These are the creatures you can expect to encounter in nature this summer

It’s summer holiday time for the children, who will be out and about and, hopefully, enjoying the natural world which comes alive at this time of year. And, given that so much is taught about nature and the environment in school, the rising generation may be able to teach their mums and dads a thing or two.

Bees are scarce these days, but you’ll still see the old one buzzing about its business. Wildflowers continue to bloom and attract so-called ‘good’ bugs such as ladybirds and beautiful, delicately-coloured butterflies, which help fight ‘bad’ bugs like greenfly that eat garden plants.

Daisies, primroses and forget-me-nots are among the flowers that lure the ‘good’ bugs, as well as, believe it or not, nettles. There are 34 butterfly species in Ireland, with the red admiral and peacock being among the best known, and there are plenty of excellent images on websites that help identify them.