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Disproportionately large hind legs
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Wednesday, 27 July 2011 19:23
I'm at Amberley Wildbrooks this week carrying out a joint monitoring project with the RSPB, with one of my old colleagues, Mark Gurney. We are looking at aquatic macrophytes in the ditches and it is incredibly diverse, I have been quite surprised at how many new species of vascular plant I have had there. Eight in the last two days alone!
However, it as this beetle that I really wanted to see. It's Donacia dentata, a Na reed beetle that is known from Amberley. It feeds on Arrowhead of which the ditches are full. We only saw two and this one that Mark caught was obliging enough for a photo. A big thank you to Sam and Seth for lending me the literature! I also saw Narrow-leaved Water-plantain with a Water Ladybird on, both species were new for me but I knocked th ladybird off before I could get a photo!
The list goes on and on but highlights include Cut-grass, Great Water Parsnip, Lesser Water Parsnip, Sharp-leaved Pondweed, Hair-like Pondweed, Marsh Stitchwort, Creeping Yellow-cress, Fine-leaved Water-dropwort, Unbranched Bur-reed and Least Water-pepper. I end the day on 3583 species. Oh I totally forgot that I kicked up a Wood Sandpiper too, first one I have seen for years! Also the moths Lesser Cream Wave and Evergestis pallidata.
Posted in
dentata - aka "John Wayne Legged Reed Beetle"! Glad you're putting the article to use. Burton Mill Pond was always a great area for Donacia, esp the one that sits way out on lily pads. Now all you need is a map, boat and long-handled clap net...