Author: Hannah Whitlock

Almost always the blue mud dauber, a solitary spider-hunting wasp that rarely stings. What it eats, how to spot its nest, and why it’s worth leaving alone.

Dragonflies symbolise transformation, adaptability and clear sight, and many read them as messages from the dead. Culture by culture meanings, colours, dreams and visits.

Egg to adult takes four to eight weeks. What the alligator-like larva looks like, why gardeners kill it by mistake, and how to support the full cycle in a garden.

Only male purple emperors flash purple, and only at certain angles. Why the colour is structural, why they feed on dung and carrion, and what the American look-alikes are.

Monarch eggs are ridged white domes the size of a pinhead, laid singly under milkweed leaves. When to look, what gets mistaken for them, and whether to rear them.

Badgers, skunks, bears, bats, frogs, dragonflies, robber flies and mantises all eat wasps. How each gets around the sting, and why a torn-up ground nest needs no treatment.

Mostly insects, caught by web, ambush, or active hunting, then liquefied and drunk rather than chewed. Why leaving spiders alone usually pays off.

Carpet beetles feed on fabric and don’t bite; bed bugs feed on blood and do. How to identify each, what attracts them, and why the treatment differs completely.

A monarch butterfly means transformation, hope, and the return of departed loved ones. Where the Dia de los Muertos link comes from and what a monarch visit signifies.

A bee landing on you means good luck and effort rewarded, and many read it as a sign from a loved one. Why bees really land on people, and whether you should worry about a sting.