Lacy wonders everywhere

As the season moves through summer, we see waves of flower colour and shape dominating the hedgerows, each synchronised to the preferences of emerging insects.

After the blues, pinks and yellows of spring that are usually very simple flowers, early summer sees a shift to the purples and whites of flowers like knapweed, Echium and Ox-eye daisy.

In late summer the purple and cerise flushes have given way to the whites of elders, cow parsleys and wild carrots - white laces surround us now. Clearly something has changed in the pollinator mix. It is often the overlooked flies that prefer these tiny flower clusters. Flies come in such variety, you may think that they are bees or wasps - the hoverflies in particular are accomplished mimics to confuse potential predators.