A Hem

I'm both clearing my throat and referring to a Hempiterid.

Before that though, I had a bit of a squint at a couple of records I submitted a few days ago referring to both of the leafhoppers I posted about here. Both were new to me, neither appeared on the NatureSpot website and I wondered if there were any previous records. Both records have since been fully accepted by none other than the National Recording Scheme organiser Dr Alan Stewart, which means I can see them mapped against all other currently known records on the NBN Atlas. I have no idea if they are genuinely new to VC55 (still can't get hold of any working list of VC55 Hemiptera) but it kinda looks that way. These screenshots are from the NatureSpot website; the red dots are my records and the yellow squares are other known records in the neighbouring counties and a bit beyond ....

What are the chances of adding two species from the same order to the county list from the same area, using the same recording method on the same date!

However this success is moderated by a bit of an epic fail. Virtually everytime I've gone out recently I've been finding Drymus spp. and/or Peritrechus spp. I've submitted records which have been accepted - except one. The ground bug I found at Altar Stones, remember the one? - the photo next to a fragment of what looks like a Hornet's head - this one ...

Anyway, checking the antennae confirmed it wasn't another Peritrechus geniculatus, it was 'the other one'. I then cocked up by blithely naming it as 'the other one' that I knew and not realising it was actually the other other one .... It is not Peritrechus lundii, which I've seen and recorded before (hence the name in my head). It is Peritrechus nubilus (which I haven't seen before) as pointed out by Maria Justamond. My bad. However record corrected and all good in the end. Here's a shot of the antennae showing the thinner third segment versus the first.

I'll end this blurb with another new-for-me species, this one with eight legs ...

This cracking large spider is Coelotes atropos. I found a couple of them at Charnwood Lodge under bark on rotting logs, and collected one to check.

Although unlikely, there is a very similar species (Coelotes terrestris) which has so far not been recorded from VC55, so whilst the ID was pretty much conclusive it did need a quick check of the epigyne to be 100%. I managed to get shot and release the specimen later in the evening.

It's not pretty.

Bug Eyed

Been through most of the bits I collected at Altar Stones, and have IDs. The 'Sitona' type weevil with massive eyes that I mentioned yesterday turned out to be a new one for me ....

Neliocarus nebulosus

I also ended up with another Anthobium type, though this one looks good for A. unicolor.

And a small Carabid proved to be Bradycellus verbasci - nice to see one out in the wild rather than piled up in the moth trap. I decided to have another go at carding, seeing as I had the specimens albeit they were all significantly smaller than the first lot I tried. I'd had a read on Mark Telfer's website and decided in for a pound ....

Slightly better attempts I reckon, aside from the badly snipped card (which I can re-snip a bit) and the keen-eyed will note a blob of glue on the Bradycellus that I hope I can remove - it doesn't look so obvious without flash. I've ordered some proper mounting boards and think with a few more goes I can get somewhere near presentable!

Also amongst the specimens was this ladybird.

Rhyzobius litura

The bugs proved to be Nabis ferus, more Drymus sylvaticus and Peritrechus lundii nubilus.

One that I can't ID at all so far is this moth caterpillar - proleg arrangements suggests Geometridae but no idea which, and it's not eating the grass I found it in so it's a catch-22 - need to rear to ID, can't rear without ID ....

At the Altar

I left work late this afternoon but still with enough daylight to do something. It was dry, but overcast and likely to get duller, mild but very gusty. I ended up at Altar Stones - more by default than design. The route from work to my intended site, Warren Hills, took me past Markfield and I decided to change venue for expediency. Turned out to be a fair twist of fate, as with only around half an hour of actual activity this site was perfect - straight out of the car and into habitat rather than walking for five or ten minutes.

I ended up sieving grassy clumps, which has so far seemed to be far more productive for a range of stuff than sieving leaf litter (unless you are specifically looking for collembola!). I've potted up a few beetles (including a Sitona type weevil with massive bulging eyes) and ground bugs to check, plus a moth caterpillar to rear and check. I took a couple of quick snaps, and noticed something on this one that completely bypassed me whilst looking through the tray in life.

Heads Gone?

I'll work through the dets tomorrow. In the meantime, another beetle from yesterday .....

Keyed to Calathus rotundicollis - look at the claw-teeth on that. A new one for me.

I also printed some labels for the (dodgily) carded specimens. Think I'll have to re-think that one, even the stiffest paper we have at work is not sturdy enough. I'll maybe laminate them.

Think the data label content should be okay though. Top label has collection detail (date, who, site name and grid ref), and bottom label has determination detail (date, who, order|family, species). I used a background colour cos I can; probably completely against some sort of proper science protocol but hey.

The garden moth trap got an outing last night, only the second or third this year: 13 Common Quakers, 1 Clouded Drab, 1 March Moth, 3 Emmelina monodactyla. Thrilling.