Playing Cards

Got home from work late this afternoon and realised that there was probably at least an hour's worth of daylight left for a change. I'd already clocked some evidence of spring awakening on the front garden daffs, with this Hairy Shieldbug in dull overwinter colours loitering on a flower head ....

So I quickly got changed, got me boots on and strode off down the lane. I had nothing with me other than camera and a few pots, and all I was intending to do was roll a few stones etc looking for carabids. I eventually got over to a small wooded copse at the back of the fields that is completely wild and unloved. I did get permission to go in there from the farmer a few years ago, though I'm sure he'd have forgotten by now. When I used to go down there, there was a bit of a track and the wood was quite open but with a dense canopy - mainly young ash and birch. That was a few years so, today it seems like most of the trees have blown or fallen over, with broken branches and trunks all over the place and almost more deadwood than live. Access not easy either. Still, I had a quick poke around the rotting logs and soon potted up a few Pterostichus spp. and others to work through.

The first one I checked through was Pterostichus madidus - predictably. Up until now I've never retained specimens in any structured way, as I prefer a photographic record, but it's something that I know I need to do eventually if I'm ever going to focus on coleoptera properly. So, I had a go my first carding attempt. A bit of a cack handed effort, slightly wonky on the hastily cut bit of card, but I'll work on it. I need to sort out how to minimise the glue and work out how to better arrange the legs and bits. This one is carded, but has a gobful of PVA and in reality it's not possible to re-work it through the key.

Slightly weird striae on left elytron

The next one was Nebria brevicollis, a slightly better effort (less glue!) - but only just.

Fine setae on dorsal surface of hind tarsi

I'll print labels tomorrow and add to the pinned cards in the storebox.

I'll key the others out, and I also found another Drymus-type ground bug to check.

Whilst in the dark deadwood, I noted a couple of fungi too ...

Common Eyelash sl

Lemon Disco sl

I'll have to have another poke around there sometime when there is a bit more light and warmth.