The "What is this bug?" thread

[Harvestman]

Looks like it. Almost certainly the Dor beetle, Geotrupes stercorarius, which isn't a true dung beetle inasmuch as it isn't a member of the Scarab beetle group, but its lifestyle is the same. The metallic blue underside is an easy identification giveaway.

 

[dwardo]

Thanks for that. Lovely things and seemed to be quite a few around.

 

[beachlover]

Can anyone tell me what this is?



Found it languishing in the shower and anything that can frighten my missus is worth knowing more about.

edited to say that the mucky background is not my shower, but the heat exchanger in the garden after the poor thing had been evicted!

 

[Harvestman]

Yep, that's a maybug, a.k.a. a cockchafer. One of the UK's biggest beetles. Pretty common at this time of year.

 

[beachlover]

Yep, that's a maybug, a.k.a. a cockchafer. One of the UK's biggest beetles. Pretty common at this time of year.

Thanks for that. We moved recently and somewhere along the way my two insect ID books have gone AWOL.
Lovely looking critter.

Edited to say that I have seen the larvae of these in the past and they are almost as impressive, but hadn't come across the adult before.

 

[Harvestman]

I'm going to share this beetle find that I made on the weekend, because it turns out that it is fairly rare, and is a new county record for Monmouthshire. It is a flower beetle, Ischnomera sanguinicollis.

 

[Toddy]

I was clearing out beside the pond this afternoon, and I lifted a plant pot out of an outer clay one, and there was this big beetle in the bottom of it. It was greenish toned with a purple head. Over an inch long, big and hefty. The blasted thing dropped out of the pot while we were trying to get a photo and scrambled off, straight into the stones, went too far and couped into the pond I lifted it back out and was surprised at how heavy it was.
What is it though ?

I feed the robins wire worms in an orange feeder thing hanging from a low branch on the apple tree. I went to check the feeder and realised that ants had climbed up the tree and were carrying off bits of the wire worms
Ant

Quite fascinating to watch

cheers,
M

 

[Toddy]

I've been searching; is the beetle a carabus violaceus ?

M

 

[Harvestman]

Ants are so resourceful, aren't they?

Those bug Carabid ground beetles can be surprisingly tricky to identify as they change colour with the direction of the light, but I think you have Carabus nemoralis there. They are good for the garden, as many of them eat slugs. Beautiful pictures Mary.

 

[Harvestman]

I've been searching; is the beetle a carabus violaceus ?

M

C. violaceus is always purple, never green. Also it lacks the rows of pits on the carapace, which yours shows.

 

[Toddy]

Eats slugs you say ?

It'll feast in my garden then

HWMBLT took the photos, I just find interesting things to pester him to come quickly and capture with a camera

I found this page with a photo of the carabus nemoralis, and I think you're spot on
Half way down....
http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/ColeopteraD.htm

Thank you

atb,
M

 

[Harvestman]

Phew, that's a relief. The site I used to make the identification was a 'beetle of germany' thing, and the pictures were not as good as that one. Definitely C. nemoralis.

 

[British Red]

cheers,
M

That is a brilliant photo!

 

[British Red]

Bombilius Hypnorum?

Tree Bumblebee nest by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Harvestman]

Hard to say from the shot, but basically if the bees are brown at the front, black in the middle and white at the tail, then yes.

 

[British Red]

They seem to be - I have more shots but perhaps my wifes using her phone is better

Bombilius Hypnorum by British Red, on Flickr


I also suspected them from being in a disused birds nest in a bird box which seems typical of them. Hard to get a good look in a dark box though!

DOes this one help?

 

[Clouston98]

Here's what I believe to be a moth, a lovely light green colour and trusted me enough to sit on my hand!

He's now flying happily away in the garden

Anyone have an idea what type/ specific variety it is?

 

[British Red]

It looks quite like a Brimstone Butterfly to me - but the spots are a bit off?

 

[JonathanD]

Green Carpet moth.

 

[British Red]

Ahhh it is a moth ...and a brimstone - its a Brimstone moth!

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/brimstone-moth