Listen to the soundtrack on this short video - sorry, it's a bit quiet, you'll need to turn your volume up:
Yesterday, confronted by Alders, I had another go at finding Kleidocerys privignus (no luck, all Kleidocerys resedae, Birch Catkin Bugs). To check the ID's I was photographing them using a floating frame (see: Floating frames for macro photography), where the bug is trapped, unharmed, between two layers of transparent flexible film. Unharmed, but in the case of one of the Birch Catkin Bugs I was working with, pretty annoyed. The film appears to transform the ultrasonic calls of the bug into a lower, hearable frequency. By holding my mobile phone near the floating frame I was able to record the bug's irritation (before releasing it completely unharmed). The question is, would I be able to tell the difference in calls between K. resedae and K. ericae (should I ever find a specimen of K. ericae)?
I hope you are able to find some specimens of K. ericae. I think now is perhaps as good as any other time to find some. For the first time, a few days ago, I recorded some specimens from an ex-colliery site here in South Yorkshire and there are a lot of these sites here where I have not previously been able to find them. But I understand heathland is sparse in Leicestershire and will require you to visit other nearby counties (Staffordshire) to continue with your sound experiment. So, good luck!
ReplyDeleteI tried using a floating frame, having read your suggestion about these, to identify one of the "green flies'. I must say the noise that came from this little creature encased in the film was quite alarming. Needless to say it flew away without an id.
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