Saturday 14 March 2020

Beetles, Flies and Bugs

More from last year, mainly just photos as I'm having to rush to get them all on here. Would be a shame not to though as it's a bit of a waste to take them and then leave them forgotten on the hard drive. Well that's my excuse!

Beetles


 Two-banded Longhorn Beetle - Rhagium bifasciatum


A Tortoise Beetle - Casida ribiginosa 
Normally inconspicuous I imagine, as we only noticed this one because it was in a pond drowning. It was rescued and placed on a tree for a photo.
 

 A Willow Leaf Beetle - Lochmaea caprea
Usually found on Birch or Sallow as seen here. 
 

 Malachite beetle - Malachius bipustulatus
First one of these I've ever seen.
 Not that common in the southwest apparently, this one was at Ramshorn Down, Devon. Also there were..


... a very splendid Wasp Beetle - Clytus arietis


and a Soldier Beetle - Malthodes marginatus

Four-spotted Leaf Beetle - Clytra quadripunctata
Another first for me this time at Bystock Ponds, East Devon.



Red Poplar Leaf Beetle - Chrysomela populi
Always great to see this stunning beetle. This one was on Hawkerland Common. East Devon.


Garden Chafer - Phyllopertha horticola


Welsh Chafer - Hoplia philanthus


A Darkling Beetle - Opatrum sabulosum
An uncommon beetle that was new to me. 
This one was seen in Soar Mill Cove, Devon. 



A Carpet Beetle - Dermestes undulatus 
This is I believe a very rare beetle in Devon. We found this one on a rock on Branscombe Beach.


Cliff Tiger Beetle - Cylindera germanica.
Eype Mouth Cliffs.


Apion frumentarium
A tiny less than 4mm weevil which can be found on dock leaves. 
It’s probably just me but I can’t look at it without thinking of The Clangers!

Black and White Marbled Weevil - Tachyerges salicis 
An even smaller weevil less than 3mm, found on willows. And although this one doesn't look anything like a Clanger, it does look like it's wearing an Icelandic sweater! 


An Acorn Weevil - Curculio venosus

Like most people I've seen a lot of Ladybirds, but I don't often look closely enough to identify which species they are. I found  a few last year but didn't get very good photos of any of them. I did manage to identify them though. I'm going to make a better effort to get some good shots of some this year. Perhaps see how many species I can find too.


18 Spot Ladybird - Myrrha octodecimguttata


Cream Spot Ladybird - Calvia quatuordecimguttata, on left.
Orange Ladybird - Halyzia sedecimguttata on right.


Kidney Spot Ladybird - Chilocorus renipustulatus, on left.
24 Spot Ladybird - Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata, on right.


Striped Ladybird - Myzia oblongoguttata

Flies



Dark-edged Bee-fly -Bombylius major, above.
Western Beefly - Bombylius canescens, below.



Norfolk Hawker - Aeshna isoceles
I've tried many times, over the years to get photos of one of these in flight and this time I actually manged it!

Hoverflies




Pale-shouldered Brachyopa - Brachyopa scutellaris.
Also a great view of the stellate hairs on the surface of the Ivy leaf.


Pale-shouldered Brachyopa - Brachyopa scutellaris.
 Egglaying on a sap run.



Bumblebee Cheilosia - Cheilosia illustrata
A Bumblebee mimic, often found on Hogweed flowers as seen here, above.


Parsley Cheilosia - Cheilosia pagana.

 
Spring Epistrophe - Epistrophe eligans


White-footed Hoverfly -Platycheirus albimanus


Syrphus sp. 


Yellow-clubbed Hoverfly - Scaeva selenitica 


Blotch-winged Hoverfly - Leucozona lucorum

 
Furry Dronefly - Eristalis intricarius 


Large Spotty-eyed Dronefly - Eristalinus aeneus


Bugs


Red-and-black Froghopper - Cercopis vulnerata


Common Flower Bug - Anthocoris nemorum


Drymus ryei


 Hairy Shieldbug - Dolycoris baccarum


Gorse Shieldbug - Piezodorus lituratus 


Ant Damsel Bug - Himacerus mirmicoides


Boat Bug - Enoplops scapha


Dalman's Leatherbug - Spathocera dalmanii

Friday 13 March 2020

Bees, Wasps and Ants

A selection of bees, wasps and ants from last year. Well the ones I've tentatively identified that is! Totally new to trying to identify bees so I could easily have them all wrong!

Bees



Big-headed Mining Bee - Andrena bucephala
 Male resting on Butterbur leaves alongside River Sid, Sidford. 


Black Mining Bee - Andrena pilipes
Struggled to get a stationary one for a photo so had to resort to potting one. 
This is a female, found on the cliffs at Branscombe beach.


Blood Bee - Sphecodes sp. 
No chance of identifying to species level, one of 17 species in British Isles which all look the same! This one was at Bystock Ponds reserve, Devon.


Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes
Male on patch of Bulbous Comfrey by the River Sid, Sidford. Devon.


Gold-fringed Mason Bee - Osmia aurulenta
This female was found on the beach at Soar Mill Cove, Devon.

I think this is a male of the same species? This one seen on the cliffs at Eype Mouth, Dorset. 

 
Clover Melitta - Melitta leporina
I think this is a male, seen at Dungy Head, Dorset. 
(Although I may have this totally wrong!)


Smeathman's Furrow Bee - Lassioglossum smeathmanellum
Female on cliffs at Eype Mouth, Dorset. 



A Base-banded Furrow Bee - Lassioglossum sp. 

Nomad Bees


Early Nomad Bee - Nomada leucophthalma (male)


Flavous Nomad Bee - Nomada flava (female)

 

Marsham's Nomad Bee - Nomada marshamella (female)
All three of these were seen on Branscombe undercliffs in early May.


Early Nomad Bee - Nomada leucophthalma (male)
 

Long-horned Nomad Bee - Nomada hirtipes (male)
These two species were seen at Haven Cliffs, Axmouth in mid-May.


Fabricius' Nomad Bee - Nomada fariciana (female) 
Ramshorn Down, Devon, late March. Seen associated with nesting aggregation of Gwynne's Mining Bee - Andrena bicolor


Lathbury's Nomad Bee - Nomada lathburiana (female)
Seen on Aylesbeare Common, Devon in late April 


Wasps
 


Fen Mason Wasp - Odynerus simillimus
 Hickling Broad, late June.


An Ichneumon Wasp - Ichneumon sarcitorius
Haven Cliffs, Axmouth, Devon. 


A very small solitary wasp - Diodontus sp.
Seen at Haven Cliffs, Axmouth in May and June.


Here's one on a fingernail to show just how small it is!
 This one is Entomognathus brevis.


ANTS
 

 
Jet Ants - Lasius fuliginosus
Very shiny jet black ants with distinctive heart shaped head, seen at Ramshorn Down, Devon in early May. 

 
Pavement Ant -Tetramorium caespitum 
These tiny ants caught my eye on Hartland Moor, Dorset.
They were only about 2-3mm in length!