers of dead animals and birds, they could also be serious household pests. Read more here and here.
Manchester museum.
Huge Violet Ground Beetle (Procerus caucasicus), a wingless beetle native to the Caucasus and the Crimea.
Manchester Museum.
Glass model of a European slug of the genus Limax.
The glass model was made by the German father-and-son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in the nineteenth century; see here for more information about them.
Manchester Museum.
The Burying Beetle Diamesus osculans, native to the Australasian region. Burying Beatles, known also as Carrion Beetles, as called so because they bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and rodents as a food source for their larvae.
Manchester Museum.
Model of the Common Frog (Rana temporaria). The species is widespread throughout the UK, found in gardens, meadows and woodland areas. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Cottony Cushion Scale insects (superfamily Coccoidea) from India (Darjeeling), distant relatives of green flies. Many scale insects are pests. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula), a common bird, regular visitor to UK gardens, well adapted to suburban areas. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Dor Beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius), a very common dung beetle that is capable to feed on horse dung. Read more here.
Weasel (Mustela nivalis), a common species throughout the UK (except for Ireland). A voracious predator that eats a third of its own body weight daily, hunting on rodents, birds and young rabbits. Read more here.
Manchester Museum, A.2434.3
Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis), common and widespread over much of the UK except in the far north of Scotland. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Model of the Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita). In the UK, the species is confined to coastal sand dune systems, coastal grazing marshes and sandy heaths; threatened by habitat loss. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
Stoat (Mustela erminea) and European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The Stoat is a common British species which is capable to take on prey more than five times its size. Rabbits are a stoat’s favoured prey. Read more here.
Manchester Museum, A.2355.14/15
This is a wax model of the European heath spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata). This plant is a cheat. It attracts pollinators with bright colours and spots, but it does not offer any nectar to reward the insect for visiting. Read more here.
Manchester Museum.
House Mouse (Mus musculus) is one of the urban species living wherever people live. Read more here.
Manchester Museum, A.2434.4