Cramp Ball Fungus Weevil - Platyrhinus resinosus

I've long wanted to see this striking weevil and last weekend I decided to go looking for it. I know of a local site where there is an abundance of Cramp Ball Fungus - Daldinia concentrica (also known as King Alfred's Cakes), some of it in hard to reach spots, so I decided my best strategy would be to scan amongst the fungus using my close focus binoculars. I was really surprised to find one relatively quickly although through the binoculars I couldn't tell what it was at first, it's very well camouflaged and I thought it was just a spider until I managed to get closer for a better look. It was in a tricky spot for photos so I touched it hoping it would move but it immediately fell and 'played dead'. I put it on a log where it did an amazing impression of a bird dropping for well over 5 minutes before eventually returning to 'full weevil mode' allowing me to get a couple of photos of what really is quite a spectacular little beast.

This is the view I first had and from about 8ft away with binoculars I thought the pale face markings were the abdomen of an orb-weaver spider. Good job I moved in for a closer view.

Playing dead very convincingly.

'Bird poop mode'

Cramp Ball Fungus Weevil - Platyrhinus resinosus

 

Clarke's Mining Bee & Early Nomad Bee

My first outing of the current year was to Decoy Park Newton Abbot to see a colony of Clarke's Mining Bee - Andrena clarkella. I've seen individuals on the East Devon Commons but haven't been able to find any nests there, so back in March I decided to visit the Newton Abbot site to get some photos and hopefully some film footage too.

The site is on a north facing bank and so the bees often struggle to get warm enough to fly. They seemed to be attracted to the warmth emanating from my body and often landed on me to warm up, which was nice. There were also plenty of their nomad bee, the Early Nomad Bee - Nomada leucophthalma.

 Nesting Site

 FEMALES 

 

MALES

 

 

 NOMAD BEE

 

Hartland Moor, Purbeck

I have to visit Hartland Moor at least once a year, as I've said before, there is just so much to see if you like invertebrates. I managed to see three new species of bee and one new species of wasp (kind of... more on that later) along with most of the usuals. 

Hartland Moor habitat.

Firstly, no trip to Hartland Moor in the summer would be complete without photographing the beautiful Silver-Studded Blue - Plebejus argus.

 BEES

 Hairy-saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens

Coast Leafcutter Bee - Megachile maritima with Cinnabar Moth caterpillar - Tyria jacobaeae

Male Pantaloon Bee - Dasypoda hirtipes

New for me were:

Small Sandpit Mining Bee - Andrena argentata.

 I didn't get very good photos of this which is an excellent excuse to go back next year. Like I need one!

Male Small Shaggy Bee - Panurgus calcaratus

 

Black-thighed Epeolus - Epeolus variegatus

This is a cuckoo bee which attacks the nests of Colletes species. In this case several were investigating the nest of a Hairy-Saddled Colletes - Colletes fodiens as the following video clips show.

FLIES

Mottled Bee-fly - Thyridanthrax fenestratus

 

 

Tessellated Bee Burgler - Miltogramma germari
 

WASPS

Neimela's Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychrum neimelai

Purbeck Mason Wasp - Pseudepipona herrichii

Seen here with caterpillar prey next to burrow. 

Finally here's a video showing a Small Velvet Ant - Smicromyrme rufipes a species I was particularly on the lookout for. It appears on the right hand side and wanders across top corner of the frame. This occurred when I was in the middle of trying to get some video footage of bee nests, so it's just a case of a photobombing Small velvet Ant. They are very small, averaging just 6mm long and I didn't see it at the time, only spotting it when reviewing my video footage later. So really it doesn't count does it? Oh well, another good excuse for a return visit. What's not to like about that!