Day 361 - Really Lively & Beautiful Red Longhorn Beetle

Male Red Longhorn Beetle (Stictoleptura rubra) in Norfolk

Hey everyone, today's Day 361 and a while ago during the Summer I went to Kelling Heath on my holiday. It's in Norfolk. I had a great time there, even apart from what nature I found it was a great time. But nature-wise, it was great too, one little thing was at the holiday park itself which is amongst some fabulous woodlands. I saw a number of these little creatures flying about and it was a while until one settled long enough for me to get a photo of it. It was the amazing, Red Longhorn Beetle. They're interesting bugs and I was looking forward to finding out about them.

So, here are the facts:

• They are very rare it looks like, there has only been about 54 records, according to the Nation, in all of the UK.

Trying to get in close

• The bulk of the UK population is found in Norfolk but it has been spreading North and West recently.

• The five most Northerly records of these beetles were found by my friend Dr. Roger Key. Well done Roger :-)

• They are about 19mm in length.

• Juveniles are found of various Pine Trees, Firs and Larches.

• Adults, like most Beetles, visit flowers for nectar and pollen, these like thistles and brambles.

The best bugs eye view I could get - they didn't hang about 

• The larvae are found in dead coniferous wood stumps where they take 2 to 3 years to develop

• The adults have been described to be found at the height of Summer, July and August I'm guessing.

• The one I found was a male which isn't as brightly coloured as the female which have far more red wing cases and where the common name of Red Longhorn Beetle comes from.

Here are a few links to some more information:

NatureSpot - Longhorn Beetles

NBN Gateway - Longhorn Beetles - Distribution map

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 277 - Beautifully Natty and Bonny Bloody-Nosed Beetle

Bloody-Nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) out for a walk

Hey everyone today's Day 277 and as you will all know, I have recently been to Norfolk and, while I was there, I went to the lovely RSPB reserve of Titchwell Marsh. It's such a great place to go not just for birds but for insects as well. As I mentioned in the last post I saw lots of birds but also lots of great bugs too. Today is a great bug, in fact it is one of the largest beetles I have ever seen. The Bloody-Nosed Beetle. I look for them at Nosterfield as it's the only place in Yorkshire that they are found but when I go to Norfolk, I was so happy to find three!

So, here are the facts:

Looking for lunch - what's under here?

• There's a reason why they are the largest Beetles I have ever seen. They are the largest Leaf Beetle in the whole of the UK.

• There has actually only been one sighting recorded around where I am, they are only really found in the South of England and the West of Wales.

What if I follow this stem?

• The reason they are called the Bloody-Nosed Beetle is because, when they are scared, they emit a foul-smelling red liquid from their nose. Both sadly and happily, he didn't do it for us.

It's hard work finding lunch sometimes!

• These beetles cannot fly and but after all, they are still a beetle so they are quite small. Therefore they cannot get out the way of people very quickly and may get squashed.

• They are mostly seen between April and June but they can be found through to September as well.

• They are mostly active at night during these times and only move in the daytime when they are disturbed. 

• When we found ours, two were on plants in the verges, and one was walking along the path. After taking his picture, we put him somewhere safe away from where people would be walking.

At last - tasty Goosegrass!

• They are found in Uplands, Coastal, Farmland, Grassland and Heath lands. This is weird as Titchwell is a Marsh, but it could technically be a Grassland as well.

• I said above that they are the largest Leaf Beetle in the UK. This is true and they have a rather specific length of 2 - 2.3 cm.

• They like to eat Goosegrass and Lady's Bedstraw both as Adults and as larvae.

Here are some links to more information:

NatureSpot - Bloody-Nosed Beetles

Hitching a lift to safety.

Wildlife Trusts - Bloody-Nosed Beetles

BugLife - Bloody-Nosed Beetles

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.