As you may already know, England is in the midst of a hot, dry summer. Our lawn is crispy but our patio plants are thriving in the sunshine…. and the air is full of insects, from crickets to dragonflies to the biggest bumblebees I’ve ever seen.

Because I enjoy making my own herbal tea blends, we planted some mint earlier in the spring, and have been enjoying a parade of crickets ever since that enjoy hiding and hunting amidst its leaves. This little fellow, an oak bush cricket (Meconema thalassinum), is our latest visitor. While not an uncommon species, it’s not often seen as it generally lives high in the trees of ancient woodland – but does occasionally venture into adjacent gardens (such as ours).