Talking of Bloody-Nosed Beetles...

I mentioned that one of my many favourite insects is the Bloody Nosed beetle. I've only ever seen one, but I was mesmerized by it.

It walked cumbersomely along my window sill and straight into a spider's web. Luckily there was no spider in it, but it slowly squirmed and tried to pull itself free, but I had to help it in the end. Such a delicate operation. I was terrified of damaging it, but it escaped scot free with a bit of cobweb trailing from one of its back legs. You could see it was well aware of the extra weight and it tried in vain to kick it off!

Every time my shadow passed across it and it could sense my close presence, it ducked its little head back! It moved so slowly that I was able to go and get my insect identification book and we (me and the girls) worked out that we had found a Bloody Nosed Beetle, which, according to my book, is flightless and (cue oohs and noises of great interest) "gets its name for its habit of releasing a drop of blood from its mouth when disturbed".

Well... I had to give it a little go... I gently knocked it and wobbled it about, but it just kept walking as if it was totally unaware (or maybe, bless it, that was lightening speed for a terrified Bloody-Nosed Beetle), but nothing happened and I gave up because I felt rather guilty for trying to upset it. I moved it over to a grassy area where it could hide away from birds and cats and we watched it clamber slowly away..

I researched it further that evening and found out that they only release the blood when they are very stressed... ooh dear. Oh well, at least I hadn't upset it too much. You never can tell with a beetle.

However, the next day it was back where I'd first found it, about 6 metres away from where I'd "thoughtfully" placed it out of harms way the day before. The poor thing had probably spent the whole night getting back there. It must have been heading for somewhere in particular! This time, my 4 yr old had found it first and as I went to pick it up... a drop of blood... oh the guilt. I left it alone and it crawled under the door and hid safely away.

Now that's one cool beetle!

Green Shield Bug takin' a ride!

Bethany spotted it first. A beautiful Green Shield Bug on Mark's hat! He'd just come in from work and was leaning down to get something. She alerted me to it and I was thrilled to find it perched quite happily on the peak of his cap. I put my finger in front of it and it clumsily walked towards it.

Green Shield Bugs are my absolute favourite insect so far, closely followed by Bloody-Nosed Bettles, oh and Dragonflies... not forgetting Click Beetles,,, anyway. I love the way they walk across my hand, their red legs moving slowly and methodically. Their "feet" feel sticky. They're just lovely.

They're also called Stink Bugs because they can produce a very offensive odour when disturbed or handled, but I've never experienced it. They seem very cool, calm and collected, focused on getting somewhere... but in their own time. They won't be rushed.

I always used to think Shield Bugs were a type of beetle, but apparently they belong to a different group of insects; the Hemiptera.Well, you learn something new every day.


I love their uniformity - the markings down the sides towards the backs and the perfectly formed shield shape, and the colour.. so vivid! Give me a stink bug anyday.

Soldier, Soldier

My eldest daughter came running into the kitchen whilst I was tidying up "Mummy, a bug, a bug!".

I dutifully collected my glass tumbler and leaflet about a child-friendly local attraction and went into the conservatory to find a lost beetle wandering aimlessly around on the wooden floor.

Now, it may seem a little strange, but I always feel a bit sorry for lost bugs. The world is a big place and it takes no time at all for a flying insect to find itself in a totally unsuitable enivironment, usually being swatted away or squashed by a human hand.

The beetle was a Soldier Beetle, but I wasn't sure which one. Such is my curiosity level when it comes to critters, I had to at least try to find out which one. The black spot on the back of its thorax confirmed that it was in fact Cantharis rustica. Not that it actually made any difference. It just made me feel like I'd completed a job properly (and that's a rare feeling when you're a working mum with two children).

Soldier Beetles are so called because of their red and black colouring which reminds some (very old) people of the old British Army Uniform from the 1800s. 

I can imagine they are pretty menacing if you're an aphid (or a small child I guess) as they are carnivorous creatures, who enjoy feasting on any insects, but you'll often find the adults hanging around flower beds as they tend to target insects that feed on flowers. Perhaps Soldier Beetles have a sweet tooth (or sweet mandible - you know what I mean).

Small but perfectly formed

Planting up Petunias and Dianthus in my lovely sunny garden this afternoon, a little white flash caught my eye and landed on the fence in front of me. This little stunner, known as the T-Moth or Morning-glory Plume Moth stayed where it was very obediently whilst I ran to grab my camera.

It looks as though it's making the effort to stand up and be noticed. It's wings straight out to the side, it seems to say "Look at me, check out my perfect angles. Aren't I just gorgeous?"

It's so easy ignore the little things that pass you by every day, but in the bug world, take a closer look and you will always find perfection and beauty even in the smallest and most abundant creatures.

This tiny this little moth is just beautiful. Not your standard moth shape, white or cream in colour, Emmelina Monodactyla has probably been mistaken for a piece of straw more times than it has been recognised as a moth! It might be classed as common, but how often have you actually seen one? Most probably die before a human claps eyes on it.

They fly all year round (except the depths of winter) and are abundant in the UK, so if you've never seen one, keep your eyes peeled!