Amazing Heathland Insect and Reptile Discoveries... Tiger Beetles, Dragonflies and Lizards!

Join me for another fascinating episode of Under the Leaf as we explore Thursley Common, one of the UK's most unusual and wildlife-rich heathland habitats. With a scorching summer day providing perfect conditions, we head out across sandy heathland, heather, pine woodland and wetland, searching for extraordinary insects, reptiles and other wildlife. And this short adventure turns out to be packed with remarkable discoveries. Our first major encounter is a beautiful Grayling Butterfly — a species I had never seen as an adult in England before. Its extraordinary camouflage allows it to blend almost perfectly into tree bark and the surrounding ground, even hiding its bright orange upper wings when necessary. We then discover a spectacular swarm of flying ants, revealing the fascinating reality behind the idea of "Flying Ant Day". We explore why winged ants emerge in huge numbers during hot, humid and calm weather, and encounter carpenter ants busily excavating a nest inside a rotting log. Next, we venture onto the boardwalk through the wetland, where dragonflies are everywhere. We look at their incredible aerial abilities, their extraordinary eyesight and their fascinating life cycle — including the astonishing fact that some dragonfly species can spend years living underwater as nymphs before emerging as adults. But the insects aren't the only stars of the day. Along the boardwalk we encounter common lizards, basking in the sunshine. We discover how these fascinating UK reptiles can give birth to live young and can even shed their tails when grabbed by a predator. The insect discoveries continue with a Dor Beetle, a type of dung beetle that creates burrows beside animal dung and transports the dung underground to feed its young. We also discover the beautiful purple sheen that can appear on its apparently black body. Then comes the wonderfully bizarre Bloody-nosed Beetle. This unusual flightless beetle has a remarkable defence mechanism known as reflex bleeding, producing a foul-tasting reddish liquid from its mouth and joints when threatened. We also encounter incredibly fast and spectacular Tiger Beetles. These remarkable predators have enormous eyes, powerful jaws and extraordinary running speed. We take a closer look at their specialised behaviour and why they are associated with dry, sandy heathland habitats such as Thursley Common. There are still more discoveries to come, including the beautiful Copper Green Clock Beetle, another unidentified flying beetle, and a spectacular Emperor Moth caterpillar displaying its unusual defensive behaviour. This episode is a celebration of the incredible diversity of British insects and wildlife, showing just how much can be discovered in a relatively small area of heathland and wetland. Wildlife featured in this episode includes: Grayling Butterfly Flying Ants Carpenter Ants Dragonflies Common Lizards Dor Beetle Bloody-nosed Beetle Tiger Beetles Copper Green Clock Beetle Emperor Moth Caterpillar If you enjoy insect spotting, entomology, British wildlife, UK insects, nature walks, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, reptiles, heathland wildlife and discovering fascinating creatures in the wild, subscribe to Under the Leaf – Insect Videos for more wildlife adventures. Thursley Common proves once again that you never know what you might discover when you take a closer look at the natural world. What extraordinary creature will we find next? #Insects #Entomology #ThursleyCommon #Butterflies #Beetles #Dragonflies #Lizards All video footage is copyrighted to Ben Smith and may not be reproduced without written consent.