AJC Arthropoda
The Joy of Jointed Legs
Tuesday, 5 August 2025
Kybos Confusion
Friday, 1 August 2025
Entomology Update - July 2025
Much needed rain, now waiting for the Arthropods to respond. August is looking good.
Monday, 28 July 2025
Or Else
I'm still on my quest to become less rubbish with bees. I felt I'd stalled recently, so after several months of struggling with Steven Falk's "field guide" (a somewhat marginal call, but you can put it in a rucksack, and if you've got a 20X hand lens, good lighting, and no wind, use it in the field), after a great deal of hesitation, I splashed out on Else & Edwards monumental Bee Bible, The Bees of the British Isles.
And I'm glad I did. The Else & Edwards keys frequently use different characters to the Falk keys, often less subjective in my opinion, and this alone makes them easier to use. The photos & drawings are larger and better reproduced therefore it is much easier to see fine details. In addition, the Else & Edwards comes with a CD with 835 key photos - full screen screen viewing is great. So what's the snag (apart from not being able to put them in your rucksack): THE PRICE! £150!!
So is comparing these books like comparing apples and oranges? Yes it is. A reasonably priced "field guide" vs. the ultimate reference. For me it's worth it. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Falk, S. (2019) Field guide to the bees of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury Publishing.Else, GR and Edwards, M.(2018) Handbook of the bees of the British Isles. Vols 1 and 2. The Ray Society, London.
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Lumps, Bumps and Spines
Saturday, 19 July 2025
A walk in the park
With much needed rain on the way I took an early morning walk in my local park. I had a target species in mind but didn't find it, so abandoning the Acers, I went off piste. Walking past a large Salix alba, a quick rummage brought up a specimen of Blepharidopterus diaphanus (only a few previous VC55 records).
Before turning for home, I investigated a group of Wellingtonia, and found a few rather indistinctive bugs I took home for further investigation. Closer inspection revealed that one seemed to be Orthotylus caprai. This is a Mediterranean species which has spread across Europe and only has a handful of British records. However, with only a female specimen I couldn't be sure and it was a couple of days before I could go back and look for more. On my second visit I found a male and managed to confirm the first VC55 record for this species.
It's well worth looking out for O. caprai on scaly conifers (Cupressaceae), although you'll need sharp eyes - they're on the small side!
Monday, 7 July 2025
Contradictory spider
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Entomology Update - June 2025
It's June, so it's Peak Bioblitz. Much of my activity this month has been dominated by organized group visits and walks. Sadly the results have been dented by the heat and ongoing drought.
Finishing with a bang
Apart from sleeping, I'd almost welcome more tropical nights.