The gravid beetle and the downlooker...

 Have you seen a Snipe fly? 

No, not a flying Snipe! A snipe fly...

I could have called it the 'Downlooker', but that would have ruined my little jape wouldn't it. Rhagio scolopaceus is the ‘Downlooker Snipefly’, a very common and widespread species that is often seen sitting on tree trunks and fenceposts, head downwards.

There is a very similar one called 'Rhagio strigosus'. But I think there is just enough detail in my photo to be able to say that mine is scolopaceus.

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My next find was a very exciting one for me because it was Eucera longicornis, a Long-horned Bee. Sadly, this species has declined significantly across Britain and is now absent from many of the southern counties it used to be found in. As a result, it is considered a UK priority species.

This is a male, males emerge first and have the distinctive and unusually long antennae. Their habitat includes coastal grassland, heathland and woodland rides, which is where I discovered this one; along a woodland ride locally. It's important to record finds of this bee and I have already done so with mine.

Eucera longicornis (Male)

An article published in The Guardian newspaper was headed thus: Gleaming as if patinated in precious metals and gemstones, dock beetles are the organic farmer’s friend.

The article went on to say 'Try to catch a dock beetle and it will curl up its legs and drop instantly, falling to the ground or rolling like a pea into the centre of a leaf. An organic gardener would pick them off; an organic farmer sees them as an ally.'

I have found three stages of the dock beetle 'Gastrophysa viridula' in the past few days: eggs, first instar larvae, and adult beetles...

As the same article says; 'A female dock beetle clambers across the undulations of a leaf, her abdomen so swollen with eggs that her wing cases are displaced. This doesn’t stop a smaller male trying to mate; her notched antennae twitch as she drags him around with her.' 

I really am pretty useless at recalling the past regards timing of events: I would have probably guessed that it was three, or possibly four, years ago that I last saw and photographed this next creature. It turns out to be seven! Nice to get re-acquainted then with 'Hylobius abietis' the Large Pine Weevil...

I thought I would give you a sense of how flash photography changes the colour and feel of images: the picture on the left was taken using flash, and the one on the right with just ambient light.

I actually found two of these large weevils on the same day. The second one was being pestered by what I assume are wood ants...

When they got too close, the weevil beat a hasty retreat...

However, they caught up again with lightning speed and tried to overpower it...

The weevil was having none of it and just spread its wings and took off, leaving most of the ants in its wake, but also carrying a couple with it as it took to the skies!

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From weevils to tortoises.

No not that kind of tortoise! Try to think laterally?

Cassida vibex - A Tortoise Beetle

There, see what you can do when you try! A lovely tortoise beetle. Why tortoise beetle you ask? Well because when threatened, a tortoise beetle acts just like a tortoise, pulling its feet and antennae in and hunkering down, gripping the leaf it is on as tightly as possible.

Tortoise to turtle...

There you go again - not that kind of turtle...

A Turtle Shieldbug (Podops inuncta) or as it is sometimes called, the Knobbed Shieldbug. So named for the little projections near each eye. 

One odd thing I found recently was this little birch catkin bug, which seems to have somehow dropped an antenna...

I think that's about all I have to share for now, I'll just add a photo of a very fresh looking damselfly that I saw at a local reservoir the other day, and then I'll probably get my coat!

A Large Red Damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula

• “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” —Jimi Hendrix