Rob Yaxley
@robyaxley
Naturalist: lichens, moths, beetles, bugs and anything else that catches my eye. “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”
Pond eras - January 11th, June 7th and today. It will be interesting to see how it recovers.
This small ground bug appears to be Metopoplax fuscinervis, with very very few UK records thus far. Nearly missed it in an invertebrate sample from S Cambs.
Portland Ribbon Wave and Wall Lizard were nice additions on my last morning on IoW.
Some snaps from Freshwater Bay IoW at low tide. Snakelocks anemone is the most common anemone species.
Golden Eye lichen (Teloschistes chrysopthalmus) in amongst the Xanthoria at Tennyson Down, IOW today. ✅
To me as a small boy, The Goodies were the most hilarious guys in the world. So of course the Little Black Bird Book was a must-read! Thanks for all the laughs Bill.
Two harvestmen from Foxley Wood @vannabartlett.bsky.social - Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. and Opilio canestrinii. No Megabunus 😐 have irecorded.
Invertebrate selection from Foxley Wood today, all found in situ. Black Arches, Pied Rabbit Moth (Ypsolopha sequella), Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber) and the orange fly Thricops diaphanus. @norfolknats.bsky.social
I was really pumped to find this Lichen Tortrix (Acleris literana) at Foxley Wood today. What a moth!
Female Long-winged Conehead from a survey in London yesterday. Seriously impressive ovipositor.
Whitlingham Marshes today, proper swamp vegetation and very challenging to get around. I did see this Reed Dagger caterpillar, which is a new species for me.
An acorn weevil, Curculio glandium, meditates in cool of the early morning. 🧘🏻♀️ - while a Green Drake mayfly begins its search for water.
Moth trapping near Royston last night, at a science park. A very lively trap including Small Marbled, Sciota advenella (Willow Knot-horn), Choreutis nemorana (Fig-leaf Skeletonizer) and Small Mottled Willow. Great selection.
Old Green Eyes is back, after a bit of your blood. Deer fly Chrysops caecutiens.
Arhopalus rusticus, a large-ish Longhorn beetle found dead in a spider’s web. It was intact, so maybe a bit too much of a meal for the smallish spider.
From an invertebrate sample at a London site this week - Cryptocephalus rufipes, a non-native beetle with a handful of UK records. Orangey pronotum and a white shoulder-stripe.
Surveying near the mighty Wensum today. In a pool in a marsh dyke I saw this charophyte, which looks to be Chara globularis, apparently scarce in Norfolk.
Purple Hairstreak and Four-spotted Chaser on today’s survey, and a gall on sweet chestnut which looks to be caused by a wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus, a recent arrival.
Ochsenheimeria taurella is a moth I have seen a few times, always from suction sampling. This one SE Norfolk today. Widened scales on the antennae give it a distinctive look.
Yet another hemipteran on the march! Hopefully there will be more of these in Norfolk soon…
A survey in London today - saw these Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) which were new for me. The pattern looks a bit like African masks to me.
A lot of nectaring insects in the garden today, including this very fine Banded General Stratiomys potamida. Also a lot of Hollyhock Weevils seen around Norfolk this year, females with the incredibly long rostrum.
A couple of lifer micro moths picked out from a very busy moth trap this morning - Gromwell Ermine (Ethmia dodecea) and Black-spot Buff (Agonopterix propinquella).
Bat hairs x 400 (first two photos). Not sure of species. Found in a dropping, which otherwise contained a mass of insect exoskeleton fragments.
A good day on the Astley Estate kicking off a new big project for @norfolknats.bsky.social - a large study area with masses of potential!
Very smart Chamomile Shark moth caterpillar from today’s survey - on ex-arable with lots of Corn Chamomile and Ox-eye Daisy.
A few damp things from the garden - bee orchid, broad-barred white, common blue. I’m loving this cool showery weather tbh, watching everything green up again.
Nematus septentrionalis, or something else? On hazel in my garden - @andymus.bsky.social