Tag: Common red soldier beetle

Posted in Allotment, nature

Butterfly Numbers Flying High.

Posted on by BITM

With Buddleia, Lavender and Verbena bonariensis in full bloom at the moment butterfly sightings have increased significantly.

Along with plenty of Peacocks (Aglais io), Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) and Large whites (Pieris brassicae), I noticed a few other butterflies last week.

The first was a Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) visiting Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum),

but I also saw a Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) pollinating some Verbena bonariensis too.

Along with these butterflies, the European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) reappeared, still under the Rhubarb patch on the allotment (see my ‘All you Need is Love and Nature.’ post from the 29th June 2020). However it was no longer a caterpillar but in the next stage of its life cycle, a pupa hanging from a Rhubarb leaf.

It can be in the Pupal stage for a fortnight so I will keep checking for its emergence as the adult moth, so I can hopefully see it take place. As I don’t exactly know when the Pupal stage began I’m not sure how soon it will occur. The male and female moths look very different so can be easily identified, plus the females don’t fly (see Butterfly Conservation); therefore if no moth is found then it was probably a male that has flown away.

The last insect that was noticeable last week was a Common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).

It is always great to see these beetles as the are beneficial insects which predate aphids while their larvae eat
invertebrate pests, slugs and snails.

Posted in nature

Amphibians and Insects

Posted on by BITM

My week started and ended working next to ponds. The first was a small natural pond with a couple of frogs (Rana temporaria) sitting in it.

The other was a large disused outdoor swimming pool. In its neglected state rainwater collects within the concrete walls and nature is taking over. Given the murkiness of the water I was unable to obtain decent photos of my findings; however I saw another frog, (surrounded by lots and lots of tadpoles) along with a dragonfly nymph and a newt. It should be interesting to discover how many tadpoles survive to adulthood.

For the rest of the week insects were centre stage, especially on Wednesday when flying ants took to the sky. Flying ant season really tests my resolve to work through my dislike of ants (which originated in childhood). Thankfully I now find them more fascinating than loathsome, mostly.

The other insects I saw that day were;
– A (Chrysotoxum cautum) hoverfly on some Pyracantha.

– Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and a Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) visiting a Geranium ‘Rozanne’ plant.

– Lavender (Lavandula) full of bees and butterflies, including more Honey bees as well as Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), Meadow browns (Maniola jurtina) and a Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) butterfly.

The Meadow brown butterflies also enjoyed visiting the Echinops bannaticus flowers too.

Even as I returned home I noticed a Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) moth on the hall window.

The adults feed on Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) both of these plants are common around this area. The caterpillars feed on various trees, shrubs as well as climbers ranging from Yew (Taxus baccata), Birch (Betula), ivy (Hedera helix), honeysuckle (Lonicera) and the wild Clematis, Traveller’s joy (Clematis vitalba).

The previous day I came across more insects that I was previously unaware of.

The first one was the Common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).

It is a beneficial insect as adults eat aphids and are pollinators (feeding on nectar and pollen from open flat flowers such daisies and hogweed) while the larvae feed on slugs and snails along with other ground dwelling invertebrates.

The other insect I saw on Tuesday was a female Volucella pellucens hoverfly feeding on nectar and pollen from Bramble (Rubus fruticosus).

These hoverflies also pollinate umbellifers; However as larvae they inhabit Bumblebee and wasp nests eating any waste produced along with their hosts larvae.