Lichens, slime moulds and wasps: RHS lists top beneficial wildlife for garden

Wasps are vital garden predators, feeding on everything from caterpillars to greenfly. Photograph: Guillaume Souvant/AFP/Getty Images

In not so distant times, a list of garden wildlife for many horticulturalists could have been a list of deadly enemies, containing aphids, slugs, snails and other creatures previously thought of as irritants.

But as awareness of the biodiversity crisis grows, horticulturalists have become more aware of the importance of wild flora and fauna, and the important role gardeners can play in conserving it.