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.
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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'   |
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