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Post by nomad on Aug 19, 2017 10:47:16 GMT
Fenland days. A great variety of insects can be found in a calcareous Fen. I have already posted in other threads, two of the special Soldier flies (Stratiomyidae) that breed here. My visits to these fenlands have been in July and August but I hope to return next year and study the insects from the Spring onward. Now it is late summer in the fen, the most noticeable plants are the blue Water Mint ( Mentha aquatica), the tall flowering pink Hemp-agrimony ( Eupatorium cannabinum) and the purple headed Marsh Thistle ( Eupatorium cannabinum). The Fen is edged with golden Fleabane ( Pulicaria dysenterica). In the adjacent limestone grassland, much of the yellow Wild Parsnip ( Pastinaca sativa), so important as a nectar source for fenland and other insects, is now going to seed. The Sallow Carr with its shaded pools and streams is also an important habitat for a number of insects. Sallow ( Salix) is the foodplant of a number of Lepidoptera and other insects. In this thread, one can see further species that are found in this rare habitat. Rather than a long series of images in one post, I will add one or two species at a time with a little information about them. The Red Tipped Clearwing, Synanthedon formicaeformis Esper 1782 is a local and rather uncommon species of fens and marshes. The larvae feed inside the stems of various species of Salix, especially osier, S. viminalis. Clearwing Moths of the family Sesiidae are notoriously difficult to find in the wild in the UK and this example was found without the aid of a pheromone lure basking in the sunshine on a burdock leaf during July. Salix viminalis grows in the location where I found this moth.
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Post by nomad on Aug 20, 2017 6:46:42 GMT
Bordered Beauty, Epione repandaria Hufnagel, 1767. This very pretty moth of the Geometridae family was another species that was new to me. This is a nocturnal species which I disturbed recently in the fen during the day-time . Apart from fenland, it occurs in other marshy areas where its foodplant Sallow (Salix) grows. It is widely distributed in England and Wales but scarcer in Scotland and Ireland.
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Post by nomad on Aug 23, 2017 15:22:02 GMT
Anthocomus rufus Herbst, 1784. This small ruby red beetle (4-5mm) has a preference for wetter areas around reedbeds and their margins. It belongs to the family Malachiidae - Soft-wing flower beetles and has a elytra that is shorter than the body. I found several taking nectar on angelica plants in the reed beds of the fen. This appears to be the first record of this species from this site.
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Post by nomad on Aug 30, 2017 11:02:56 GMT
Cteniopus sulphureus Linn 1758. The very distinctive sulphur beetle is the only bright yellow beetle found in the UK. It is a pollen feeder and belongs to the family Tenebrionidae. C. sulphureus usually a coastal species of England and Wales but is also found in inland areas of East Anglica. This insect is rare in the Cothill area and it is one of the few localities where it occurs outside of its main area of distribution. The example shown below, had flown into the fen to feed on Angelica from the adjacent dry limestone grassland. This species usually occurs only in dry habitats.
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Post by NathanGrosse on Sept 9, 2017 20:16:15 GMT
Great photos and informative text. It's nice to see some more Coleoptera on this forum!
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Post by nomad on Sept 10, 2017 8:40:19 GMT
Thank you NathanGrosse. Yes beetles are certainly sparse on the forum. Here is another colourful species found in the fen. A favourite of mind. Mint leaf Jewel Beetle, Chrysolina herbacea Duftschmid, 1825. I have posted a short piece about this decidedly local and beautiful species from the Chrysomelidae before. I have found further examples this year in the fens and have better images to show. This species is often found sitting on the foodplant water-mint, Mentha citrata in August and September, when the plant is in flower. Both the larva and the adult feed on the mint. The purple flowers of this very aromatic plant, are visited by many insects. The female C. herbacea is considerably larger than the male. The one below looks like it has picked up a caterpillar frass.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Sept 10, 2017 12:40:56 GMT
I always wondered how beetles managed to 'do it'. Now we know. Superb photos as always.
Adam.
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Post by nomad on Sept 11, 2017 10:46:23 GMT
I believe the bottom image shows the mating ritual rather graphically.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Sept 11, 2017 15:33:18 GMT
That was what I was referring to. Maybe a Coleopterist can confirm that the male extends the tip of its abdomen to make contact with the female, rather than the other way round.
Adam.
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Post by nomad on Sept 20, 2017 8:03:48 GMT
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Post by nomad on Jan 17, 2018 11:02:37 GMT
In the fen the leafhopper Cicadella viridis (body length 6-8mm) family Cicadelidae order Hemiptera is common. It has a widespread distribution in Britain where there are damp grasslands and Marshes. Below. Cicadella viridis. Also found here is the Cinnamon Bug, Corizus hyoscyami (body length 9mm) family Rhopalidae . Formerly only locally distributed in sandy habitats around the coasts of southern Britain, this species is rapidly extending its range to a variety of habitats inland. Below. Corizus hyoscyami.
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Post by nomad on Jan 17, 2018 11:46:10 GMT
Conops ceriaeformis is a rare species of the family Conopidae order Diptera. The female has a distinct yellow puffer jacket body and can be distinguished from the much more frequent Conops quadrifasciatus by the entirely yellow legs, usually with black marking on the femur. This species is diomorphic the female has a very narrow body. Below. Males Conops ceriaeformis. Below Female Conops quadrifasciatus. Note the reddish legs. Male. Conops quadrifasciatus.
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Post by nomad on Jan 17, 2018 12:13:55 GMT
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Post by nomad on Jan 18, 2018 11:06:44 GMT
Eristalinus sepulchralis is a very unusual and rather uncommon wetland hoverfly of the family Syrphidae. It has purple spotted eyes. In the fen they are found in small numbers where there is shorter and wetter vegetation area that is fed by a calcareous spring. The males have eyes that do not meet at the top, but the gap between the eyes is narrower than in females. The rat-tailed larvae have been found in wet decaying vegetation of fens, ponds and ditches and in wet manure. The fen is grazed by cattle so there is plenty of wet manure here as well as decaying vegetation. This is a deerfly Chrysops viduatus of the family Tabanidae that is found in Marshes, bogs and fens. It will feed upon any large mammals, including deer, cattle, horses and humans. It also visits plants for nectar and next to the fenland it was feeding in the grassland of the old quarry on the Wild Parsley, a plant that has a special attraction to Diptera. I expect these flies were also feeding on the cattle grazing nearby ; in the heat of a hot day those animals seek shelter in dense bushes for some relief from the many biting flies. The eyes of this insect as you can see are an amazing colour. The larvae have been found in wet, peaty detritus. Below. Males. Below. Hybomitra species probably distinguenda he larvae probably develop as predators in damp soil or wood detritus. There is plenty of damp sallow carr adjacent to the fen and much there is much damp woodland at nearby Cothill.
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Post by nomad on Jan 19, 2018 11:18:07 GMT
In my last post those males of Chrysops viduatus are correctly identified but those that I suggested were females are in fact another species the horsefly Hybomitra probably distinguenda. Many thanks to Mick Parker for pointing this out.
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