Buy one, get one free

This week I have taken delivery of several parcels, including one from Germany. This one had a hitchhiker, a Long-tailed Silverfish, Ctenolepisma longicaudata. They look distinctively different from our familiar Silverfish, Lepisma saccharinum. I was able to key this out and demonstrate the key feature, that the large erect setae on the side of the body are saw-toothed. 

Keyed using:
https://www.fhi.no/globalassets/dokumenterfiler/rapporter/2019/long-tailed-silverfish-ctenolepisma-longicaudata---biology-and-control.pdf

 

Entomology Update - August 2025

August was a varied month, a little rain (not enough), heatwaves, but some notable finds. 

Kybos Confusion!

For the first time ever I've managed to identify a Kybos leafhopper to species level. That's where the problems started. 

This is either genius ... or incredibly stupid

Have I stumbled across a useful finding?

One of those days...

The ups and downs of entomological aspiration...

Crazy Paving

Insect populations are declining. They are declining fastest in urban areas (including Leicester which is included in this study). 

August notable finds:

• Chaetostomella cylindrica
• Macrosteles sardus, first records for VC55
• Phasia barbifrons, a parasitoid of shieldbugs
• Short-winged Cone-head, Conocephalus dorsalis
• Dicyphus tamaninii, first records for VC55
• Macrosteles viridigriseus, probably common but rarely recorded.

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