Erica

Yes, migrating birds are impressive. But what about the trillions of insects that migrate with them? In the new podcast episode, Erica McAlister and host Isabella Tree discuss how scientists are only just discovering the astonishing ways in which insects migrate to our shores every year. Erica is principle curator at the Natural History Museum and a devoted advocate for bugs. 📻Listen to Bug Life Garden on the Knepp Wilding Podcast, where you get your podcasts.

All hail the humble hoverfly. Erica McAlister, aka Queen of the Flies, is a Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum. She joins Isabella Tree in the latest episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast. Erica asks us to think about the entire life cycle of the insects in your garden. Young hoverflies are like ‘biological control units’ eating the aphids in gardens. So don’t just put plants out for them. They need decomposing wood, ponds and good soils. 📻Listen to Bug Life Garden on the Knepp Wilding Podcast, where you get your podcasts.

New publication alert!!!! (well advanced warning for October 2026) Insect Day A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Hexapod lives by Erica McAlister & Illustrated by Natalie McIntyre An hourly guide that follows twenty-four insects as they find food, mates, and safety from predators. In this short book, celebrated scientist and award-winning author Erica McAlister leads readers on a worldwide field trip in search of insects. Each chapter of Insect Day introduces a single insect during a single hour, highlighting how twenty-four different species spend their time. Early in our day, we meet a cold Arctic bumblebee, basking among poppy flower petals to warm itself. Even when the world around her is very cold, she keeps remarkably warm simply by vibrating. Near midday, there is enough sunlight for the blue-winged helicopter, a damselfly, to navigate the forests for her prey. When our insect spots a spider web, she looks for its creator—one vicious hunter eyeing up another. The giant damselfly reverses away from the web and then launches into an attack, grabbing onto the spider with her forelegs. If successful (many spiders are dropped), she perches while feasting. And then, like the most fastidious of diners, she cleans off any gossamer threads with a good preen. In the dark, the dung beetle also looks to the sky, using the Milky Way to orient itself as it rolls a ball of dung—a future home for its offspring. And, as our day closes, a tiger moth escapes bat hunters by fighting sound with sound—jamming bats’ sonar with ultrasonic clicking noises. For each chapter, artist Natalie McIntyre has depicted these insects in stunning illustrations, blending traditional scientific drawing methods with fine art techniques. Working together to narrate and illustrate these unique moments in time, McAlister and McIntyre have created an engaging read that is a perfect way to spend an hour or two—and a true gift for readers, amateur naturalists, and all insect lovers. to pre-order - https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo271348363.html @royentsoc @uchicagopress

Just brought home some Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip and catmint…the boy is being ridiculous.. (Coat is for his overlicking skin problem)

When we think of insects, we think of winged flying things. But most of an insect’s life is spent in the larval stage. So why aren’t we gardening for that? In the new episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast, Isabella Tree’s guest is Erica McAlister. Erica, a principle curator at the Natural History Museum, is an expert – and die-hard fan - of all things insect. 📻Listen to Bug Life Garden on the Knepp Wilding Podcast, where you get your podcasts.

Happy birthday to the wonderfully charming Sir David Attenborough. Lucky to have chatted, laughed, and worked (albeit briefly) with the great man. One of my goosebump moments in life was standing behind the camera watching him being filmed in the tank room of the @natural_history_museum . We had been chatting about the script and then he excused himself to mentally prepare for the recording. As he turned to face the cameras and started talking, I was transported back to the many evenings that we had spent listening to that voice and watching that smile. Truly inspirational man I won’t ruin the moment by repeating the story about what we were chatting about whilst looking at an image my phone but yes, it was insect genitalia 😎🤘

“Everybody likes a wobble.” 🐝🪰🍃 Join the peerless Erica McAlister in Knepp’s Rewilded Walled Garden alongside Isabella Tree for the latest episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast – released today. Compared to other insects, bees are pretty hopeless pollinators. Flies, on the other hand, can pollinate plants and kill your aphids. Erica McAlister is a Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum and a bug-crazy fly aficionada. 📻Listen where you get your podcasts.

#WorldRobberflyDay You don’t have to go far to see Robberflies. 28 species have been recorded in the UK and they are by far some of our most attractive, biggest and badass species Venomous predators that can/will attack many species that are larger than themselves. Asilus crabroniformis - the hornet robberfly. Our biggest robberfly and one sought by many to see. You need some good dung, a downland/heathland/coastal habitat and a bit of luck. But what a feast for your soul when you do! Laphria flava- the bumblebee robberfly. If not the largest maybe the fluffiest of the British species. And is found in the rather gorgeous Cairngorms and their environs liking the ancient Caledonian forests Machimus rusticus - the downland robberfly. This species does like a southern chalk grassland but has been found further north. For more info about British species check out .uk/soldierflies-allies-scheme/home

Three lovely predators for #worldrobberflyday from South Africa. I had the wonderful opportunity of filming these beauts last year Dasophrys sp (probably) of which there are 30+ species recognised. The genus was established by Hermann Loew in 1858 and has been extensively revised by the late great Dipterist Jason Londt. Damalis sp is in a bigger genus with over a hundred species in this one, but this was by far the smaller of the robber flies And then Neolophonotus - the biggest genus of the three with over 280 described species, just found in Southern Africa! Often if you miss imaging them on the first go, they will come back to the same or nearby perch which makes them great to observe. And you don’t have to go to glamorous nature reserves - these were hanging around beside the road near massive electricity pylons! Thanks to @tdikow for help with identification @team_diptera @royentsoc

GO BIG, GO BOLD Its #WorldRobberflyDay - a celebration of the most attractive predators on this planet (no bias) Here is the aptly named Heligmonevra forcipata (Meijere, 1916) - an impressive terminalia club with formidable 'pincers' (as described by Meijere). This species is one of 69 described species from a mostly Oriental & Afrotropical genus, and this specimen is from Western Sumatra collected in 1925 - over a hundred and still looking good! At the @natural_history_museum we have a wealth of imaging systems to help us capture not only the beauty of the specimens but also (and arguably more important) their key diagnostic features, making these images available for all online (and for free!) @team_diptera @royentsoc @amentsoc

All cows are curious idiots. Just trying to take a nice video of a dung pat but these cows scared all of the flies away!! Oh Guernsey - an amazing experience at the @thesoilfarm

What a fun day on Guernsey. The see cliffs were again gorgeous - bluebells of all colours were out! Insects on the wing creating a lovely buzz Lunchtime it was a stop off at @bbcguernsey to talk about the islands pollinators, the @pollinatorproject.gg chaired by Gordon Steele, the new pollinator film featuring @theguernseyscientist and Dr Miranda Bane, and why we should care about insects. A pit stop to see some of the conservation cows.. And then the evening premier of the film followed by yours truly talking about flies and their roles in pollination and beyond. A lovely audience, one that fills you with hope.