One plant, several pollinators

The plant in question is a native wildflower, called Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica). It's a late flowering perennial, usually appearing from July to September and is commonly found in damp meadows. In our case, it's growing in the back bed, which is anything but wet; nevertheless, it seems to be flourishing!!

This member of the daisy family is a tall upright plant that can reach up to 1m. The leaves and stem are hairy, the leaves being lance shaped, alternate and directly clasping the stem (ie no leaf stalk). Higher up the stem, it sends off side shoots, which all end in a cluster of bright yellow flowers, that are hugely attractive to pollinators.

These are some of the many pollinators I witnessed in just half an hour, each one an essential part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem:

Above left: A Gatekeeper Butterfly, sometimes known as the Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus)  Right: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

Above left: A Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)  Right: A Thick Legged Hoverfly (Syritta pipiens)

Above left: A pair of Scentless Plant Bugs (Stictopleurus abutilon)  Right: A Red Spotted Parasite Fly (Eriothrix rufomaculata)

Above left: A Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum calceatum?)  Right: A Western Honey Bee (Apis Melifera)

Above left: A Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii)   Right: A Common Yellow Face Bee (?) (Hylaeus communis)  

A Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)

The drought can have a severe impact on our insects, especially those that rely on nectar and pollen. Water stressed plants produce fewer, smaller flowers over a shorter flowering period. Studies have shown that those flowers that are produced, contain less nectar, and the nectar itself has a lower sugar content. This means that the insects have to expend more energy to obtain sufficient supplies.

So please help our pollinators in these drought conditions, by cultivating and watering suitable plants.....in your garden, or on your windowsill or balcony. And please remember that insects also need water, and whereas they may normally get a lot from their diet, that becomes more difficult in hot, dry conditions. A simple saucer of clean water, with a couple of pebbles or stones for perches, should help.

NB, I have tried my best to identify the different species, but there are many similar species and without an expert eye and a hand lens, I can't guarantee that all the attributions are correct, although I'm pretty certain about most of them.

Words and pictures: Denise Long July 2025