Wednesday 22 June 2016

Rare insects at Blaencaerau COP area yesterday

 The Forester moth - Very rare in Glamorgan - a recently discovered small colony in the east of the county is the only record for Glamorgan since 1924. So this 2nd sighting is a significant record and of course a worthy edition to the valley moth list [circa 900 species]. Photo by P. Parsons
Rhyssa persuasoria an ichneumon fly - this the largest species of ichneumon fly in the British Isles and is found in or near coniferous woodland. It is 4-5" in length including the dagger like ovipositor on this female. There are only 156 records on NBN  Gateway, two 10km squares of which are in Glamorgan. So this the third square it has been seen at.

   
Grammoptera abdomalis a longhorn beetle - a rare longhorn with only 93 records on NBN Gateway. This being the 3rd 10km record for Glamorgan. It is told from the similar Grammoptera ruficornis by being larger in size and the antennae second segment not elongate like that species but "knobbled"
[see image below of ruficornis] and is the 10th species of Longhorn Beetle seen in the valley.
Grammoptera ruficornis with second antennae segment elongate, and is much smaller and slimmer than abdomalis. [archive photo from the sewage works, Lletty Brongu 2016]


3 comments:

Paul Parsons said...

Forester is No 898 Martyn.

Martyn Hnatiuk said...

Nice one - I should have kept it in a pot until you found another two micros (:

Paul Parsons said...

I have one micro waiting for Gen det too.