Insects & More

Hi! I'm Alex. I'm 13 years old, and I've created this blog for my challenge: to find, and if possible, photo, every organism listed in my book: "Field Guide To The Butterflies And Other Insects Of Britain" The list of organisms etc are down the bottom as the footer; the main finds in the Posts. I may not be able to get Photos of all the organisms, but I'll try my best! This challenge starts on the 1st January, 2016. My target is for it to be completed by the end of 2017, but it can be extended.

Sunday, 8 May 2016

Pill Bug

A close relative of the Common Woodlouse, the Pill Bug, Armadillidium Vulgare, can roll up into a complete, armoured ball. The Common Woodlouse cannot.
Simple difference :)

Pill Bug
Photo by Alex Sidney

House Spider

My mum wasn't very enthusiastic when she saw this large Tegenaria Domestica in the study!
This is a common House Spider, found - well, in houses!

House Spider
Photo by Alex Sidney

Earwig

This female Earwig was found inside my sleeping bag!!!
I had quite a jump in the night, when I felt something wriggling about inside my sleeping bag!
Scientific Name: Forficula Auricularia

Earwig
Photo by Alex Sidney

Moss Snail

When I captured other, large Snails, I always put it a few Wildflowers with them, just in case they are in there for a few hours, with nothing to keep them moist.
This morning, I looked at my Snails, and found a tiny one!
Thinking it was a baby of a larger species, I researched it, to no avail. Then I finally turned to my books, and found that it was Moss Snail (Cochlicopa Lubrica)

From the book:

Moss Snail
Cochlicopa Lubrica

The blunt-ended, conical shell is glossy, translucent, and pale to dark brown. The snail is common everywhere in Britain in damp places including dead leaves, grass and under fallen branches, as well as among mosses. The body is pale brown. Shell size up to 1/4 in. (6 mm) long and 1/8 in. (3mm) across.

Moss Snail
Photo by Alex Sidney

Dark-lipped Banded Snail

This was quite an interesting discovery; I've never really looked at Banded Snails before, and there are two main species: White-lipped, and Dark-lipped Banded Snails.
It took me quite a lot of research on "the web", to find out the simple difference.
To distinguish the two snails apart, you just look at the colour of the band on the lip of their shells. Occasionally, you will get coloured lips that don't match the rest of the shell, so that specimen will be an undetermined species.
The colour (either white or brown/black), will tell you the species - hence the names.
But this one was a Dark-lipped Banded Snail (Cepaea Hortensis)

Dark-lipped Banded Snail
Photo by Alex Sidney

Common Centipede

An easy find, under almost every log I look under!
Scientific Name: Lithobius Forficatus

Common Centipede
Photo by Alex Sidney

7-spot Ladybird

Probably one of the most common of Britain's Beetles, I can't believe I found this one so hard to find this year!
Scientific Name: Coccinella 7-punctata

7-spot Ladybird
Photo by Alex Sidney

Thursday, 5 May 2016

Psithyrus Vestalis

Straight after finding the Red-tailed Bumblebee (see previous post), I gathered up all my equipment, and just as I was about to go outside, my dad called me to say that there was a large Insect in our conservatory!
What luck it was: Psithyrus Vestalis, a species of the Bumble-bee family, without even stepping outside, within 30 minutes of the last Bumblebee!

Psithyrus Vestalis
Photo by Alex Sidney

Psithyrus Rupestris

Over the last few weeks, I've been setting pitfall traps all over my garden, in order to catch ground-dwelling Insects, Molluscs, and Isopods....
Apparently, it is a Bumble-bee Mimic, mimicking the Red-tailed Bumble-bee.
This one is Psithyrus Rupestris.

Psithyrus Rupestris
Photo by Alex Sidney

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Black Snake Millipede

A second find from today, an interesting Black Snake Millipede (Tachypodoiulus Niger)

Book's description:

Black snake millipede Tachypodoiulus niger

Like centipedes, millipedes dwell in the moist, dark world of

leaf litter and soil. The two are often confused, but there is a

clear point of distinction-millipedes have two pairs of legs on

each body segment; centipedes only have one pair. Britain has

50 species of millipede, of which the black snake millipede is one

of the most common. All species consist of many segments

protected by a hard plate that forms their outer skeleton. The

skeleton gives protection from predators, particularly when the

millipede curls up into a flat ball to conceal its soft underparts.

As it rolls up it can produce a foul-smelling liquid or vapour

from glands along its sides.

Millipedes feed mainly on soft plant tissue, either living or

dead. In attacking root crops and young plants they are agricul-

tural pests, but they are beneficial to soil fertility by recycling

dead and decaying leaves. Young millipedes, which hatch from

eggs, are tiny copies of their parents, and the three to six

months to mature. An adult millipede may live for several years.

The pill millipede is a squat, shiny species which can roll up

into a complete ball when threatened, leaving no chinks in its

armour. It is similar to the pill bug woodlouse.

Black Snake Millipede
Photo by Alex Sidney

Garlic Glass Snail

Sorry I haven't been posting very much lately - not much to find yet…. so here is a find from today.

Garlic Glass Snail (Oxychilus Alliarius)

Quoted almost identically from the book:

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Garlic glass snail
Oxychilus alliarius

The narrow, wheel-shaped shell is shiny, translucent and
pale yellow-brown or green. The body is blue-black. The
snail lives on banks, walls, rocks, and in fields and woods
all over Britain. It smells strongly of garlic if it is handled
or disturbed. Shell size up to 1/16 in. (5 mm) wide and 1/4
in. (6 mm) high.

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Here are my photos of it: