Friday, May 5, 2017

Dalgety Bay, Fife - Greater of two weevils

Decided to switch courses and run through a couple of weevils I had relaxing. Turned out to be remarkably easy. Also a nice "coincidence" was keying out a Ribwort Plantain specialist which I had swept on the day I recorded the plant. If I'm not careful I'll start to learn something about ecology but hopefully I can keep moving swiftly enough for such knowledge to slip off.

The Trichosirocalus troglodytes I liked a lot, especially the front of the pronotum which is elevated like a Galapagos turtle, and probably for the same reason.

But when I went to tick off Liophloeus tessulatus on my county beetle list that's when something interesting happened. What I thought was a routine find, having seen other people post pics of them before, turned out to be not only new for the county but also the most northerly record in Britain (normal NBN caveats apply).

A couple of easy species were added this morning and a good few more were taken for examination, including another tachinid and my first soldierfly of the year


Liophloeus tessulatus

Liophloeus tessulatus

Liophloeus tessulatus on NBN

Trichosirocalus troglodytes

Trichosirocalus troglodytes with "collar"

Numbers:
520 Trichosirocalus troglodytes A weevil
521 Liophloeus tessulatus A weevil
522 Fannia lustrator A lesser house fly
523 Pieris napi Green-veined White
524 Puccinia urticata Nettle rust

6 comments:

  1. Weevils. I was pulling my hair out trying to ID one yesterday. I don't think I destined to be a Weevil expert. Nice L.tessulatus, I don't think I've seen one of those before.

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    1. For me it's a question of grinding them out. Duff is great, at least. And handily often has a picture of the one I'm working with. Or I don't get it if there isn't a picture ... one of those things!

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  2. Galapagos TURTLE? Stick with the inverts buddy ;) Hope you were humming "Am I weevil, yes I am" whilst keying them out.

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  3. Replies
    1. Aah, so there's hope for you yet :)

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    2. It was, of course, the REAL version. "Steely eyes of a silvery people, walk behind me, with weevil intent...."

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