Lucky Man ...

Last night I was invited to join Margaret McLoughlin and Graham & Anona Finch out for some light trapping at a private site in Charnwood that the Loughborough Naturalists' Club has been surveying. The forecast was looking good anyway, and it certainly turned out to be an excellent night in many ways. I ran a 125W MV over a sheet and 2x 125W MV traps. And my new car is delayed so the pseudo-Uber got another run across terrain it wasn't built for.

The sheet was quite quickly alive with tiny diptera, caddisflies and an assortment of tiny beetles. But a few early swifts aside, moths were a bit slower to get going. I'll come back to the catch, but first a backstory ....

Whilst setting up, Graham (who you may recall is the VC55 Coleoptera Recorder) had pointed out to me a free-standing dead birch trunk which he suggested I should have a look at after dark. On this same tree last year, he'd found literally dozens of the beetle Corticeus unicolor, the first VC55 record of Colydium elongatum and other interesting beetles. Once the lights were on and dusk had just about phased into night, I went to have a look. Sure enough, exactly as explained, I found plenty of Corticeus unicolor - a new beetle for me.

I also found Mycetophagus quadripustulatus (one I ticked at the end of May) and what I am sure is Triplax russica (black scutellum).

All of these where on and around Hoof Fungus [Fomes fomentarius]. But on the trunk close by was another interesting beetle, Megatoma undata.

I let Graham know what I'd seen, although it became apparent that I'd actually checked a different (but equally interesting) dead birch. The one I checked was close to the footpath, though the trunk was a bit boxed in by bracken and bramble. A bit later when I went to have another look, I found the tree that Graham had originally meant which was just set back a bit from the path. Pretty much the same story with masses of Corticeus unicolor, and amazing to see the fungal spores drifting off into the night. But right in front of me on the lip of the 'hoof' was a completely different beetle, and one that did not ring any bells or look familiar. I grabbed a shot in situ and potted it up. I was sure Graham would recognise it. I showed Graham the photo; he immediately recognised it was interesting, was sure he'd not seen one and wasn't sure what it was. He was all the more pleased to hear I had it potted, and I was more than happy to pass it on so Graham could do his magic on carding and imaging it. I decided to do a quick Google in the woods, and later in the night let Graham know what I though it was - albeit that couldn't be right. Anyway, here is my not so great shot of it in-situ on the fungus (in pitch black using my TG-6).

Anyways, I reckoned it was a perfect match for Bolitophagus reticulatus, but noted that the distribution for that seemed to be limited to the Scottish highlands. Must be something similar and commoner? When I got home much later, a quick check in Duff .... can't see that there is anything similar. Graham let me know he was in agreement on the ID. I posted it to the Beetles of Britain and Ireland FB site - no alternative IDs offered. So there you go, new for me, new for VC55 and it appears new for England! I'm sure a first for England is not really recognised or notable but, you know, I'll take it anyway.

The fungus is pretty common in Charnwood, and appears to be present continuously throughout between Leicestershire and the highlands and pretty much everywhere else too. The beetle also appears to have been recorded in mainland France, Poland etc. It therefore seems very likely that it is indeed present wherever the fungus is - though how it would have evaded detection until my random lucky encounter I have no idea.

Right, back to the sheet. There were far more non-lepidopteran 'intruders' than I've seen so far this year. I pointed the camera at one or two caddisflies, one of which I've not seen before.

Phryganea bipunctata

As for the moths I ended up with 351 of 94sp. + 3sp. for dissection, not a bad total at all though not really anything too exciting. I know Graham is already at c110sp, from his x4 traps, and I know Margaret had a few bits I did not get from her x2 traps so I am sure the overall total for the night will be pretty strong. Margaret absolutely had the main moth highlight, one I was delighted to see ....

Rosy Marbled

Clean Sweep in Heather

I spent a couple of hours vigorously sweeping the (relatively) abundant heathers and bilberry at Warren Hills yesterday in nice sunshine with with the continual strong breeze that we've had for a week or so. My targets were actually a couple of Coleophora spp.: I hoped to find the distinctive cases of Coleophora pyrrhulipennella amongst the sweepings, and perhaps something that looked in contention for the cases of Coleophora juncicolella. No joy with either, which initially made it seem a bit of a fruitless effort, but there were a few beetles and a couple of small vaguely familiar tortrix moths. Turns out that this initial dismay quickly turned into a major win once I checked out the IDs. I was also left wishing I'd brought some clumps of heather and bilberry home for photographic props.

Firstly the tortrix: not the most spectacular thing, which reminded me of a small Holly Tortrix. I retained one for a photo, and quickly ascertained it was the closely related Rhopobota myrtillana. Brilliant; not only a new moth for me but also effectively new to VC55 (VCH listed, so any records are pre 1907 but there are no specimens so cannot be verified).

The only other Lepidopteran highlights were a Maiden's Blush disturbed from oak and this early leafmine on the same tree ....

Acrocercops brongniardella

I've not seen an adult A. brongniardella for a number of years, so will try to remember to look out for later developed mines to try and rear one through.

As for the beetles, aside from one obvious click beetle which I have seen before (on Cairngorm!) three turned out to be new to me. First up, a weevil from heather that has only x5 prior VC55 records, the most recent of those being 1992. This is Strophosoma sus, subtly smart and boggly eyed ....

Also from heather were a couple of Lochmaea suturalis, and despite me thinking I have seen it before it wasn't on my list.

The click beetle I'd seen before was Ctenicera cuprea, pretty smart as clicks go.

Also from the heather and bilberry area was this Eurygaster testudinaria - confirmed to species and as a female by looking at the undercarriage.

Finally, from the same site but actually beaten from oak of all places was this new to me click beetle ....

Prosternon tessellatum

The inadvertent beetle ticks didn't end there, as in the evening at home I noted a bright green weevil sitting on the edge of a leaf on our small ornamental red Acer sp. Once potted up and checked through Mark Gurney's guides as a starter it soon came out to Polydrusus formosus, very common but new to me and the garden. It started nibbling a birch leaf as I tried to get snaps.

Bumping into Beetles

On Monday, though the weather wasn't as great as it had been, we nipped down to Coombe Abbey park for a few hours of mainly wandering through decent woodland etc whilst avoiding the growing crowds of picnic-ers and families with kids / dogs. I was entomologically naked in most respects: no net, no pots, no real intention of looking for anything. But I did have the TG-6, you know - just in case ....

I'd seen quite a few interesting bits and pieces, but nothing extraordinary. And in one of those perfect moments that you cannot plan, and certainly don't happen when you are properly looking, as I stood next to a tree for a moment whilst Nichola read a sign I noticed a stonking Rhagium mordax at eye level and promptly got my camera out. Literally as I went to put my hand on the tree to steady the shot, I noticed a much smaller but altogether more colourful beetle. One that I immediately recognised and one that I'd not seen before! I couldn't quite believe it - even more so when the blasted thing dropped down to the floor. Whilst I stepped back and thought expletives to myself, Nichola ambled over and pointed up a bit asking what were these two beetles. A quick glance and incredibly it was a pair of Rhinceros Beetles in-cop. With another Rhagium mordax wandering past them. I had to poke myself a bit and get some photos; a reminder these were all on the same tree trunk within a meter or so of each other.

Rhagium mordax

Rhinoceros Beetle

Having got a couple of shots, I set about optimistically trying to find the dropped beetle. Only to find it scuttling back up the trunk and another one already on there - fantastic!

Thanasimus formicarius

The luck did not stop there. Having filled my boots with these beauties, we walked on and I noted a number of hoverflies including Brachypalpoides lentus which I should have tried to capture with the camera. Nichola pointed at some fungi growing off of a stump, which I mentioned were also good for beetles .... and there is one. I grabbed a couple of poor snaps before it settled albeit quite deep into a crevice. But, there was more than enough to confirm another new beetle for me.

Mycetophagus quadripustulatus

Seeing these just made an already relaxing and refreshing few hours walking around even better.

Here's a great track that's got nothing to do with the post; except maybe tenuously as they're scousers like The Beatles. These are just one of the bands that I am looking forward to seeing at the Isle of Wight Festival in a couple of weeks. Or at least hoping to, alcohol and overall programme permitting.