A growing photographic and taxonomic guide to London's insects and invertebrates

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The London Species Database

Brief Overview:
Please select a family group from below. Each family is aranged within the Order that it belongs in. The orders are placed in appropriate classes. I have chosen a species that I believe is the most aesthetically representative for each family, as photographed above it's scientific grouping. If you have a specimen you require an identification for, just look for the image that looks a close match and click the family name i.e. Apidae, which are typical-looking bees in the Hymenoptera order, which comprises of Bees, Wasps, Ants and Sawflies. This will open into a pop-up window and photographically lists all the species I have logged for London therein.

 Skip Down to a section via these links, or scroll down the page for an overview

Photographic Species Database: Holding 517 species in 162 families

IDs Most Wanted!
Please feel free to look through these images of insects still awaiting identification. Use the form at the bottom of the pages to submit each ID. As soon as I have received the ID that looks right, I will  take it off the ID page and transfer t to the apprpriate section below - crediting you of course!

    Arachnida - Spiders and Allied Groups (17 families, 41 species)
Families:
-  -

Mouse spiders [1]
Actinopodidae
 -  -

Tangled-nest Spiders [1]
  Amaurobidae
 -  -

Orb-weavers [4]
Araneidae
 -  -

Sheetweb spiders  [4]
Linyphiidae		 -  -

Meshweavers [1]
Dictynidae
-  -

Running foliage spiders [1]
Liocranidae		 -  -

Wolf Spiders [2]
Lycosidae		 -  -

Jumping spiders [3]
Salticidae 		-  -
 
Agelenidae [2] 		-  -

  Cobweb spiders [2]
Theridiidae
-  -

Nursery web spiders [1]
Pisauridae		 -  -

Clubionidae [1]		 -  -

Long-jawed Orb-weavers
Tetragnathidae [2]
 -  -
 
Crab spiders [2]
Thomisidae 		-  -

Running Crab spiders [4]
Philodromidae 

   - Arachnida - allied...
Families:
-  -
 
Mites [6]
Various...		-  -

Harvestmen [4]
Opiliones
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

Class: Insecta - Insects
This class is arranged in Orders, then Sub-orders where appropriate.
Order: Hemiptera- Bugs - (18 families, 73 species)
   - Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha Contains leafhoppers, froghoppers, planthoppers, lacehoppers & spittlebugs
(9 families, 43 species)
Families:
- Miroidea -

Plant bugs  [12]
Miridae		 - Coreoidea -

Scentless plant bugs [1]
Rhopalidae		 - Fulgoroidea -

Planthoppers [2]
Delphacidae		 -  Fulgoroidea-

Lacehoppers  [1]
Cixiidae		 - Cercopoidea -

Froghoppers [2]
Aphrophoridae
- Cimicoidea -

Damsel Bugs [3]
Nabidae		 - Cimicoidea -

Flower Bugs [2]
Anthocoridae
- Membracoidea -

Leafhoppers  [18]
Cicadellidae		 - Lygaeoidae -

Ground Bugs [2]
Lygaeidae
        - Suborder: Heteroptera ( families,  species)
Families:
-  -

Waterboatmen  [1]
Notonectidae 		- Coreoidea -

Squashbugs [2]
Coreidae
 - Pentatomoidea -

Stinkbugs  [5]
Pentatomidae		 - Pentatomoidea -

Shieldbugs  [2]
Acanthosomatidae
   - Suborder: Sternorrhyncha (5 families, 20 species)
Families:
- Aphidoidea -

Aphids  [10]
Aphididae
 - Aleyrodoidea -

Whiteflies  [1]
Aleyrodidae
 - Psylloidea -

Plant Lice  [6]
Psyllidae
 - Coccoidea -

Soft scales  [2]
Coccidae		 -  -

Mealybugs  [1]
Pseudococcidae
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

 Order: Coleoptera - Beetles - (20 families, 55 species)
Families:
- Caraboidea -

Ground beetles  [4]
Carabidae		 - Staphylinoidea -

Rove beetles  [3]
Staphylinidae		 - Elateroidea -

Click beetles  [1]
Elateridae		 - Elateroidea -

Soldier beetles  [2]
Cantharidae		 - Bostrichoidea -

Carpet beetles [1]
Dermastidae
- Bostrichoidea -

Anobiidae [2]
 - Circulionoidea -

Weevils  [4]
Curculionidae		 -  Circulionoidea-

Leaf-curling Weevils  [1]
Rhynchitidae		 - Chrysomeloidea -

Long-horned Beetles  [4]
Cerambycidae		 - Chrysomeloidea -

Seed, Leaf & Flea Beetles  [5]
Chrysomelidae
- Tenebrionoidea -

Darkling beetles  [2]
Tenebrionidae
- Tenebrionoidea -

Cardinal beetles [1]
Pyrochroidae        		 - Tenebrionoidea -

Flower beetles  [2]
Oedemeridae
 - Tenebrionoidea -

Colydiidae  [1]		 - Tenebrionoidea -

Rhipiphoridae  [1]
- Tenebrionoidea -

Tumbling FBs  [1]
Scraptiidae		- Cucujoidea -

Pollen beetles [2]
Nitidulidae		- Cucujoidea -

Ladybirds  [15]
Coccinellidae		-  -

Phalacridae [2]
- Cleroidea -

Melachites  [1]
Melyridae
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page
                    Order: Hymenoptera - Bees, Wasps and Ants - (60 species)
   - Suborder: Apocrita  (9 families, 23 species)
Families:
- Apoidea -

Mason bees [2]
Adrenidae		 - Apoidea -

Honeys and Bumble-bees  [8]
Apidae		 - Apoidea -

Leaf-cutters [1]
Megachilidae		 - Apoidea -

Mining bees [1]
Melittidae		 - Apoidea -

Sweat-bees [1]
Halictidae
- Apoidea -

Diggers [1]
Crabronidae		 - Vespoidea -

Spider wasps [1]
Pompilidae
- Vespoidea -

Ants [5]
Formicidae
- Vespoidea -

Potter and Social wasps [3]
Vespidae

'Parasitoid wasps' (8 families, 29 species)
-  -

Dryinid wasps [3]
Dryinidae		 -  -

Gall Wasps [2]
Cynipidae		 -  -

Braconid wasps [2]
Braconidae		 -  -

Ichneumon wasps [13]
Ichneumonididae		 -  -

Gasteruption wasps [1]
Gasteruptionidae 
-  -

Chalcid wasps [5]
Chalcidoidea
-  -

Torymid wasps [4]
Torymidae

   - Suborder: Symphyta - Sawflies (? families, 7 species)
Families:
-  -

Sawflies [7]
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

Order:  Diptera - True Flies (44 families, 149 species)
   - Suborder: Brachycera - Short-horned Flies flies with short antennal segmentation ( families,  species)
Families:
- Oestroidea -

Bluebottles, etc [8]
Calliphoridae
 - Oestroidea -

Parasitic Flies [8]
Tachinidae		 - Oestroidea -

Flesh flies [4]
Sarcophagidae 		- Oestroidea -

Woodlouse Flies [1]
Rhinophoridae		 - Muscoidea -

Muscid Flies [12]
Muscidae
- Muscoidea -

Root-maggot Flies [4]
Anthomyiidae 		 - Muscoidea -

Dungflies [1]
Scathophagidae		 - Lauxanioidea -

Lauxaniidae [4]		 - Empidoidea -

Dancing flies [1]
Empididae
 - Empidoidea -

Long-legged Flies [6]
Dolichopodidae 
- Empidoidea -

Dancing flies [4]
Hybotidae		 - Stratiomyoidea -

Soldierflies [5]
Stratiomyidae		 - Stratiomyoidea -

Wood Soldier flies [1]
Xylomyidae		 -  -

Hoverflies [27]
Syrphidae		 - Conopoidea -

Thick-headed Flies [1]
Conopidae
- Asiloidea -

Robberflies [3]
Asilidae		 - Tephritoidea -

Picture-winged flies [6]
Tephritidae		 - Tephritoidea -

Flutter flies [1]
Pallopteridae
 - Tephritoidea -

Lance flies [1]
Lonchaeidae		 - Platypezoidea -

Flat-footed Flies [2]
Platypezidae
- Platypezoidea -

Pointed-winged Flies [1]
Lonchopteridae		 - Opomyzoidea -

Leaf-mining Flies [3]
Agromyzidae		 - Opomyzoidea -

Stem borers [3]
Opomyzidae		 - Carnoidea -

Grass/Swarming Flies [2]
Chloropidae		 - Ephydroidea -

Brine or Shore Flies [3]
Ephydridae
- Ephydroidea -

Vinegar Flies [2]
Drosophilidae		 - Sciomyzoidea -

Marsh/Snail-killers [2]
Sciomyzidae
 - Sciomyzoidea -

Ensign Flies [2]
Sepsidae		  - Sphaeroceroidea -

Heleomyzidae [2]		 - Tabanoidea -

Snipe Flies [1]
Rhagionidae
 -  -

Aphid Flies [2]
Chamaemyiidae		-  -

Fanniid Flies [4]
Fanniidae
 
   - Suborder: Nematocera - Thread-horned Flies  (12 families, 23 species)
Insects with long legs, many-segmented antennaes, wings developed internally
Families:
-  -

March Flies [2]
Bibionidae 		-  -

Moth flies [3]
Psychodidae 		-  -

Phantom Craneflies [1]
Ptycopteridae
 -  -

Craneflies [3]
Tipulidae 		-  -

Craneflies [3]
Limoniidae
-  -

Winter Gnats [2]
Trichoceridae		 -  -

Non-biting Midges [2]
Chironomidae 		 -  -

Biting Midges [1]
Ceratopogonidae
 -  -

Fungus Gnats [1]
Mycetophilidae
 -  -

Dark-winged Fungus Gnats [2]
Sciaridae
-  -

Gall midges [2]
Cecidomyiidae		 -  -

Mosquitoes [1]
Culicidae
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page
 Order: Orthoptera - Grasshoppers - (2 families, 7 species)
   - Sub-order: Caelifera - Grasshoppers (1 family, 3 species)
Families:
-  -

Acrididae [3]

   - Sub-order: Ensifera -  Crickets and Bush-crickets (1 family, 4 species)
Families:
-  -
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page
 Order: Dermaptera - Earwigs - (1 families, 1 species)

-  -

Earwigs [1]


 Order: Odonata - Dragonflies and Damselflies - (3 families, 11 species)
    - Suborder: Anisoptera - Dragonflies, Darters, Skimmers and Chasers (2 families, 4 species)
    - Suborder: Zygoptera - Damselflies (1 family, 7 species)
 Order: Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths (28 families, 76 species)
   - (Unranked) Rhopalocera, Butterflies (4 families, 14 species)

   - (Unranked) Heterocera, Moths (24 families, 62 species)
Families:
-  -

Swifts [1]
Hepialidae		 -  -

Longhorns [1]
Incurvariidae
 -  -

Burnets and Foresters [2]
Zygaenidae		 -  -

Case moths [1]
Coleophoridae		 -  -

Cases and Textile Moths [1]
Tineidae
-  -

Grass Moths [8]
Crambidae 		-  -

Pest/plant material's [3]
Oecophoridae		 -  -

Tortrix's [7]
Tortricidae		 -  -

Plumes [3]
Pterophoridae		 -  -

Snout moths [2]
Pyralidae
-  -

Geometers [8]
Geometridae		 -  -

Vapourers, etc [1]
Lymantriidae 		-  -

Hawk-moths [1]
Sphingidae		 -  -

Blastobasidae [1]		 -  -

Darts, Underwings
Noctuidae [12]
-  -

Small Ermines [2]
Yponomeutidae 		 -  -

Leaf-miners [2]
Nepticulidae		 -  -

Leaf-miner [1]
Lyonetiidae		 -  -

20-plume [1]
Alucitidae		 -  -

Sedge moths [1]
Glyphipterigidae
-  -

Momphidae [1]
 -  -

Tischeriidae [1]

 -  -

Lasiocombidae [1]		 -  -

Cinnabar
Arctiidae [1]

Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

 Order: Neuroptera (3 families, 5 species)
-  -

Greens [1]
Chrysopidae

 -  -

Browns [3]
Hemerobiidae
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

 Order: Thysanoptera - Thrips ( families,  species)

-  -

Thrips []
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page
 Order:.. Psocoptera - Barkflies (? families, 11 species)

Barkflies [11]
Psocoptera
-  -

 Class: Collembola - Springtails ( families, 9 species)
- various! -

Springtails [9]
Various


Class: Gastropoda
              Order:  Pulmonata - Slugs and Snails (5 families, 12 species)
   - Sub-order: Basommatophora
Families:
-  -

Zonitidae [1] 		-  -

Disk snails [1]
Discidae		 -  -

  Garden Snails [5]
Helicidae		 -  -

Limax slugs [3]
Limacidae
 -  -

Arion slugs [2]
Arionidae
 Back to: Orders Shortcuts, Top of Page

Order: Isopoda - Woodlice (5 families, 6 species)
Families:
-  -

Woodlice [6]
Various
.

Milli/centipedes coming soon...