WWT Castle Espie partners with Aardman to launch Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt

Families in Northern Ireland can enjoy a brand new Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt at WWT Castle Espie (5^th April – 1^st June) as WWT partners with animation studio Aardman and the Royal Entomological Society.

The Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt invites visitors to join an epic minibeast wetlands adventure that will give children an opportunity to dive into the wonderful world of insects. The activity is fronted by the well-known comedy character, housefly Lloyd, that features in Aardman’s children’s comedy series, Lloyd of the Flies.

Lloyd will be joined by a new friend Dart, a colourful emperor dragonfly character created exclusively for WWT visitors.

An enthusiastic wetlands ‘tour guide’, Dart loves to share facts and will help families explore the wetlands alongside Lloyd, as he searches for his family and friends, including Lloyd’s little sister PB and his best friend Abacus the woodlouse, before checking in to stay at the Bug Hotel.

There are over 24,000 insect species in UK. Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt will help visitors to discover nature-bursting habitats at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre and learn about the creatures that live there with fun facts from the Royal Entomological Society and the WWT. There are two species of dragonfly that call WWT Castle Espie home, so Dart is in good company.

Visitors can learn and have even more fun on their adventure by downloading Aardman’s augmented reality app: Lloyd of the Flies AR Bug Hunt. Available to download free from both the Google Play and App Store, the app lets explorers ‘shrink down’ to fly size and see the world through an insect’s eyes. It includes fun interactive activities like trying on insect antennae, rolling a maggot ball, and superimposing Lloyd’s face on each other.

If families want to make even more of their time on the hunt, they can purchase an exclusive WWT Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Activity Pack (£4) at the visitor centre. It includes a 16 page activity booklet, Lloyd headband, stickers and pencils, all in a WWT Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt bag.

Other family-friendly activities at WWT Castle Espie, include Minibeast hunting during the Easter holidays, and Pond dipping on Bank Holidays in May. Webpages with activities visitors can try when they go home will also be available so that they can learn how to protect insects in their gardens, ponds and parks.

Paul Stewart, Centre Manager at WWT Castle Espie, said:

This is an exciting partnership with Aardman, and we hope many will come along to the Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt. It’s a real opportunity to explore the worlds within our wetlands with Lloyd and his new friend Dart – an experience truly not to be missed.

At WWT Castle Espie we’re simply bursting with insects that call wetlands home, from everyday creatures, like woodlice, ants and bees, to species that can only be found here. These include Common Blue Damselfly – a delicate and strikingly blue damselfly often seen hovering over ponds and slow-moving water, and Lesser Water Boatman – herbivorous insects who swim using their oar-like legs to navigate the water.

There’s so much to see, do and learn between 5 April and 1 June at WWT and we’re sure it will be a very special adventure that families will love.

The Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt, featuring Lloyd, Dart and their friends, will allow families to discover areas of the wetlands and the insects that thrive within them. It is available every day from Saturday 5 April until Sunday 1 June 2025.

Participating in the Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Bug Hunt activities is included in the price of a WWT Castle Espie admission ticket or is free to WWT members. The Lloyd of the Flies Wetland Activity Pack costs £4 and can be purchased at the visitor centre.

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