Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies are on the wing from early summer until the early autumn.
Photo: © Natural England/Chris Gomersall

Look out for gorgeous little Brassica Bugs on crucifer species, such as Scurvy-grass or Garlic Mustard.
Photo: Sally Luker

Windmill Farm is a haven for dragon- and damselflies, including species such as this Broad-bodied Chaser.
Photo: Dougy Wright

There are many species of hoverfly in the UK. While most are known only by their scientific name, this one is distinguished by having a common name of its own.
Photo: Amanda Scott

The striking and nationally scarce hoverfly Chrysotoxum elegans is often found near the coasts of south-west England and southern Wales. Poltesco is a good place to look for it.
Photo: Andy Pay

This little crab spider was spotted scuttling across the beach at Church Cove, near Gunwalloe, but they can be found in many habitats, especially open, undisturbed ground.
Photo: Amanda Scott

The Common Darter is one of our latest-flying dragonflies: it is on the wing into October, and even November in warmer autumns.
Photo: © Natural England/Paul Lacey

Spring and summer usher in hoverflies - there are so many species that only a handful have common names.
Photo: Andy Pay

This lovely little nomad bee was spotted at Poltesco. Called the Flavous Nomad Bee, it was gorging itself on Three-cornered Garlic.
Photo: Andy Pay

Look on flowerheads in the summer to see if you can spot a female Crab Spider – the camouflage is very good, so you’ll need to search carefully.
Photo: Amanda Scott

A common sight in the summer, watch out for the darting, hovering flight of the Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly.
Photo: © Natural England/Allan Drewitt

In late summer and early autumn, you may notice orb spiderwebs covering the shrubs and long grass alongside the coastal paths on the Lizard, glistening with dew in the early morning. They will have been made by the Garden Spider, common in Cornwall.
Photo: Ilya Maclean

Gold-ringed Dragonflies have a mostly western distribution in the UK.
Photo: Peter Wood

This lovely and somewhat rare longhorn beetle species was spotted at Erisey Barton in July.  
Photo: Sarah Board

The Great Green Bush-cricket’s preferred habitat is brambly scrubland, bracken and hedges.
Photo: Steve Townsend

This might be our commonest tiger beetle, but its metallic green hue and long-legged bursts of speed make it a delight to see in the spring and summer.
Photo: Sarah Board

This female Grey Bush-cricket climbed on to a rucksack strap to pose for the camera at Kynance.
Photo: Amanda Scott

In late summer into autumn, you may see small cylindrical growths on Beech leaves. These are made by the gall midge Hartigiola annulipes. Look out for them when exploring the woods of the Helford River.
Photo: Amanda Scott

Hornets are not anything like as fearsome as they look.
Photo: Ray Surridge

This attractive little species of Jumping Spider was spotted at Kennack Sands.
Photo: Tony Blunden

Keeled Skimmers can be spotted near the pools at Higher Bochym in summer.
Photo: Kate Dalziel

No, it’s not a miniature oil slick. That oily film on the surface of puddles on The Lizard is an iron-oxidizing bacterium.
Photo: Amanda Scott

The Marmalade Fly, our most common hoverfly, can be seen most of the year, as overwintering adults will emerge on sunny winter days.
Photo: Amanda Scott

This dragonfly species is on the wing well into the autumn, and can often be seen away from the ponds where it breeds.
Photo: Ray Surridge 

Oak Marble Galls, common on oak trees, are created by a parasitic gall-wasp. 
Photo: Ray Surridge

Windmill Farm is a good place to see Red-veined Darters, a relatively scarce summer migrant to the UK. 
Photo: Dougy Wright

What a jewel of an insect! This Ruby-tailed Wasp was spotted at Poltesco.
Photo: Andy Pay

As spring arrives, we can look forward not only to budding flowers, but also to insects, like this Sexton beetle, greeting another year.
Photo: Debbie Sea-Kay

Silk Button Galls, one of the many kinds of galls found on our native oaks, really do look as if they have been spun from silken thread.
Photo: Amanda Scott

Spangle Galls, which are created by a parasitic wasp, are one of the many kinds of galls found on oak trees. These were spotted at Croft Noweth on Goonhilly.
Photo: Steve Townsend

This is a species that is often hard to spot with its leaf-coloured camouflage.
Photo: Ray Surridge

The bright colour of Sulphur Beetles makes them hard to miss, despite being small. 
Photo: Amanda Scott

Look out for the sparkling copper-green of the Swollen-thighed Beetle on flowerheads on hot sunny summer days. 
Photo: Amanda Scott

This lovely Wasp Spider was spotted close to Ruan Major recently.
Photo: Rebecca Hughes

The striking wasp-mimic hoverfly Chrysotoxum bicinctum is found in grassy places and more open areas in woodland.
Photo: Andy Pay

The Western Bee-fly is a fairly rare species in the UK – it has been spotted on The Lizard, both near Kennack and at Poltesco.
Photo: Tony Blunden

The first flight period of the Yellow-legged Mining Bee is in the spring, when you can spot them nectaring on flowers. You can also look out for their nests in exposed soil, looking like tiny drilled holes.
Photo: Andy Pay