Naturalist, entomologist and author. Member of the UK Ladybird Survey & Garden Bioblitz teams, now lead the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's science programme.
Joined September 2010
- Tweets 21,962
- Following 1,198
- Followers 5,558
- Likes 6,286
993 Photos and videos
Richard Comont retweeted
May 5
1. It's No Mow May. I'm broadly in support of it. But like most concepts of this sort, it's an over-simplification of a complex matter & can backfire. It you are a ground nesting bee for instance (or an associated insect), you don't want long grass swamping your nesting area.
19
52
233
5,931
Richard Comont retweeted
Jan 14
A selection of pages from our #FliesofBritainandIreland has just been spotted by this bee-fly - due mid-Feb 2026. Pre-pub offer runs until 31 Jan - order your copy now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @StevenFalk1 @Ecoentogeek @flygirlNHM @DipteristsForum
3
12
471
🦋🌿Hiring 12 x Botanists or Entomologists for 2026 field surveys in England!
4-month, full-time roles from late April to early September.
Field sites in Yorkshire, Devon, Warwickshire, Kent/Sussex, Lincolnshire/Cambridge, Essex/Suffolk.
Apply now: f.mtr.cool/majeflnjbl
ALT Recruitment poster for 12 botanical or entomological field surveyors, April-September 2026. Closing date: January 30, 2026.
14
19
4,163
13 Aug 2025
Found this Bombardier Beetle (Brachinus crepitans) in a spiderweb in the garden this morning - bet the spider got a bit of a shock!
7
180
Richard Comont retweeted
9 Jun 2025
Love #bumblebees? Then you probably know they're in crisis, and need our help
You can help by supporting the very lovely @bumble_being raise funds for @BumblebeeTrust as she walks the Northumberland Coast Path🐝👣
Donate here👇 and please share, too!
justgiving.com/page/charlott…
2
9
35
1,591
Richard Comont retweeted
6 Jun 2025
field-studies-council.org/sh… Micro ladybirds made easy thanks to this bargain guide. @UKLadybirds please share! @RichardComont @thiswordistaken @Theponker
2
5
2
229
Richard Comont retweeted
5 Mar 2025
British pollinators are now starting to fly. Great fun to watch, and to try and identify. Many resources are out there, but here's one I've produced that is free and online flickr.com/photos/63075200@N…. Great coverage of bees, hoverflies etc. Images & species accounts.
12
80
282
7,294
Richard Comont retweeted
29 Jan 2025
Bats or great-crested newts? "Neither because I want growth" is simply one of the stupidest, immoral and most dismal political answers ever. I'm #teambat #teamnewt #teamhuman #teamhabitableplanet This story I wrote over the weekend has been cheering me up theguardian.com/world/2025/j…
36
377
1,275
31,566
Richard Comont retweeted
14 Dec 2024
🚜FARMAGEDDON🌾
The story of what's REALLY going on in farming. A story far more complex than the conventional wisdom.
This isn't just (or even mainly) about inheritance tax. It's about a cascade of challenges & crises that may ultimately threaten food security.
📽️5 min primer👇
123
486
1,278
381,605
Richard Comont retweeted
23 Sep 2024
I hear too many 'just so' stories about nature loss & approaches to recovery
We need science to attribute causes of loss & to assess if & how conservation approaches work
1
5
473
Richard Comont retweeted
31 Aug 2024
I’m seeing a lot of anger and disappointment in badger circles today that the badger cull is ending, but not ending fast enough. Apologies for the long thread 🧵, but tet me explain why I think the news is the best it could be 1/25
21
86
210
104,551
Richard Comont retweeted
4 Aug 2024
Bumblebee expert Richard Comont tells you everything you need to know about these social bees.
discoverwildlife.com/animal-…
7
16
13,067
Richard Comont retweeted
5 Aug 2024
In June #GtMB, Emily, & a small group were joined by Dr @RichardComont from @BumblebeeTrust, for a Bumblebee ID session at the @nationaltrust's #JinlyeMeadow
🐝Learning how to identify lots of different bumblebees found in Shropshire, even spotting the Bilberry Bumblebee!
🧵/3
ALT ©️ Emily Hughes
ALT Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) ©️ Emily Hughes
1
1
4
200
Richard Comont retweeted
30 Jul 2024
What's a butterfly bush without butterflies?
This empty buddleia has been the sad reality for many of us across the UK this summer 🧵👇
ALT Bright pink buddleia under a blue sky with a noticeable lack of insects on it
210
514
2,085
161,376
Richard Comont retweeted
20 Jul 2024
Fully-funded PhD on moth trapping, automated ID, climate extremes & predator responses, with @DavidRoyBRC and me at @UniExeCEC in Cornwall. Deadline ** 29 July **. Please share! exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/a…
1
55
65
8,764
Richard Comont retweeted
9 Jul 2024
There seem to be more voices arguing against any mowing/cutting of grass - verges, etc
This would be counterproductive - leading to matted, grass dominated & low diversity vegetation
Rotational mowing - with different areas mown infrequently at different times - might work
3
1
9
1,281
8 Jul 2024
The Species Champion for the Ruderal bumblebee Bombus ruderatus, no less. Fingers crossed that that bodes well
8 Jul 2024
Daniel Zeichner MP @DanielZeichner has been appointed Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
ALT Image of Daniel Zeichner MP, with text announcing his appointment as Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
1
2
15
1,025
Richard Comont retweeted
3 Jul 2024
Missed our recent pollinator conference ? No problem, in our first of two blogs we reflect on the excellent presentations. First up news from the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, Arnhem, and Falkirk. Blog @ scottishpollinators.wordpres…
2
5
8
540
Richard Comont retweeted
2 Jul 2024
🐞Coming up at Rixton Clay Pits on the 18th and 19th July we have Micro-Ladybird and Ladybird Larvae Workshops with @RichardComont
Bookable separately🐞
Micro-ladybirds: northwestinvertebrates.org.u…
Ladybird larvae: northwestinvertebrates.org.u…
1
3
307
Richard Comont retweeted
1 Jul 2024
Hello, Sarah here from Potted History - I'm hella nervous about making this post, but here goes. I've unfortunately been diagnosed with breast cancer, which, as you can imagine, is a shock. Today, I’m asking for your support to continue my work creating museum-quality replicas.
56
141
766
73,140