A couple of these sexton beetles were in the moth trap the other morning, one of them folding its head down and playing dead rather than trying to run away. These carrion beetles are attracted by the smell of rotting meat. They lay their eggs under the corpse of a small animal and the adults even stay to care for their larvae, which is better parenting than the average insect.
Although it is called a Shore Sexton Beetle (Necrodes littoralis), it’s not just found by the sea side. This beetle, which flies well, was attracted to the light of my moth trap the other night. It can fly quite far in search of dead animals, which both it and its larvae live on, helping the process of decomposition.
#695 Shore Sexton Beetle Necrodes littoralis
For a change last night I was trapping in my Dad’s garden in Winchcombe. He’s always reminiscing about how many more insects there were back in the old days, and he’s for sure correct. Even so it was great to catch a pretty decent selection of moths, several that i didn’t yet catch at my place. I took some photos of a few of the more colourful ones and ones I didn’t recognise, including a Marbled Green (Nyctobrya muralis) which seems pretty unusual this far from the coast. A rather impressive Sexton Beetle had dropped into the trap; this is a carrion beetle that searches out dead small animals and raises its larvae in a burrow under the corpse.
Spectacular damage in the space of a few days to my Mizuna (Japanese mustard greens) and Swede seedlings. The final picture, of a Small White Butterfly caterpillar, was taken on 5th July and the first photo of the same leaves, devastated by flea beetles, on 16 July. Partaking in the feeding frenzy, four species of Brassica pest, all new to the list.
The main culprits were tiny black Cabbage-stem Flea Beetles (Psylliodes chrysocephala, #649) that eat little holes in the leaves of many types of Brassica. I also found one Lesser Striped Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta undulata, #647), with a cream-coloured stripe on its flanks. Both the Swede and Mizuna plants also had an infestation of Cabbage Stem Weevils (Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus, #468). The final pest, just on the Swede plants, was Mealy Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae, #650), with this winged adult, but also a fair few green coloured wingless immature aphids on the undersides of the leaves.
Last week there were some new beetles about. The brown coloured beetle is my first click beetle, Athous haemorrhoidalis. This is quite a common beetle of hedgerows and meadows, which like other click beetles can launch itself into the air with an audible click. The beetle lives on pollen, nectar and emerging foliage, bur during their 2 year larval stage the grubs if present in large numbers can damage crops and turf.
The shiny black rove beetle is of the genus Philonthus, potentially P. laminatus; there’s quite a few species to choose from, and they are very similar. This one is very uniform glossy black, including the legs. The small ladybird is a 10-spotted one, Adalia decempunctata. There are many colour variations to this species, which can even (despite its name) have up to 15 spots. These are a gardener’s friend, preying on aphids.
Last week there was more diversity in the light trap, and actually not so many moths. There were three ground beetles, two of which were of the type pictured, which I believe (based on the shape of the pronuptum) is Ophonus rufibarbis - this genus of beetle is apparently quite often attracted to light. I’m not sure if was the beetles (which are predators) or some ants that also got into the trap, but all that was left of this mayfly was its rather beautiful wings. From the pattern on the wings, these are all that’s left of a Green Drake Mayfly (Ephemera danica), though I would like to catch another sometime so I can see the whole creature.
It’s Cockchafer season, and one of these big beetles dropped in over the weekend. It’s always good to see them. though this one seemed a bit injured.
The round and shiny black beetle is my first clown beetle, Hister unicolor (#614). This family of beetles are scavengers, with a preference for dead animals, animal dung and other rotting things. Hister unicolor is a little less specific than some and can be found in woodland and gardens attracted by compost and rotting vegetation. This individual, as is commonly the case apparently, had several brown mites clinging onto it.
Back at the allotment the Ox-eye Daises are attracting some beetles that I don’t see in my not-so-sunny garden. I did fish a Swollen-thighed Beetle aka False Oil Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) out of the swimming pool the last summer. This is a pretty iridescent emerald green beetle with thickened back legs; more striking than it’s smaller relative Oedemera lurida, two of which were facing off over this daisy. The third beetle with it’s reddish coloured markings is Stenurella melanura,
Once again checking the composting bin after some gardening throws up some colourful creatures.
Star of the show is a snazzy iridescent green Cereal Leaf Beetle, which is new one for the garden, not that it seems especially unusual. There’s actually two species which you can only really tell apart by dissecting it (and then knowing what to look for), Oulema melanopus and O. duftschmidi. Both are considered pests in arable farms as they damage the leaves of cereal crops and reduce yield.
The other two are familiar species, a colourful Hawthorn Shield Bug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) and a not-so-pretty (or, if you are a gardener, desirable) Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus). One of my gardening jobs was to dig up a rosemary that had slowly died over the last months - perhaps the Vine Weevil’s larvae were something to do with this, as the plant had previously been quite healthy.
Several of these long-horn beetles appeared, attracted to the wall lights in my sitting room. They live under the bark on trees and presumably have come from the firewood stacked up ready for my log-burner. This species is identified from other similar beetles by the dark colour, reddish patches on parts of the legs & antennae and the elongated second segment of the antenna. Normally they fly in April-May, but as it’s nice and warm in the house they have emerged early.
Continuing the succession of interesting beasts pulled out of the pool, I was very impressed on Saturday with this trio. The very boldly coloured rove beetle is Platydracus stercorarius. It is quite common and widespread, but I’m sure I’ve never come across it before. A couple of the smaller black rove beetles were in the pool; with their brownish mid-section (elytra), I believe they are Gyrohypnus angustatus - a common species in damp places and around gardens, The Oak Bush Cricket is a first for this year and always a welcome find.
This pretty, iridescent green beetle is also called the False Oil Beetle, but either way IMO it really deserves a nicer name. Female beetles like this individual, don’t even have “swollen thighs”; it’s just the male who has enlarged rear legs. This beetle visits a variety of flowers for pollen, but in this case was yet another rescue from the paddling pool. Formerly the species had quite a restricted range in Southern England, but since the 1990’s it has been spreading to the Midlands and northwards.
The boys fished this Common Cockchafer or Maybug (Melolontha melolontha) out of the paddling pool, where it had crashed overnight. It survived okay though by doing the backstroke, and when released scuttled away to bury itself in the leaves down under the Hazel trees. It’s getting to the end of the season for these big bugs, as they typically emerge in May then live for only six weeks.
The Maybug’s little brother is a Viburnum Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), which is a pest of Viburnum shrubs, but did not seem to be doing much damage where I found it on my runner beans. Even smaller, Derocrepis rufipes, is a tiny leaf beetle, which was on the Hollyhock flowers.
Finally, the Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) that I had been hoping might turn up on the huge Ragwort I left to grow in the lawn arrived, but opted for the Goldenrod. These soldier beetles eat nectar & pollen on flowers, but also other visiting insects. This one was on its own, but otherwise they seem to spend most of their time mating (hence their nickname of “bonking beetles").
After seeing my first 10-spot ladybird last month, I found my first Cream-spot Ladybird Calvia quatuordecimguttata, #515). As mentioned in an earlier blog it seems a very good ladybird year, as there are a lot of ladybird larvae and pupae all over the garden. This Cream-spotted Ladybird was in the Hazel trees I planted a few years back and am trying to coppice. There’s no shortage of aphids in there, so plenty of food.
#515 Cream-spot Ladybird (Calvia quatuordecimguttata)
The stripy Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana, #509) is (yet) another imported garden pest. Native to the Mdditerranean region (despite its Latin name), it didn’t arrive in UK until the 1990’s, but has now spread quite far from the London area where it initially colonised. I didn’t see any in the garden last summer, but this week there are a few of them munching the flowers on the lavender. I didn’t see them on the nearby lavender, which seems to be dying anyway - but probably not for beetle-related reasons. The beetles are very smart with their green & purple stripes, so I don’t begrudge them some lavender flowers - perhaps that will change though if they reach epidemic numbers.
The other colourful beetle is a Nettle Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus), which I couldn’t resist posting even though it was not in the garden. They do lose their colour, becoming almost black, but this one was a particularly bright one on a bright sunny day by the River Severn near Ashleworth Ham Nature Reserve.
So far this spring I’ve seen several Seven Spotted Ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata) and Fourteen Spotted Ladybirds (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata) - got to love those Latin names. The Asian Harlequin Ladybirds have not been present, so it’s been nice to see the native species. The small brown bug looks like Epuraea aestiva, joining the pollen beetles on the head of a dandelion.
A bit of a mixed bag around the garden today, with Chocolate Mining Bee (Andrena scotica, 459) adding to the medley of mining bees that are present at the moment. A few Amara ground. beetles were to be seen in the sunshine; this one appears like a Common Sun Beetle (Amara aenea). Next a couple of spiders. Zebra Spider (Salticus scenicus, #460) is usually a common enough species of jumping spider, but I didn’t find one last summer, so it was nice to catch this one in the sunshine by the front door. The not-so-long-legged harvestman is Phalangium opilio (#461); found while doing some gardening,
Passionate about nature, based in Gloucestershire UK; this site is about creating a wildlife friendly family garden and exploring the diversity of animal & plant species that share it with us.
As a nature lover and wildlife gardener I started wondering about the biodiversity in my backyard and just how many species from plants to insects to birds to mammals might live in or visit it.
Much of the wildlife in my small, village garden has been present right under my nose for years without my really appreciating it, so on the way I am learning a lot about different species and how to make a wildlife-friendly environment for them; also getting engaged more in conservation activities around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
My garden species tally started from zero on June 1st 2018, the target was 1000 species, which I eventually hit in June 2024. But there’s still plenty to see and learn about.
I'm very interested in your comments & advice: whether it's about the blog, some help with identification or just how to make my own little Eden better for wildlife. So please leave a comment or drop me a line if you feel like it!
Graham Tompsett
microedenproject@gmail.com
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