The Lyons Share

Look at this beast! We saw these during the Friston invert survey but failed to confirm the ID. It is the RDB Four-lined Horsefly Atylotus rusticus. This is known only from the levels between Pevensey and Lewes and beyond that there are records from Monks Wood and that is about it. The females have HUGE eyes that basically take up their whole head, like a flying pea! I managed to catch one and confirm the ID when I went back to look for the clearwing. This is a much rarer find and softens the blow of me missing the clearwing.  This thing looks pretty well equipped to give you a nasty bite. Whilst I was messing around with the pheremones, another Nb beetle landed on my leg, it was Variimorda villosa.

This is a mordellid or tumbling flower beetle. The sharp pointed abdomen is diagnostic. They are quite an unusual shape for beetles, a little flea-like. Compressed laterally with a head that can tuck right under the pronotum giving them a hunched-back look.