A new Rose Chafer colony in Hull

The other day I heard a deep hum (sounding like that produced by a large bumblebee queen) and saw that it was came from a large green iridescent beetle flying around a flowering pyracantha. I waited for it to land excitedly, as I was pretty sure of what it was, and eventually the beetle landed on the flowers: as I expected it was a Rose Chafer, Cetonia aurata, my first one in Hull. I searched the bush and found at least four other individuals, feeding on the flowers. An hour later, as I returned from my walk I checked again and found a mating pair. Rose Chafers are a charismatic, jewel-like species. They are about 2 cm long, burnished metallic green and have variable wing markings, formed by whitish squiggles on the elythra. The species is not particularly widespread in the UK, and has an unusual patchy distribution, mainly in the south, with scattered coastal populations. It is often associated to urban environments such as gardens, parks and allotments.

A Hull population

I checked the NBN Gateway Atlas and iRecord for the species and was surprised to find that Hull appears to hold the only Yorkshire population of this species. There is one record from a private garden in Fulford, York in June 2019 and another from Bradford in June 2013. The 11 Hull records span the last 16 years (from 2020) all in a residential, leafy area of about two square km known as The Avenues. The records, all of adults, were submitted by 10 different observers, highlighting that it is a conspicuous species, with adults hard to miss. The records are from May to October, with a peak in July, which mirrors the adult flight period. The geographical tightness of the cluster suggests that this is a discrete established population. The origin of this population is intriguing, given the absence of nearby colonies, so an accidental introduction with compost or plant pots is a strong possibility.

Life cycle

The larvae take one year to complete their development in old wood, logs, stumps, compost piles, wood chips or leaf litter, decomposing these materials into rich mould. Occasionally they are found in pots including hanging baskets, where they are likely to be attracted to the compost, but they are not thought to feed on live roots or damage the plants. Larvae of some coastal populations feed on peat under coastal turf. They pupate around mid summer in a rounded, bumpy cocoon made of their faecal pellets. Adults are usually formed in August, but usually only emerge after overwintering in the following April or May. 

Behaviour and ecology

Rose Chafers fly in warm, sunny weather, and around the middle of the day, in search of flowers and mates, producing a deep bumblebee-like hum. They fly with their wing-cases closed and a modification of their elythra allows this. The adults feed on nectar and pollen on flowers with easily accessible pollen and nectar  including hogweed, guelder-rose hawthorn, but also artichokes, and cardoons. They tend to favouri individual plants at the peak of flowering where they can easily move across flowers, and on sunny aspects. Their hairy underside attracts pollen and they are pollinators of the plants they visit, as they move clumsily around an inflorescence and by flying between plants. Their name, however, comes from their penchant for eating petals ('chafing') of some rose cultivars. Populations might benefit from warming weather given the adults activity patterns and the current distribution.

Feeding adult.

The flying Rose Chafer about to land. Note the closed wing-cases.

Mating Rose Chafers. The female kept feeding through it.

Mating Rose Chafers.

More information

Fremlin, M. The Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata L.(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) in Essex: distribution and some aspects of its ecology. Essex Naturalist (New Series) 35, 167–178 (2018).

Maria Fremlin webpage on Rose Chafers.

The bird poo beetle

No, that is not the accepted common name of this beetle, which instead goes by the name of Scarce Fungus Weevil, Platyrhinus resinosus, but it should be. We didn't start our relationship very well, this beetle and me. He landed on my arm unannounced, and I automatically slapped it away as I realised it wasn't a fly, but something more interesting. I am glad I was crossing a road, as it it hadn't been on the tarmac, I wouldn't have refound it. Having met me in such an unfriendly way he played dead (understandably) for quite a while, its resemblance to a dry bird poo uncanny. After a while it timidly dared stretch its antennae and front legs, posing in a more relaxed position. This is a most unusual looking beetle, with a flat whitish face and rough surface and a cylindrical body.

More information
Naturespot

Playing dead

A frontal view

Cock-tail beetle

We found this rove beetle, Ocypus sp. (possibly nitens) running across the garden patio. It lifted its tail briefly a couple of times, honouring one of its common names 'cock-tail beetle', but afterwards it decided to groom itself at the bottom of the white bowl. These are usually nocturnal and predatory, often found under stones and logs during the day. They are quite fast and usually hide before photos can be taken in their natural habitat.

UPDATE Fauna, from Wild about Britain, suggested that this is Tasgius (which used to be Ocypus). I am thinking T. ater, as it has a very shiny head. The enlarged tarsi makes it likely to be a male.

A Strawberry Seed Beetle

Given that the weather is so damp and cold I am seeing very few insects these days other than bumblebees. At least I have plenty of time to tidy up my ever growing photo library! While going through my ground beetle photos, I thought I would share this shot of  Harpalus rufipes, a common species that I have even found inside the house. The species is quite distinctive with its orange legs and its wings covered on very fine hairs - giving the elythra a matt feel when compared with head and front of the thorax. This is an omnivorous beetle: it will predate small invertebrates but also feeds on seeds, and gets its English name from the damage it inflicts on strawberries. The species is biennial. It breeds in August and the adults overwinter and overlap with the larvae. The larvae dig deep vertical where they cache seeds, which I thought it is pretty cool behaviour for a beetle. As other common European invertebrates, it was introduced in North America before 1937.

More information

Loughridge, A., & Luff, M. (1983). Aphid Predation by Harpalus rufipes (Degeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Laboratory and Field. The Journal of Applied Ecology, 20 (2) DOI: 10.2307/2403519


Hartke, A., Drummond, F., & Liebman, M. (1998). Seed Feeding, Seed Caching, and Burrowing Behaviors of Harpalus rufipes De Geer Larvae (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Maine Potato Agroecosystem. Biological Control, 13 (2), 91-100 DOI: 10.1006/bcon.1998.0645

Never hold a Black Clock in your mouth

I found a squished ground beetle on the pavement today, Pterostichus madidus, and I thought I would share with you some photos from last year of a very alive individual of this species . Curiously this carabid beetle has a curious English common name: the Black Clock. According to the book Bugs Britannica, by Marren and Mabey 'clock' was a word in widespread use to mean any big buzzing insect. As many carabids, however, this is a fast, non-flying nocturnal predatory beetle which runs to hide quickly when uncovered. This one was found under a grass tussock in the garden. Look at his sharp jaws!
 Ground beetles have glands at the end of the abdomen that produce defensive, foul tasting and caustic secretions. I must quote here an incident involving ground beetles described by Charles Darwin

I must tell you what happened to me on the banks of the Cam in my early entomological days; under a piece of bark I found two carabi (I forget which) & caught one in each hand, when lo & behold I saw a sacred Panagæus crux major; I could not bear to give up either of my Carabi, & to lose Panagæus was out of the question, so that in despair I gently seized one of the carabi between my teeth, when to my unspeakable disgust & pain the little inconsiderate beast squirted his acid down my throat & I lost both Carabi & Panagæus!

The pains beetle collectors went through to capture priced ground beetles! You can admire the handsome Crucifix Ground Beetle (Panagaeus cruxmajor), also known as 'Darwin's lost beetle' here. Unfortunately, due to collecting and habitat degradation, this species, formerly widespread, is now just know from three populations in the UK.
But back to my beetle, I managed to take some shots of the individual scurrying off for cover on the soil, and then I decided to capture it and give it a session in the white bowl. I think the following two photos show the pros and cons of the natural versus the white background.

Pterostichus madidus, 12 May 2012

More information

Charles Darwin letter to Leonard Jenyns in the Darwin Correspondence project.

Crucifix ground beetle (Panagaeus cruxmajor) UKBAP plan.

Figwort Weevils

I found this Figwort Weevil, Cionus scrophulariae, individual near a mating pair on Buddleia. I used to see them on Figwort, but they also feed on Mullein and other plant species, usually near the flower buds or young shoot tips of the plants. The larvae is unmistakable: it looks like a slimy yellow-green blob with a black head, and is found on the same places that adult frequent.

Mating pair

Two larvae and evidence of their eating the Figwort

Another mating pair

Spider beetle

I found this tiny spider beetle, Ptinus sexpunctatus in the bath today. The second time I see this species, both times found in the bathroom. The name spider beetle comes from the long legs and antennae of the beetle and its tucked-in head, which makes them resemble a spider superficially. They feed on decaying insects and are often found in bee nests, presumably feeding on the pollen/larvae.

The Golden beetle

  

This shy beetle is a darkling beetle, Lagria hirta. It is found on foliage or on flowers, and appears to be attracted to light so if often comes inside buildings during its short adult life. It flies around July. The larvae, in contrast, is long lived and feeds on decaying vegetable matter from the autumn to the next summer. The adult plays dead when disturbed an is quite sluggish. Males have much larger eyes (below) than females, and both are covered on a shiny golden hairy coat.

 Female.

Male.

Feeding, hunting, resting, mating...

Around the summer solstice, the Philadelphus or mock orange blossoms. In addition to its lovely scent, its broad, cup-like white flowers make a beautiful background for insect photography. It is just fitting that insects love these flowers too. The following photos were taken yesterday and today.
Small spiders such as this crab spider (above) sit on the flowers to ambush flying insects attracted to them. Small garden spiders build their webs also amongst the blossom.

A fly resting

Carpet beetle (Anthrenus sp.) feeding on pollen

Greenbottle (Lucilia sp)

Bumblebees often feed on the blossom. Here, Bombus terrestris.

A mating pair of ichneumon wasps

A small bee (Hylaeus?) enjoying the pollen

Vine weevils!

I do not like all bugs. I like my pot plants and that's why one of the villains in the garden is the Black Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (adult above). The larvae of this weevil feed on the roots of many types of plants. In pots, especially indoors, where there are fewer parasites and predators and root growth is restricted they thrive and cause havoc. They overwinter in the soil as larvae and start feeding underground as temperatures increase. By the time they pupate most plants host to this species will be dead. If they are succulents, their root system is gone and the stems fall out of the pot one by one. I have a pot of strawberries from last year. At the end of the winter they had a few little offshoots which I planned to pot out. But they all died and shrivelled and there was only some ghost strawberry plants clinging to life left. I took the plants out today and came across the culprits: several larvae and dozens of pupae of Vine Weevil.

Three pupae and a fully developed larva of Black Vine Weevil

The adults emerge from the soil around June, they climb clumsily out and wander in search of food. They feed on leaves at night, leaving tell-tale C marks on the edge of leaves. They appear slow and harmless, and are unable to fly, but they can climb very well and feign being dead and drop to the ground if disturbed, so they tend to be left alone. Adults are all females which reproduce by parthenogenesis giving origin to genetically identical daughters. They can start reproducing by themselves as soon as they are ready, no need to waste time looking for a male and mating, and when they are, they go for it in earnest. At 21 oC, their optimal temperature, they can lay over 1000 eggs over their lifetime of four or five months. This mode of reproduction coupled with its preferred niche in the ornamental and agricultural trade has allowed this species to thrive and expand across the world from their native Europe, so, although I do not like it, I do marvel at its successful life history. What next? We should be getting some parasitic nematodes and watering the pots with them in the hope that they will infect the pupae and stop the invasion.

A red lily beetle

I spotted a handsome, bright scarlet beetle, hiding under a lily leaf. It didn't take long to identify it as the red lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii, with its long antennae and black legs and head. I took it to the white bowl and it showed two behaviours that may have helped this species expand its range from Asia to many temperate areas following horticultural Asiatic lilies: it plays dead when handled or disturbed and flies readily. The adult and larvae feed on lilies and fritillaries of many species and they can defoliate the plants very quickly. They have a single generation per year: the adults emerge in september and overwinter in the leaf litter. When the lily leaves appear the adults wake up and mate. They lay bright red eggs in lines underneath the leaves and the larvae, which are also red, disguise themselves on their own fecal matter, so that they resemble fragments of dirt.

The species was first introduced in the UK in 1943 and has recently expanded quickly in range. Now is present all over England, and parts of Wales and Scotland. Two species of parasitoids have followed the expansion of the beetle into the UK.

More information

The red Lily beetle website.

Peeking under stones

Every now and then I lift some stones in the garden and check what's living under them. It is not a great strategy to observe bug behaviour, as the stone-lovers tend to be light-haters and rush frantically trying to hide again. However, this month it has turned out to be a good strategy to spot species I haven't blogged about yet. A large male earwig, Forficula auricularia, with its formidable pincers. Then, I disturbed the underground nest of some garden ants, Lasius niger. Although eggs and larvae couldn't be seen - probably too superficial for that - a tiny inhabitant of ant nests could be seen, some albino springtails, Cyphoderus albinus. If you click on the photo you will probably be able to make it out towards the left of the centre of the photo, next to an ant's head. Although easy to spot due to their white colour and highly mobility, their small size - probably no more than a mm in length -  made them quite tricky to photograph.

Finally, a couple of rove beetles (or Devil's Coach Man) Ocypus nero, one of them pictured below.

In addition, I found stones literally carpeted on rough woodlice, some earthworms and plenty of slugs.

National Insect Week Gallery

I have been too busy writing down stuff I've been watching or compiling records, and generally watching bugs these last warm days to blog, but I have decided to put an end to this by celebrating National Insect Week (21-27 June) with a gallery of the bugs I have been watching. I hope you enjoy them.

Flies: This is a large hoverfly, Vollucella pellucens. I have been watching them today hovering and I tried in vain to get a good shot in flight. This one posed nicely for me though.

 Bees: I had a great time watching Anthophora furcata in my local wildlife garden. This female is gathering pollen from Stachys sylvatica.

 Butterflies: the first ringlet of the year. It was warm and this individual fluttered for quite a while before settling on the grass.

Moths: yesterday I spotted this Narrow Five Spot Burnet atop a Knapweed seed head.

And more bees: After cutting a piece of Circaea luthetiana, this female Leaf-Cutter Bee (most likely Megachile centuncularis) had to retreat and alight again as it couldn't fight the wind carrying the piece of leaf. After a while, it flew away to her nest.

A sunbathing Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) female.

Beetles: A female Lesser Stag Beetle walking over some plants on a front garden yesterday. So far, I have only seen females in Hull.

More bees: A Bombus hortorum extends its long tongue before landing in a Digitalis lutea flower. This is the longest-tongued bumblebee in the UK.

A male Colletes daviesanus resting on an Oxeye Daisy flower and...

a female with loaded pollen baskets nearby.

To end, another bee (of couse) a female Anthidium manicatum feeds on a Geranium flower on the summer solstice.

A lesser stag beetle

Other than ladybirds, the occasional carabid or a few weevils, beetles do not figure very high on the list of common garden visitors. I was so pleasantly surprised when on Sunday, while tidying up the garden we came across a Lesser Stag Beetle (Dorcus parellelipipedus). These large, grey-black beetles, related to the Stag Beetle, are not uncommon in the UK, but sightings are rare north of the Humber according to the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. The adults and larvae feed on decaying wood - particularly ash, apple and beech. This is the second one I see in Hull. We live in a street lined with large trees and I collect dead fallen branches - including those from a large ash - from the verges and bring them to our garden for our log pile (we also used those for our bee posts). The log pile (see this for an interesting page on log piles) tends to be full of common critters like snails, woodlice and earthworms, nothing very exciting. Occasionally Digger Wasps nest in the decaying wood and I would like to think this beetle was actually born in the garden.