With yellow-and-black bands, the giant horntail looks like a large wasp, but is harmless to us. The female uses her long, stinger-like ovipositor to lay eggs in pine trees, where the larvae then…

This common hoverfly can be recognised by the dark markings behind its head, which often resemble the Batman logo.

The distinctive sight of a spoonbill is becoming increasingly common in the east and southwest of England, with colonies of breeding birds now established.

Despite its name, the great spider crab is actually smaller than the more common European spider crab.

As the name suggests, this beautiful brown butterfly is most common in Scotland, though it can also be seen in northern England.

Living up to its name, the Robin's pincushion is a red, round, hairy growth that can be seen on wild roses. It is caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp that feeds on the host plant, but…

The lightbulb sea squirt is common around much of the UK. Its easy to see where its name came from!

This well-camouflaged woodpecker used to be a common breeding bird in Britain, but is now only likely to be seen passing through on migration.

The small white is a common garden visitor. It is smaller than the similar large white, and has less black on its wingtips.

This striking black-and-white moth flies during the day in open woodlands, moorlands, and bogs. It's most common on Scottish moors.

The male purple emperor is a stunning butterfly with a brilliant purple sheen. Look for it feeding around the treetops in woodlands, or on damp ground, animal droppings or even carrion in the…

This crab is common around all of the UK. If you've ever been rockpooling or crabbing, it's probably the shore crab that you've met.