"For now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see" Neutral Milk Hotel.

Monday 23 February 2015

Mole nest specialists

We worked a small number of mole nests today looking for the specialist invertebrates associated with them. Here are three:

Quedius puncticollis (probable) Redwell Marsh, 23rd February 2014


Mole Flea, Hystrichopsylla talpae, Redwell Marsh, 23rd February 2014  - the largest British flea species


Aleochara spadices, from a mole nest, Redwell Marsh, 23rd February 2014


Saturday 21 February 2015

Varied Carpet Beetle

Varied Carpet Beetle, Anthrenus verbasci, Hunstanton, 21st February 2015




Wednesday 18 February 2015

Holm-oak Pygmy

Holm-Oak Pygmy Stigmella suberivora mine on Holm Oak, Holmhurst Track, 15th February 2015



this may be too, though I'm not sure !

Monday 9 February 2015

The Shieldbugs & Squashbugs of Northwest Norfolk

SHIELDBUGS

Acanthosomatidae



Hawthorn Shieldbug (Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)


Andy Brown

Andy Brown

Juniper Shieldbiug (Cyphostethus tristriatus)


Andy Brown

Parent Bug (Elasmucha grisea)


Andy Brown

Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus)

Andy Brown

Scutelleridae

Lesser-streaked Shieldbug (Odontoscelis lineola)


Andy Brown


Cydnidae

Heath Shieldbug (Legnotus picipes)


Andy Brown


Pied Shieldbug (Titomegas bicolor)



Pentatomidae

Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug (Aelia acuminata)

Andy Brown

Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)
Andy Brown

Crucifer Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea)

Andy Brown

Woundwort Shieldbug (Eysarcoris venustissimus)

Andy Brown

Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)


Andy Brown

Forest Bug (Pentatoma rufipes)

Spiked Shieldbug (Picromerus bidens)

Andy Brown
Gorse Shieldbug (Piezodorus lituratus)



Turtle Bug (Podops inuncta)

Andy Brown


Bronze Shieldbug (Troilus luridus)

Andy Brown

Blue Shieldbug (Zicrona caerulea)

Andy Brown

SQUASHBUGS (Coreidae)

Fallens Leatherbug (Arenocoris fallenii)

Andy Brown


Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis)


Ceraleptus lividus

Andy Brown


Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus)

Andy Brown

Rhombic Squashbug (Syromastes rhombeus)



Sunday 8 February 2015

Soldierflies (Stratiomyidae) of Holme Dunes NNR

Banded General (Stratiomys potamida)     


Flecked General (Stratiomys singularior)



Flecked Snout (Nemotelus notatus)



Nemotelus notatus, Redwell Marsh, 18th July 2015 (note large central black spot on white, third abdominal termite)




Green Colonel (Oplodontha viridula)


Black Colonel Odontomyia tigrina



Barred Snout (Nemotelus uliginosus)


Broad Centurion (Chloromyia formosa)


Pachygaster atra


Four-barred Major (Oxycera rara)


Three-lined Soldier (Oxycera trilineata)



Yellow-legged Black (Pachygaster leach), Redwell Marsh, 18th July 2015 (note legs all pale, wings all clear)


Long-horned Soldier (Vanoyia tenuicornis), Redwell Marsh, 18th July 2015 (note long antennae, white, two-spiked scutellum, white mark to side of thorax and white markings on head)



Microchrysa flavicornis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/sets/72157632905174861/

Oxycera nigricornis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/sets/72157632881358745/

Fen Snout (Nemotelus pantherinus) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/sets/72157632905134481/

Tuesday 3 February 2015

A Sun-star

Its not often I find this species washed up on the shore but I found two on Monday at Holme and one today, Tuesday, at Old Hunstanton. The Dogwhelk eggs caught my eye too and amongst the many dead flatfish on the shore were one or two Plaice, which we failed to record last year for some reason.

 Common Sun-star, Crossaster papposus, Holme NWT, 2nd February 2015


Dogwhelk Nucella lapillus eggs on a mussel shell, Holme NWT, 2nd February 2015



Plaice Plueronectes platessa, Old Hunstanton, 2nd February 2015