A to Z challenge 2023 – L is for . . .

 

A to Z challenge 2023 – L is for . . .

My theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of England.

All photographs in this post are the property of the writer.

Lonicera (honeysuckle)

One of the most generous and delectable plants in the garden, honeysuckle comes in a wide variety of colours, can be evergreen or deciduous, usually climbs but can be shrubby. 

Lonicera attracts butterflies and bees during the day and night-flying moths at night. 

They have a wonderful, heady scent although we have one in the garden, ‘Copper Beauty’, which is evergreen and is reputed to have ‘fragrant orange-yellow flowers’. 

Lonicera 'Copper Beauty'

 It certainly has the pretty flowers but I have never noticed any fragrance.

 The rest of the honeysuckles make up for it, though, and it is good to see the glossy green leaves in winter.

Libellula depressa

The broad-bodied chaser or darter is one of the commonest UK dragonflies, with a wingspan of about 70mm (just over 2¾ inches) and is not one of the most attractive. The male has a pruinose blue abdomen. Now, pruinose is an adjective unfamiliar to me and I rather liked the sound of it. Simply expressed, which suits me, as I’m a simple soul, it means ‘frosted –looking’. I have seen the colour described as 'powder blue', which makes it sound quite delicate.

However, the one in our photographs is a female, described as ‘golden or greeny-brown’. 

Broad-bodied chasers are on the wing from May to July and eat midges and mosquitoes, so are a welcome visitor near bodies of still or slow-moving water.

Lily beetle

 This little beetle's scientific name is Lilioceris lilii - isn't that a lovely name? It rolls off the tongue.

Lily beetles are attractive scarlet pests that attack lilies (surprisingly!) and fritillaries and need to be removed.

Lily beetles doing what comes naturally

 I don’t like squashing them so throw them in the pond for the fish. It’s probably far crueller to drown them!