Follow The Light

By Wednesday evening, with the hot and humid conditions and early starts to empty the trap, I was in two minds about putting the light out again. I really needed the extra couple of hours in bed in the morning before work, and I was almost hoping that the forecast would show heavy overnight rain. But the forecast was actually getting better for trapping, high temps and humidity and still no heavy rain. I decided to go for it again, and that turned out to be the best decision I've made all week!

Before I'd gone to bed I'd already potted up a longhorn beetle, and the trap looked busy enough. Bright and early in the morning, and as I went through the eggboxes I was delighted to find a new for me moth - one I've been hoping for ....

Toadflax Brocade

Really pleased to get one of these; they first turned up in VC55 a couple of years ago but have been a little slower spreading around than some other recent colonists. Still I knew one would find my garden eventually. I hope one finds my neighbours large patch of Purple Toadflax too!

Also following the light and ending up in the trap:

Campion - third record / fourth individual this year, only previous garden record was one in 2017

Caloptilia populetorum - third garden record

Tachystola acroxantha - second garden record after one last year

And then the longhorn that I'd potted before going to bed on Weds. I'd had a quick look at it and assumed it was a dark form of Tanbark Borer. I then took some snaps and didn't bother checking it - bit of a cock up as almost immediately when posting a photo on our VC55 Facebook group I realised it didn't look quite right. I then spent half an hour or so trying to convince myself what it was and eventually concluded it was actually Arhopalus rusticus - somewhat rarer in VC55 and one I've only seen once before briefly. I managed to correct myself before anyone pointed out the error.

The beetle presence in the trap was again quite good, and aside from the above I also had a new beetle that - for a change - I immediately recognised as a Tenebrionid ....

Prionychus ater - another relatively scarce beetle in VC55, most recent records from light traps

I also potted up a couple of very small beetles which I'd just about decided were also Tenebrionids, one of the 'flour beetles'. As I looked at them scuttling about in the pot I just about convinced myself that two species were involved, but either way they would be notable from a VC55 perspective as there are few Tribolium sp. records and zero Palorus sp. records. I then read Martin Fowlie's blog which pretty much convinced me I was right. So rather than attempting to kill and card them or get some crappy photos and lose the specimens, I've forwarded them to Graham Finch who may well have a better chance with them. I've also passed on an Ophonus sp. from a few days ago that running through the key is neither O. ardosiacus (pronotal shape) or O. rufibarbis (single pronotal setae) so would be notable for VC55 either way.

Ophonus sp. (post-script Ophonus punticeps)

After all that I definitely needed a night off, so no trapping last night. The daytime temps have dropped now, though overnight temps are still ok for mid-August and there is no rain forecast until tomorrow morning so I'll stick it out tonight.