Guernsey

Yes - still finished. But just to keep the species-logging up to date:

1059 - Red-line Quaker

1060 - Black Redstart - one been visiting the garden daily since November.

I may have a few moths and other bits left over in the freezer to check out. I did find this beetle that I collected in the summer which may be identifiable perhaps? 

Guernsey

Quick update of mostly moths:

1039 - Yellow Wagtail
1040 - Opsius stactogalus (leafhopper)
1041 - Sunflower
1042 - Large Ranunculus
1043 - Feathered Ranunculus
1044 - Lunar Underwing
1045 - Red Underwing
1046 - Sombre Brocade
1047 - Convolvulus Hawk-moth

1048 - Pungeleria capreolaria (gulp!)

1049 - Sallow
1050 - Blair's Shoulder-knot
1051 - Small Mottled Willow
1052 - Beautiful Gothic
1053 - Pantilius tunicatus (bug)
1054 - Black Rustic
1055 - Frosted Orange
1056 - Flame Brocade
1057 - Feathered Brindle
1058 - Merveille du Jour

Being casual in Guernsey

Well this is nice and relaxing. Having reached 1000, when I find a creature I don't recognise, I don't fly into a rage or a panic, but just give a "meh" and throw it away! Think I have managed to kick the 1ksq habit. (someone needs to kidnap Muzza, lock him in a room so he can go cold turkey - like Renton in Trainspotting)

1001 - Tipula maxima

1002 - Argyresthia albistria (moth)
1003 - Tall Nightshade
1004 - Sycamore Tar-spot Fungus
1005 - Wall-rue
1006 - Pear Slug Sawfly (larva)
1007 - Bradycellus verbasci (beetle)
1008 - Canary-shouldered Thorn
1009 - Cypress Pug
1010 - Painted Lady
1011 - Gold Spot
1012 - Geotrupes spiniger (Dumble Dor Beetle?)
1013 - Latticed Heath
1014 - Straw Underwing
1015 - Palpita vitrealis (moth) - just my second ever & a cracker!
1016 - Common Darter

1017 - Agriphila geniculea (moth)
1018 - Euzophera pinguis (moth)
1019 - Common Wainscot
1020 - Small Wainscot
1021 - Small Tortoiseshell - first ever garden record, and had another a few days later (pic below). This species is quite rare here, and I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't regularly breed here. Every one I see is associated with an influx of other immigrant butterflies.

1022 - Eumerus funeralis (hoverfly)
1023 - Eristalinus sepulchralis (hoverfly)
1024 - Hygrotus impressopunctatus (water beetle) - under the same dead seagull that was mentioned a while ago!
1025 - Fern
1026 - Clavigestra purdeyi (moth)
1027 - Nephopterix angustella (moth)
1028 - Engrailed - new species for the garden and only a few recs for Guernsey.

1029 - Caloptilia leucapennella (moth)
1030 - Wesmaelius subnebulosus (lacewing)
1031 - Whimbrel - migrant calling over the garden (didn't see it)
1032 - Grass Eggar
1033 - Apion pomonae (weevil)
1034 - Hare's-foot Clover
1035 - Med Gull - the 3 or 4 times I have seen Med Gull over the garden have all been on the days that our ant nest erupts and the gulls come to feed overhead.

1036 - Gem
1037 - Aethes smeathmanniana (moth)
1038 - Monopis laevigella (moth)

1000 in Guernsey - Yipee-kay-ay!!

After a pretty good moth trap on the night of 11th Aug, I had reached 998 species. Then I remembered I had a dead, crusty dagger sp in the fridge, which I hacked at to make 999. So with one species to go I had visions of something magical happening for the 1000 - a flock of Bee-eaters circling overhead, or a Swallowtail flapping by. So, even though I had a few dead micromoths in the freezer I decided to let the finish tape come to me. 

After two full days of scanning the skies above,and straining at every movement, I gave up and put the moth trap out and..... nothing new! First time for ages! So, yesterday I spent another day waiting for 'the boy', but again to no avail. This morning however, the moth trap came up with the goods - a Bordered Beauty, a fine-looking moth to hit the 1000. I was pleased.

986 - Flounced Rustic
987 - Pammene aurita - a garden moth tick
988 - Clouded Yellow
989 - Bread Wheat - surprised to see a few spikes of Wheat sticking up out of the grass at the side of the road - no idea where they grow it round here.

990 - Liocoris tripustulatus (bug)

 

991 - Tawny-speckled Pug

992 - Agrypnia varia (caddis)
993 - Cheilosia pagana (hoverfly)
994 - Pyrausta aurata (moth)
995 - Marbled Beauty
996 - Webb's Wainscot - a lifer for me!
997 - Ant-lion - Was really, really hoping to get one of these. Only seen one before, which was here in the garden about 8 yrs ago. Larval pits not too rare here I don't think but certainly not common.

 998 - Antler Moth - A superb second-for-Guernsey. Only seen them in Scotland.

999 - Grey Dagger
1000 - Bordered Beauty

Now that I have hit the target, I will certainly be slowing down quite a bit. I will still record everything I come across and keep moth trapping, so my list will increase. But if I have a couple of free hours at the weekend for example, I will more likely hit the coast to look for rare birds, than wander the lanes of my square like I have been doing. So thanks Andy for setting up the challenge, it's been a hoot. I have learned more this year about the local wildlife than I have in the last 10 years put together. And thanks to everyone else for supporting the project and spurring each other on. Cheers!

Guernsey

Achingly slow progress all of a sudden as I approach the thousand. A few days ago my parents, sister and family arrived from England for a visit so I have been "doing things" rather than spending time in my square. Some people are so selfish. Also the moth trap has slowed down considerably this week compared to last week's bonanza. But pleased that I can now relax and look forward to coasting through the finish line waving to the crowds.

930 - Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (weevil)
931 - Pediculus humanus - thanks Abigail, taking one for the team.
932 - Endothenia marginana - (tortrix moth) - new species for Guernsey
933 - Brachmia blandella (moth)
934 - Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
935 - Adaina microdactyla (plume moth)
936 - Aethes francillana (tortrix moth)
937 - Olive (moth - not fruit - or oil)
938 - Batrachedra praeangusta (moth)
939 - Lesser-spotted Pinion
940 - Ethmia bipunctella (moth) - a cracking lifer for me, never seen any of this genus before - 4th record for Guernsey

941 - Sitochroa palealis (pyralid moth) - lifer
942 - Dingy Mocha - a hat-trick of lifers from the same catch, a first for Guernsey, and a bloody rare moth in the UK. Pretty chuffed!

943 - Brussels Lace
944 - Galium Carpet
945 - Aphanus rolandi (bug)
946 - Deltaornix torquillella (moth)
947 - Cosmiotes consortella (moth)
948 - Coleophora deauratella (moth)
949 - Coleophora anatipennella (moth)
950 - Coleophora peribenanderi (moth)
951 - Tinea pellionella (clothes moth)
952 - Dark Spinach
953 - Shore Wainscot
954 - Tinea trinotella (moth)
955 - Marbled White-spot
956 - Sharp-angled Peacock
957 - Green Oak Tortrix
958 - Aspilapterix tringipennella (moth)
959 - Rosy Rustic
960 - Limnaesia phragmitella (moth)
961 - Phyllocnistis unipunctella (moth)
962 - Agriphila tristella (moth)
963 - Catoptria pinella (moth)
964 - Loxostege sticticalis (pyralid moth) - another lifer, and only 2nd rec for Guernsey
965 - Argyresthia brockeella (moth)
966 - Comma
967 - Borkhausenia fuscescens (moth)
968 - Spilonota ocellana (moth)
969 - Pammene fasciana (moth)
970 - Carnation Tortrix
971 - Common Orache
972 - Stigmella lemniscella (moth) - larvae mining Elm leaves
973 - Agapanthus praecox (African Lily - garden escape)
974 - Passiflora caerulea (Blue Passion flower - garden escape)
975 - Evergestis extimalis (moth)
976 - Anania verbascalis (moth)
977 - Bryotropha domestica (moth)
978 - Hairy Finger-grass

979 - Corixa punctata (a Lesser Water Boatman)

980 - Gypsy Moth - found by the kids fluttering under a cabinet.

981 - Epiblema foenella (moth)

982 - Phytocoris varipes (bug)

983 - Campyloneura virgula (bug)

984 - Scarce Chocolate-tip - Such a rare moth in the UK, this seems to have recently colonised Guernsey, as has its cogener, Chocolate-tip (both below).

985 - Brown-veined Wainscot

900 in Guernsey

More than three-quarters of my additions in the last week have been moths and the trapping has been gooood. After the last three years of poor catches, it is a relief that this summer is going well and at this rate, I should easily pass 1000 with moths alone. There has been 5 new species for the garden in the last week, which is excellent since I have been trapping here for about 10 years.

The moth trap in situ on the patio.

So passing 900 was really easy - here are the additions (presume any non-labelled ones are moths) :

867 - Ruddy Carpet
868 - Brown-tail
869 - Synaphe punctalis
870 - Small Blood-vein
871 - Pediasia contaminella
872 - Wormwood Pug
873 - Crescent Dart
874 - Saltern Ear
875 - Dun-bar
876 - Migrant Hawker
877 - Eucallipterus tiliae (aphid)
878 - Yellow-tail
879 - Batia lunaris
880 - White-line Dart
881 - Hydrobius fuscipes (water beetle)
882 - Arctosa leopardus (spider)
883 - Stenodema calcarata (bug)
884 - Common Rustic
885 - Coleophora binderella - New for the garden and 2nd rec for Guernsey
886 - Coleophora lutipennella
887 - Coleophora saxicolella
888 - Lozotaeniodes formosanus
889 - Old Lady
890 - Blood-vein
891 - July Highflyer
892 - Mother of Pearl
893 - Archips podana
894 - Broom-tip - Lifer for me and 3rd rec for Guernsey

895 - Acleris holmiana - New species for garden
896 - Agriphila inquinatella
897 - Piniphila bifasciana
898 - Coleophora salicorniae
899 - Haworth's Pug
900 - 13-spot Ladybird - apparently a very rare species in the UK, what its status here is, I do not know. Perhaps it is rare here also, or perhaps there are colonies but people don't know about them.

901 - Montbretia

902 - Pale Galingale
903 - Agapeta hamana

904 - Plain Pug

905 - Small Rufous

906 - Scallop Shell

907 - Barred Rivulet

908 - Slender Pug

909 - Stigmella plagicolella - larvae mining Blackthorn leaves

910 - Fat-hen

911 - Phyllonorycter schreberella - larvae mining Elm leaves

912 - Aceria tenuis (mite) - gall of cock's-foot grass, wee creature within

913 - Creeping Bent

914 - Great Dart

915 - Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

916 - Araneus diadematus (spider)

917 - Scymnus frontalis (ladybird)

918 - Otiorhynchus ovatus (weevil)

919 - Coleophora follicularis - new moth species for the garden

920 - Scrobipalpa atriplicella

921 - Coleophora discordella

922 - Acleris variegana

923 - Phycita roborella

924 - European Corn-borer

925 - Four-spotted Footman

926 - Bryotropha terrella

927 - Lathronympha strigana - Lifer for me, and 2nd record for Guernsey

928 - Cameraria ohridella - larvae mining Horse Chestnut leaves
929 - Mugwort

Guernsey

The rarest species of the last week was the moth Anarsia lineatella, or Peach-twig Borer, which emerged from a Plum, which we found a live larva inside a few weeks ago. As the plum was bought at the local Co-op supermarket and labelled "produce of Spain", I don't think I can really have it for the total!

Anarsia lineatella

The moth trap is really doing its business in these hot times, but a pity I missed 5 nights of this weather by being on a school trip. Here are the latest additions (all listed by their scientific names indicate a moth unless stated):

807 - Jersey Tiger
808 - Cloaked Minor
809 - Blue-bordered Carpet
810 - Endotricha flammealis
811 - Southern Wainscot
812 - Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
813 - Small Fan-footed Wave
814 - Marbled Green
815 - Pempelia formosa
816 - Carcina quercana
817 - Dark Sword-grass
818 - Andrena thoracica (bee)
819 - Microchrysa polita (Black-horned Gem) - (soldier fly)

820 - Acleris sparsana
821 - Tawny Cockroach
822 - Orthotylus marginalis (bug)
823 - Rhagonycha fulva (Common Red Soldier Beetle)
824 - Gatekeeper
825 - Peacock Butterfly
826 - Common Fleabane
827 - Corn Marigold
828 - Yellow Bartsia
829 - Agriphila straminella
830 - Caloptilia elongella
831 - Phtheochroa inopiana
832 - Lagria hirta (beetle)
833 - Codling Moth
834 - Cydia splendana
835 - Single-dotted Wave
836 - Rosy Footman
837 - V-Pug
838 - Small Rivulet
839 - Eucosma cana
840 - Hoary Footman
841 - Barred Straw
842 - Kent Black Arches
843 - Cryptoblabes bistriga
844 - Buff Footman
845 - Least Yellow Underwing
846 - Scrobipalpa costella
847 - Dioryctria abietella

848 - Treble Brown-spot
849 - Turnip Moth
850 - Fen Wainscot
851 - Currant Pug
852 - False-brome
853 - Smooth Hawk's-beard
854 - Aproaerema anthyllidella
855 - Beautiful Hook-tip
856 - Rush Veneer
857 - Coronet
858 - Vestal
859 - Hedgehog (at last - a non-squished one too!)
860 - Miridius quadrivirgatus (bug)
861 - Stenotus binotatus (bug)
862 - Sthenarus rotermundi (bug)
863 - Blepharidopterus angulatus (bug)
864 - Orthops kalmii (bug)
865 - Polymerus palustris (bug) - these last 6 mirid bugs were all in the same moth trap catch, and this final one appears to be a new genus for Guernsey!

866 - Rhyacionia buoliana

A couple of unknowns:
- I don't know what the hell this little creature is, but I thought it was rather pretty!

- I've had a few of these craneflies with the black and yellow pattern.

800 in Guernsey

A quick update before I head off to Germany this lunchtime on a school trip. Really pleased to have hit 800, but this is mainly the moth trap doing its stuff - only 7 of the below list were not attracted to the trap. 

770 - Hollyhock
771 - Araniella cucurbitina (spider)
772 - Cream-bordered Green Pea
773 - Pandemis heparana (moth)
774 - Eudonia mercurella (moth)
775 - Yponomeuta evonymella (moth)

776 - Scalloped Oak
777 - Orange Ladybird
778 - Goat Moth

779 - Sphaerophoria scripta (hoverfly)
780 - Dingy Footman
781 - Shark
782 - Small Fan-foot
783 - Ebulea crocealis (moth)
784 - Silky Wainscot

785 - Thiodia citrana (moth - new species for the garden)

786 - Dichochrysa flavifrons (lacewing)
787 - Serica brunnea (chafer beetle)
788 - Aphodius rufipes (dung beetle)
789 - Sitona hispidulus (weevil)
790 - Jointed Rush
791 - Cryptocephalus vittatus (a pot beetle) - a non-British species I think

792 - Saxicola phycitodes (moth)
793 - Oegoconia quadripuncta (moth) - new species for the garden
794 - Cosmiotes freyerella (moth)
795 - Phyllonorycter spinicolella (moth - larvae mining Blackthorn leaves)
796 - Round-winged Muslin
797 - Marasmarcha lunaedactyla (moth) - second garden record
798 - Channel Island Pug
799 - Phlyctaenia coronata (moth)
800 - Ptocheuusa paupella (moth)
801 - Barred Red
802 - Rustic
803 - Fan-foot
804 - White Satin Moth
805 - Blastobasis adustella (moth)
806 - Dicranopalpus ramosus (harvestman)

Guernsey - three-quarters of the way..

With the forecast for the weekend looking warm and dry, I was looking forward to some hours in the field and a good increase in the total. However on Friday morning I woke up to illness, had to take the day off work and had to stay at home until Sunday lunchtime, when I just about recovered.

It didn't work out too bad though in the end as I was still able to do 2 nights of moth trapping in the garden, and then this afternoon, I went out on a recuperative walk in the sunshine. In my square there is a football club complex and I don't ever go into there as it is up a long drive and is technically private. Today I noticed quite a bit of activity and saw that there was some kind of function on, with bouncy castles, music, BBQs etc. So I strolled up there as though I was invited, nodding to folk and saying hi, before peeling off and exploring the whole area! Unlike the small, overgrown fields in most of the square, up here there were mostly very dry, open, arid fields, with a different selection of plant-life, many of which I normally associate with coastal grassland here. I shall try and get in here again...

727 - Liophloeus tessulatus (weevil)
728 - Green Silver-lines
729 - Enoplognatha ovata (spider)
730 - Malthinus seriepunctatus (soldier beetle)
731 - Scaeva pyrastri (hoverfly)
732 - Common Footman
733 - Buff Arches
734 - Lozotaenia forsterana (tortrix moth)
735 - Magpie Moth
736 - Empis livida (fly)
737 - Cape Cudweed
738 - Nemapogon cloacella (Cork Moth)
739 - Black Poplar
740 - Swallow-tailed Moth
741 - Trachycera marmorea
742 - Clouded Brindle
743 - Small Yellow Wave

744 - Dot Moth
745 - Short-cloaked Moth
746 - White Plume
747 - Uncertain
748 - Oak Marble Gall Wasp (Andricus kullari) - galls & the larvae therein
749 - Maidens Blush
750 - Tarnished Plant-bug (Lygus rugulipennis)
751 - Garden Lobelia
752 - Callicorixa praeusta (lesser water boatman)
753 - Neoascia podagrica (hoverfly)
754 - Rustyback Fern
755 - Hedge Bindweed
756 - Sea Beet - not near the sea!
757 - Sand Spurrey
758 - Small-flowered Catchfly
759 - Honesty
760 - Gypsonoma sociana
761 - Hairy Birds-foot-trefoil
762 - Corn Spurrey
763 - Meadow Brown
764 - Field Bindweed
765 - Black Horehound
766 - Pink-sorrel
767 - Selfheal
768 - Opium Poppy
769 - Purple Toadflax

This large inch-long wasp is quite common here and is notable as it flies with its hind-legs spread-eagled and so is quite spectacular. Don't know what it is though!

Guernsey

Ticking along nicely. Only managing short sessions out and about but easily finding new things each time. Hay fever is very bad this year, but there again, I have been wading chest-deep in long grass - hence no sympathy from the wife.

671 - Common Groundhopper
672 - Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae (moth larva mining hawthorn leaf)
673 - Fig-leaved Goosefoot
674 - Summer Chafer
675 - Pine Hawk-moth
676 - Red-barred Tortrix
677 - Argyresthia cupressella (moth) - this would be a first record for Guernsey, which I caught by the light of the trap one evening. I have no experience of the species, but it does look like one to me!

678 - Common Frog
679 - Brookweed
680 - Italian Rye-grass
681 - Common Swift (the moth!)
682 - Bramble-shoot Tortrix
683 - Hedya pruniana (moth)
684 - Epermenia chaerophyllella (moth)
685 - Red Twin-spot Carpet
686 - Common Emerald
687 - Green Pug
688 - Broad-barred White
689 - Trachycera advenella (moth)
690 - Small Elephant Hawk-moth
691 - Dwarf Cream Wave
692 - Great Mullein
693 - Pineappleweed
694 - Dasineura fraxini (Ash Gall Midge)
695 - Amalorrhychus melanarius (weevil) - found in the garden where Redshank is common, and is not on the Guernsey beetle list that I have.
696 - Hoplia philanthus (chafer beetle)
697 - Athous campyloides (click beetle) - attracted to moth trap light, keyed out and also does not appear on my Guernsey list.
698 - Potato Capsid Bug (Closterotomus norwegicus)
699 - Bembedion properous (carabid beetle)
700 - Stenolophus mixtus (carabid beetle)
701 - Isotomurus palustris (springtail)
702 - Common Lutestring
703 - Lesser Yellow Underwing
704 - Orache Moth

705 - Riband Wave
706 - Lobesia abscisana (moth)
707 - Endothenia quadrimaculana (moth)
708 - Burnished Brass
709 - Coleophora spinella (moth) - emerged from case found on Hawthorn

710 - Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (gen det)
711 - Cnephasia incertana (moth - gen det)
712 - Coleophora alcyonipennella (moth - gen det)
713 - Blastodacna hellerella (moth)
714 - Creeping Thistle
715 - Large White (larvae)
716 - Pammene regiana (moth)
717 - Nipplewort
718 - Large Bindweed
719 - Foxglove
720 - Tufted Vetch
721 - Silverweed
722 - Tetraneura ulmi (Elm Fig Gall Aphid)
723 - Cypress Carpet
724 - Shoulder-striped Wainscot
725 - Clay
726 - Poecilobothrus nobilitatus (fly) - identified from a photo posted by Skev on Facebook!

Guernsey - two thirds of the way there

A decent week of additions despite it being rather windy. The first properly busy moth trap of the year brought 17 new additions, but I've not had it on since. It's so difficult to get it done on a school night with 3 kids to get ready in the morning, but tomorrow looks the best night of this week so I'll get up early.

620 - Bee Moth
621 - Light Emerald
622 - Smoky Wainscot
623 - Clancy's Rustic
624 - Borkhausenia minutella (a very rare moth nationally, and one of the specialities of my garden)
625 - Portland Ribbon Wave
626 - Clouded Silver
627 - White-spotted Pug
628 - Figure of Eighty
629 - Foxglove Pug
630 - Mottled Rustic
631 - Flame
632 - Silver-ground Carpet (a new species for the garden. After 9 years of trapping any new species, especially a macro, is notable. Only 5th Gue rec this century. Why this is so rare here is a mystery - it is quite common in the other Channel Islands.)

633 - Lackey (larva)
634 - Garden Pebble
635 - Crambus lathionellus (moth)
636 - Cochylis molliculana (moth)
637 - Crocidosema plebejana (moth)
638 - Epistrophe diaphana (hoverfly - appears to be a first for Guernsey)
639 - Helophilus trivittatus (hoverfly)
640 - Carrot
641 - Wasp Beetle
642 - Chirosia histricina (fly larva mining Bracken - maybe a Guernsey first also)
643 - Cydia nigricana (Pea Moth)
644 - Ten-spot Ladybird
645 - Coleophora seratella (larva in case on Elm)
646 - Athous haemorrhoidalis (click beetle)
647 - Common Froghopper
648 - Eupteryx urticae (leafhopper)
649 - Tetragnatha extensa (spider)
650 - Xysticus cristatus - (spider)
651 - Cunctochrysa albolineata (green lacewing - using my new key)
652 - Rhinoncus bruchoides - (weevil in the garden - appears to be a new species for Guernsey)
653 - Margarinotus purpurascens (beetle)
654 - Common Field Grasshopper
655 - Creeping Soft-grass
656 - English Stonecrop
657 - Celery Fly (Euleia heraclei)
658 - Chrysotoxum bicinctum (hoverfly)
659 - Cut-leaved Dead-nettle
660 - Great Willowherb
661 - Short-fruited Willowherb
662 - Trigonotylus ruficornis (plant bug)
663 - Pseudoswammerdamia combinella (moth)

664 - Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil
665 - Small White (finally!)
666 - Meadow Vetchling
667 - Clepsis consimilana
668 - Monochroa cytisella
669 - Timothy
670 - Phaedon cochleariae (Water-cress Beetle)

This evening, lots of these bad-ass flies with the strange "beaks" were patrolling one of the hedge banks. I watched them fly off carrying Straw Dot moths with them. Which kind of flies are these guys?

Guernsey

This weekend was mostly taken up with family time, but just managed to locate a few specimens in the little time I had.

597 - Common Pondskater (matched description in the key m o l)
598 - Great Green Bush Cricket (nymphs)
599 - Ditropis pteridis (plantbug on Bracken)

Does my bum look big in this?

600 - Blue-tailed Damselfly
601 - Yellow Shell
602 - Grapholita compositella (moth)
603 - Philodromus dispar (spider)
604 - Uromyces trifolii (Clover Rust Fungus)
605 - Dark Arches
606 - Marbled Coronet
607 - Poplar Grey
608 - Common White Wave
609 - Small Angle Shades
610 - Rufous Minor
611 - Agromyza nana (fly larva mining through Clover leaf)
612 - Pegomya solennis (fly larvae mining through Common Sorrel leaves)
613 - Anthrenus fuscus (a carpet beetle)
614 - Anaspis maculata (beetle on Hawthorn blossom)
615 - Sweet Alison (naturalised)
616 - Red-hot-poker (garden escape)
617 - Weld
618 - Hemlock
619 - Broad Centurian (soldierfly)

A couple of beetles I am having trouble with:

This beetle flew in and landed on the back of my hand when I was working on the patio. c.4mm long - black with 2 dull red spots - very spiny legs - very distinctive was the two inner striations looping back on themselves. Did some browsing and thought it may be part of Histeridae family?

I realise that this is a click beetle, but I have no means of identifying it beyond that. Was 11mm long.

Guernsey

It seems almost yesterday that I passed 500 species and already I am on the cusp of 600. I suppose this is because the moth trap is beginning to bring in lots of species all of a sudden. I haven't worked out how many species the trap is likely to tot up during a whole year. In good conditions in the summertime I've had 120-130 species in one night, so if there are plenty of good nights then this will really boost my total. I have also managed to tick off quite a few marsh plants because the hedges were trimmed which meant I was able to climb over a large wall into a previously unavailable wet field. Oh the joy of a good trespass!

531 Peach Blossom
532 Dark Spectacle
533 Common Wave
534 Least Carpet
535 Pinion-streaked Snout
536 Heart & Dart
537 Snout
538 Setaceous Hebrew Character
539 Small Square-spot
540 Lychnis
541 Apion radiolus (weevil on Mallow)
542 Water Bent
543 Greater White-toothed Shrew - flattened on the side of the road
544 Ragged Robin
545 Cuckooflower
546 Small Melilot
547 Garlic Chives (garden escape)
548 Marsh Foxtail
549 Crested Dog's-tail
550 Thistle Ermine
551 Buff Ermine
552 Orange Footman
553 Purple Bar
554 Large Yellow Underwing
555 Rustic Shoulder-knot
556 Middle-barred Minor
557 Oak-tree Pug
558 Grey Pug
559 Sandy Carpet
560 Coleophora albicosta (moth)
561 Beech (seedling)
562 White Poplar (seedling)
563 Bittersweet
564 Emperor Dragonfly - one of only four species of odonata that are likely for me - this one wouldn't move, I could have prodded it.

565 Prickly Lettuce
566 Chrysotuechia culmella (moth)
567 Common Stork's-bill
568 Southern Marsh Orchid - just one individual - a new site for the species
569 Fool's Water-cress
570 False Fox Sedge
571 Celery-leaved Buttercup
572 Hedge Woundwort
573 Scentless Mayweed
574 Yponomeuta padella (moth) (Larvae on Hawthorn)
575 Broken-barred Carpet

576 Anthocoris nemorum (bug)
577 Pendulous Sedge
578 Oedemera lurida (beetle)
579 Polydrusus formosus (weevil)
580 Ruby Tiger
581 Chinese Character
582 Syritta pipiens (hoverfly - the key in the new hoverfly book doesn't seem to work for this species so it caused me real trouble!)
583 Willow Redgall Sawfly (larva in gall)
584 Marbled Minor
585 Clouded Border
586 Epiblema cynosbatella (moth)
587 White-point
588 Ephestia parasitella (or whatever the hell it's called now) (moth)
589 L-album Wainscot
590 Ingrailed Clay
591 Common Marbled Carpet
592 Gladiolus communis ('Ruby-red Gladioli' - a relic from the once-massive flower-growing industry, now a common sight 'in the wild' all around the island)
593 Narrow-winged Pug
594 Epiblema trimaculana (a new species of moth for the garden!)
595 Scrobipalpa acuminatella (moth) (had to dissect this)
596 Monopsis crocicapitella (moth) (this too, to be sure it wasn't obviella)