Brilliant Bugs Presentation Pack

All six Brilliant Bugs Special Stamps featuring wildlife illustrator Richard Lewington’s stunning artwork are presented in a fold-out souvenir containing fascinating facts about the insects and pollination.

President of the Royal Entomological Society, Professor Helen Roy MBE, writes about pollination, the decline in pollinating insects and how we can conserve them.

The set includes three vertical se-tenant pairs of Special Stamps.

Two First Class, two £1.45 and two £1.70 stamps.

First Class Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum)
This relatively widespread bumblebee feeds on flowers such as the large blue pea.

First Class Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
An important pollinator of crops like oilseed rape, it is also often seen in gardens.

£1.45 Longhorn beetle (Rutpela maculata)
This wasp-mimicking beetle is a common visitor of hawthorn flowers in summer.

£1.45 Elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor)
Honeysuckle is a favoured source of nectar for this striking species.

£1.70 Painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
Thistles are a common source of nectar for these migratory butterflies in Britain.

£1.70 Ruby-tailed wasp (Chrysis ignita agg.)
The adult ruby-tailed wasp feeds on nectar from flowers such as angelica.

Stamp specifications

• Stamp format Over-square landscape
• Stamp size 36.5mm x 34.7mm
• Design Royal Mail Group Ltd
• Illustrations Richard Lewington
• Printer International Security Printers
• Print process Lithography
• Perforations 14 x 14.5
• Phosphor Bars as appropriate
• Gum PVA