Insects

In our garden the verbena has been in flower for some time and has recently been joined by the....

....Michaelmas daisies. This lunchtime, with the temperature over 20C, sunshine, and a light wind, both species should have been busy with insects, yet all we saw were....

....the occasional bumblebee on both the verbena and....

....the daisies. They - two species only - were joined by a single, small hover fly and, briefly, a small tortoiseshell.

It was little different along the path at the back of the Dunrobin shore, though the main flowers that attract insects there are now past their best, so....

....the bees were making do with some rather tired ragwort and....

....the last few flowers on the thistles.

Where are the insects? Where are the red admirals, tortoiseshells and peacocks which used to love our garden at this time of year? Where are all the various hover fly species that used to crowd the verbena and Michaelmas daisies? Is this just in the Golspie area? I know I'm a terrible worrier but surely something is seriously wrong.