A busy month of entomology. Finally things have clicked into gear.
Green Shieldbug development
I managed to document a nice photo series of Green Shieldbug development:
My Journal, June 2024
01.vi.2024
Two sets of Harlequin Ladybird eggs from last weekend hatched so I documented the process before releasing the larvae in the garden - read more here: A Hatch of Harlequins. The Collard Doves are nesting again in the garden and have resumed their hyper-aggressive behavior, not tolerating the Magpies or the Wood Pigeons.
02.vi.2024
A rare warm, sunny day at Lyddington Meadow. It's poorly managed and the vegetation is very rank; I never find as much here as I expect to. It's four years since I've been there (our first post-lockdown trip) but shocked to find no-one else has submitted any records in that time either. Entomology was hard work, it feels like everything is a month behind. Across the Welland in Northants a Cuckoo called continuously, my first for two years.
03.vi.2024
It's been a couple of years since I've managed to add any new spiders to the VC55 list, so I was very pleased to confirm that one of the specimens from yesterday turned out to be Ozyptila simplex. A good find for Lyddington Meadow!
05.vi.2024
Made a new spi-pot with a glass window to improve on the poor optical quality of the plastic ones, then took a short walk to try it out. This was surprisingly productive, including finding lots of adult Issus coleoptratus sunbathing on Ivy, a species I see more often as winter nymphs. In the evening I finally managed to make it to Microscope Club at Rutland Water, shamefully my first visit in its new format. Had an enjoyable time keying out water beetles with expert tuition, although I fear I'll never be a good Coleopterist. Lots of useful tips received and delivered, including additions to the entomological library.
07.vi.2024
A productive trip to Prior's Coppice. Even though it was still wet underfoot (which has saved Prior's Coppice from "improvement" over the centuries) and there were Damselflies everywhere, the small ponds at the side of one of the rides I was planning to dip for aquatic invertebrates have now completely silted up. Sadly this reflects the wider loss of aquatic environments. Even if there had been water remaining, for a relatively remote site Prior's Coppice attracts a surprising (to me) number of dog walkers, and although we did meet one with their dogs on leads (imaging my surprise - dogs on a lead in a SSSI!), for the most part any aquatic invertebrates are doomed due to pet parasiticides (see: Toxic to fleas is toxic to bees). Now on to the good news. I made an interesting discovery about Malachite Beetles, and also found a Willow Tortrix, Epinotia cruciana, quite a scarce moth.
09.vi.2024
This morning's brief pre-lunch trip down to the Soar was an object lesson in ... well, I'm not quite sure what, maybe you can tell me. I took only the dip net intending to look for aquatic insects but the first half was extremely frustrating, not being able to reach the river channel due to vegetation and steep banks. When I did eventually manage to get down there was little to be found other than fish fry (Sticklebacks and Minnows), huge numbers of Banded Demoiselle larvae, and tiny crayfish. However, I did find the first VC55 "Killer Shrimp".
I had given up and was heading back to the car when I noticed Pond Skaters on a small muddy dog-infested puddle next to the path. I eventually managed to catch one, assuming they were bound to be Gerris lacustris, when I noticed there were lots of beetles in the puddle too. The visibility was zero and the depth less than two inches but trawling the mud produced a Corixid, lots of tiny Sticklebacks and what looked like at least three different beetle species. The Pond Skater turned out to be Gerris odontogaster and the beetles were of three different species.
12.vi.2024
Worked on some postal specimens sent to me for identification.
17.vi.2024
A brief inter-thundershower trip to a local pond. This used to be a gem, hosting a huge Common Toad colony but sadly has become very polluted and the toads are long gone. This year however the rain has flushed it out and life has returned. Swarming with Acilius sulcatus and Corixia punctata - high numbers but low diversity.
18.vi.2024
Spent the day training a student on spider identification. Good to be paying forward some of the help I've had over the years.
20.vi.2024
Spent the afternoon refereeing the garden thugs. The Great Tits have a second brood. They are very secretive and we only realised this yesterday, hearing the chicks (which sound well advanced) for the first time today. This brood will have a happier time than the first lot when the weather was dreadful. At 9.50pm precisely celebrated the solstice outside with a small glass of whisky. First garden bat of the year zoomed across the garden at high level but didn't hang around. Summer is here.
21.vi.2024
14/6 in the moth trap, best night of the year in spite of the full moon. Very sad numbers, but including my first Large Yellow Underwing for two years! I followed up with a quick local pond dipping trip. A lot of the aquatic bugs are currently nymphs but I'm slowly getting better with the water beetles.
22.vi.2024
Welford Road Cemetery open day. One of the local sites I never visit at this time of year, only in winter when there's not much around. Found a good range of bugs, and very pleased to find Denticulate Leatherbug.
23.vi.2024
Took a trip out to Ingarsby to dip the brook. Surprised at how low the water level was, barely a trickle. Very pleased to find a colony of Water Crickets, Velia caprai.
25.vi.2024
The Bug Team visited Hicks Lodge. Uncomfortably hot (mad dogs and hemipterists...) and many species still nymphs but some nice finds, including lots of Acetropis gimmerthalii. My personal highlight was finding Anthocoris limbatus on the Sallows. Having looked for this for a year it was satisfying to finally find one.
27.vi.2024
Woken at 4am by intolerable itching from the "Souvenir of Hicks Lodge" Horsefly bite. At least I managed to avoid the Deerflies. The second brood of Great Tits fledged.
29.vi.2024
A trip to Ulverscroft. Water levels in the Brook were very low and not much to be found, but very good numbers of Water Cricket, Velia caprai. The orchids were rather faded but I was able to make a nice comparison between Leptopterna dolabrata and L. ferrugata in Herbert's Meadow.
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