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And species 7000 is...
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Friday, 27 July 2018 18:59
What an amazing day. I started the day on 6997. A survey on some arable land and road verge in Kent threw up a lifer within ten minutes and one I have wanted to see for some time. The yellow and pink novelty Battenberg pyralid Onocera semirubella. Species 6998.
Next up Mike caught a Cistogaster globosa. A cracking little fly that parisitises Bishop's Mitre Shieldbugs (of which there were hundreds today)! Species 6999. So close now and no time for 'nice' photos either.
Then suddenly a bloomin' Jersey Tiger jumped out of the hedge and into my net! A bogey of mine for YEARS and what a species for my 7000th! We actually saw two, so much more impressive than i was expecting!
But why stop there? What about a new shieldbug such as Rambur's Pied Shieldbug! The red one is a Rambur's nymph, the other one which I assumed in the field was a regular Pied Shieldbug I now realise is a Brassica Bug nymph. Species 7001. Actually I recorded 9 shieldbugs and 5 squash bugs today, possibly a record for me. Oh and two rhopalids and Alydus calcaratus.
Another cool fly! This time Gymnosoma rotundatum. I am a bit late to the party with this tachinid but here is species 7002!
And what I believe are the workings of the Elm Zigzag Sawfly. Species 7003.
An incredible day. A few other nice bits too. This lovely longhorn (which was new to me on this site last month) is Nemophpora metallica.
And I can't quite believe that this is the first Comma larva I have ever seen but it is!
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Staggering volume of work, Graeme. You are an example to us all and bring hope that more will start to appreciate the massive diversity of species that remains, if you look (and know)