Linacre Insects - 30th May 2020

I was down at Linacre this morning, checking the nestboxes and ringing some of this year's pulli (more on that in a future blog). With the temperature being around 19 degrees whilst there, I also managed to get some good insect records, including a new species for me at Linacre.

Insects seen today were: Large Red Damselfly (1 male), Common Blue Damselfly (c5 males), Blue -tailed Damselfly (1 male, the first Linacre record of 2020), Broad-bodied Chaser (1 female, my first Linacre record since 2014!), Swollen-thighed Beetle, Red and Black Froghopper, Cinnabar Moth (1), Silver Y moth (1), Silver-ground Moth (1), a long-horned moth, Nemophora degeerella, bees including Tree, Red-tailed and Common Carder,  and a couple of yet-to-be identified micro moths.

Broad-bodied Chaser

The new species was Britain's largest species of Crane fly, Tipula maxima. It was very big indeed! Apparently, it can have a leg span of up to 100mm.

Tipula maxima

Linacre Insects - 1st June 2019

It was 20 degrees yesterday afternoon, so I went down to Linacre to have my first proper look for insects. I'm very glad I did, as I ended up recording 4 species I'd not seen before!

The first "new" species was a micro moth, Endothenia sp. Unfortunately, this moth can't be identified to species level without dissection (!), so it will have to remain just Endothenia sp!

Endothenia sp.

The second species was a macro moth, Brown Silver-line, which was seen in the ringing site.

Brown Silver-line

The 3rd species is a beetle with the great name of Swollen-thighed Beetle! You can see how it gets its name in this photo.

Swollen-thighed Beetle

The 4th and final new species was a Blue Lacewing.

Blue lacewing

Other species seen included; Red-tailed Bumblebee, Common Blue Butterfly (1 female), Comma (1), Cinnabar Moth (4+), Orange Tip (1 male), Silver Ground Carpet, Common Green Shieldbug, Common Blue Damselfly, Red and Black Froghopper, Harlequin and Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle.

New moth record for Linacre

I was down at Linacre this evening to refill the feeders in time for ringing on Saturday. On the walk down to the feeding station I disturbed a few butterflies and moths, including a new moth species for me at Linacre; Light Emerald (details here).

Unfortunately I didn't get  a photo tonight, so here's one  that I took in my garden back in 2014. Sorry about the lid underneath the moth!

Light Emerald

As well as this moth, I also recorded 6 Ringlets (my first Linacre record for 2016), 2 Meadow Browns and a single Silver-ground Carpet (also my first Linacre record in 2016). See link on the UK Moths website here for pictures and details of this moth.