The Lyons Share

Hanging around The Mens

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Tuesday, 1 June 2010 19:01

Not the public convenience, the nature reserve. We are looking at deadwood invertebrates there this year, with a focus on beetles. We have six interception traps (see top photo) set up that are collected and re-set every two weeks. The beetles fly into the perspex veins then fall down the funnel into the collecting jar. I collected the samples today and I have just finishing counting 349 beetles! These will be sent off for identification by a true beetle specialist. There were a few nice things in the traps that I recognised, including six of the newcomer Hylecoetus dermestoides. I also saw Thanasimus formicarius in there too. One of the traps has been placed near the huge oak known as the Idehurst Oak (top picture) which is surely the largest tree on Sussex Wildlife Trust land. I didn't see much wildlife today but despite the rain, I did get this shot of a Beautiful Demoiselle. I saw an Awlf-fly there too.

I am pretty sure the clearwing exuviae Alice found at Eridge is Yellow-legged Clearwing, we shall have to go back there and see if we can get them to come to pheromones.

Posted in beetles, deadwood, dragonflies, Eridge Rocks, flies, The Mens