Recently the Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea has become a big part of my life. It decided it wanted to work on public engagement with me. I am guessing that it’s original plan when evolving with the Batman symbol on its back was to do this work, and then this year it found a willing channel through me…

Having been picked as one of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s key species for the year, I was really excited when it appeared in my garden, and also on a group walk which meant I could point it out to others. Then the Wildlife Trust decided to use one of my photos in its recent newsletter. So when I was invited to perform some poetry at the Bridgnorth Sustainability Festival it was clear that Batman needed to feature. Here’s me performing, the hoverfly it’s wonderful self , and here is its poem:

Dinna dinna dinna dinna
Dinna dinna dinna dinna Batman!

There's a batman in my garden
And it's sitting on a flower
No, really, batman hoverfly
Myathropa Florea, it has the batman symbol on its back
And it's come to use its superpowers
Batman!

It's a miracle of nature
It's a Holy Force for good
It's a real superhero
Cos it pollinates our food
Batman!

Now listen up, you bunch of Jokers
And put this riddle to the test
How did nature know to put that symbol
On the thorax of an insect?
How can the forces of evolution
Converge with a made-up symbol belonging to a fictitious character from a twentieth-century comic?
There's a puzzle for the caped crusader
Does it tell us that humans are all just part of nature?
Or that we have an innate talent for recognising abstract signs and symbols?
Hmmm?

Holy Invertebrates Batman! Your thoughts are getting away!
Pow!
Thwack!
But Robins are part of nature too!
Pow!

But shall we just remember
That Gotham City's in a mess
And if we want our
Dinna dinna dinna dinna
We need Batman and all the other insects
And our heroes may be trying to save us
But perhaps we need to respond to their signals?