Revised2007 Edition

Over 2000i l lu st rat ions

in colour

f Britainonsects

and Western Europe

How to use this book' ' ,'Revised edition 2007

THE INTRODUCTION, pp. 3-11, explains the book's scope, wi tha basic sur:vey of insect classification, anatomy, l i fe-cycles,col lection and conservation.THE KEY, pp. 12-15, cross-referenced to the main text, shouldenable one to p lace any insect in i ts cor rect group.THE INSECTS are arranged scienti f ical ly from si lverf ish tobeet les , cover ing a l l orders found in Europe, ( l is ted on p. 11) , andal l major fami l ies .

rTHE ILLUSTRATIONS - over 2300 of them - cover the speciesmost likely to be noticed, for their size, colour, habits, frequencyor associat ion with humans. Sexes are indicated where theynoticeably dif fer, and sizes where the picture is not l i fe-size.THE TEXT-- nowwholly revised and updated -stresses importantpoints not obvious from the pictures; aspects of behaviour, foodor habitat where useful for identi f icat ion; European distr ibutionand months of appearance. There are brief introductions to eachorder and larger fami ly , w i th longer ones on:

Draqonf l iesGralsrropp?rsBugsButterfl ies, mothsFl iesAnts, wasps, beesBeetles

p . 2 2p . 3 8p . 7 0

p . 1 1 0p. 190p . 2 1 8p . 2 5 4

BRITISH and IRISH FREOUENCY is shown by t r iangular symbolsexpla ined on p. 4 .EARLY STAGES. Dist inct ive caterpi l lars are i l lustrated, besidethe i r adu l t but ter f l ies and moths. A range of nymphs and larvae ofother groups are i l lustrated on pp. 294-7 , cross-referenced fromthe main tex t .OTHER ARTHROPODS - which the beginner might confuse wi thinsects, such as centipedes, mil l ipedes, woodlice, mites andspiders - are surveyed on pp. 298-307, with 70 of the mostfrequent or conspicuous species i l lustrated.A GLOSSARY on pp. 308-9 explains technical terms, fol lowed byindexes of English and scienti f ic names.

\l

D O M I N O G U I D E T O T H E

INSECTSO F B R I T A I N A N D W E S T E R N E U R O P E

Michae l Ch inery

with i l lustrat ions by

Stephen Falk, Anthony Hopkins, Richard Lewington,Denys Ovenden, Ren6 Pr6chac, John Wilk inson

A&CBlack 'London

First produced by Domino Books Ltd in 1986First publ ished in Great Br i ta in in 1986 by HarperCol l ins Publ ishers, London

This revised edition published in 2007 by A & C Black Publishers Ltd.38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HBwww.acblack.com

lsBN 978-0-7 136-7239-8A CIP catalogue record for th is book is avai lable f rom the Br i t ish Library1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

@ Michael Chinery 2007@ in this edition, Domino Books Ltd,2007

A Domino Guide. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior writtenpermission from Domino Books Ltd., 7 Bond Street, Jersey, Channel lslands

Printed in China by WKT Co. Ltd.,

Introduction

Over a mi l l ion d i f fe ren t k inds o f insec ts have so fa r been descr ibed and named,a n d m a n y m o r e c e r t a i n l y r e m a i n t o b e d i s c o v e r e d . T h i s i s m o r e t h a n a l l t h e o t h e rknown an imal spec ies pu t together . They occupy a lmost every known hab i ta tou ts ide the po la r reg ions and the deep sea. They are represented by immensep o p u l a t i o n s - p e r h a p s 1 0 m i l l i o n i n d i v i d u a l s i n a s i n g l e t e r m i t e c o l o n y , a n d60,000 spr ing ta i l s in a square met re o f tu r f . In th is respec t they are cer ta in lyexceeded by the nematode worms, w i th 20 mi l l ion or more to the square met re insome so i l s and more than 90 ,000 ind iv idua ls hav ing been ex t rac ted f rom a s ing lero t t ing app le ; bu t nematodes do no t exh ib i t any th ing l i ke the fan tas t ic var ie ty o finsec t l i fe .

The European insec t fauna numbers about 100.000 known spec ies , w i th a g rea trange o f s ize and fo rm. Cand ida tes fo r the la rges t o f them inc lude the Gian tPeacock Moth (p. 1381, Saga pedo (p.54t,, Ephippiger provincial is (p.56), andvar ious chafer beet les (pp . 265-6) . Th is book is an in t roduc t ion and genera l gu ideto the i r iden t i f i ca t ion . Wi th i t s he lp , the genera l observer ought to be ab le to p lacethe major i t y o f insec ts tha t he d iscovers in the i r cor rec t fami l ies .The geograph ica l a rea covered by th is book is essent ia l l y wes tern Europe - wes to f a l ine f rom F in land to the nor thern shores o f the Adr ia t i c . Many Med i te r raneans p e c i e s a r e i n c l u d e d , b u t g e n e r a l l y n o t t h o s e f o u n d o n l y i n P e n i n s u l a r l t a l y o r t h el b e r i a n P e n i n s u l a .A l l o rders a re covered and a l l the major fami l ies as we l l . The se lec t ion o f insec tsto i l l us t ra te these, f rom a to ta l o f about 100,000 spec ies so fa r d iscovered inEurope, was no t a lways easy . Wi th in each group, we have chosen those rnos fl i ke ly to be no t iced , because o f the i r s ize , co lour , hab i ts , f requency , o r assoc ia t ionw i t h h u m a n h a b i t a t i o n . M a n y s m a l l a n d d u l l - c o l o u r e d s p e c i e s a r e o m i t t e dbecause, a l though they are o f ten abundant , on ly the spec ia l i s t wou ld g ive them asecond g lance - o r be ab le to ident i f y them wi th any cer ta in ty . But some qu i te ra reor loca l insec ts have been inc luded, s imp ly because they are so s t r i k ing tha t theycannot be over looked and a lways cause comment when they are seen. Examplesinc lude the Span ish Moon Moth (p . 139) and the longhorn beet le Rosa l ia a lp ina( p . 2 8 1 ) .The i l lus t ra t ions show most o f the insec ts in the i r na tura l res t ing pos i t ions , jus tas you migh t f ind them in the w i ld . Many spec ies can be ident i f ied per fec t l y we l lin th is way, bu t o thers need a c loser examinat ion o f the venat ion or perhaps o fthe h indwings . These are shown in the ' se t ' pos i t ion so tha t the re levant fea turescan be seen. Sexes are ind ica ted ( j = ma le , ! = female) on ly where they areconsp icuous ly d i f fe ren t . S izes are shown by magn i f i ca t ions pr in ted bes ide thei l lus t ra t ions : x2 /z mean ing tha t the p ic tu re i s rough ly 2Yzt imes l i fe -s ize . S izes dovary a good dea l , however , and the f igures are no more than rough gu ides .Where no magn i f i ca t ion is g iven , the insec t has been drawn a t approx imate lyl i fe -s ize .

The tex t complements the i l l us t ra t ions , somet imes drawing a t ten t ion toimpor tan t d iagnos t ic fea tures or to fea tures on the unders ide tha t a re no t v is ib lein the p ic tu res . Co lour var ia t ions and sexua l d i f fe rences are ment ioned, andin fo rmat ion is g iven on behav iour , hab i ta t , and food-p lan t where these arehe lp fu l in iden t i f y ing an insec t . C lose ly re la ted spec ies can o f ten be d is t ingu ishedon ly by mic roscop ic examinat ion o f the gen i ta l ia and o ther minu te fea tures ,descr ip t ions o f wh ich are beyond the scope o f th is book . ln such ins tances , thecommonest spec ies are normal ly i l l us t ra ted and the tex t ind ica tes tha t there ares e v e r a l s i m i l a r s p e c i e s .There are br ie f in t roduc t ions to each insec t o rder and to the la rger fami l ies . Theseg ive the bas ic fea tures o f the groups and the ind iv idua l spec ies tex ts shou ld beread in con junc t ion w i th them. Many fami l ies a re represented here by s ing lespec ies , in wh ich case the name o f the new fami ly fo l lows tha t o f the spec ies .

Where no fami ly name is g iven , the insec t be longs to the same fami ly as thepreced ing spec ies .Eng l ish names are g iven as we l l as sc ien t i f i c names where poss ib le , bu t most o ft h e s m a l l e r a n d l e s s f a m i l i a r s p e c i e s d o n o t h a v e E n g l i s h n a m e s a n d t h e n o n l y t h esc ien t i f i c name can be g iven. Sc ien t i f i c names are recogn ised in te rna t iona l l y , bu tun for tunate ly tend to change as en tomolog is ts learn more about there la t ionsh ips o f the insec ts . Names found in one book are thus no t necessar i l y thesame as those found in o lder o r newer books . The names used here have beenbrought up to da te as fa r as poss ib le a t the t ime o f p r in t ing and show qu i te anumber o f changes f rom the f i rs t ed i t ion .T ime o f appearance is ind ica ted in f igures fo r the months dur ing wh ich the adu l tsmay be seen: e .g . 5 -8 means tha t the insec ts can be seen f rom May to August .These per iods app ly to the who le geograph ica l range o f the spec ies cohcerned,and the t ime o f appearance may be much more res t r i c ted in nor thern or montaner e g i o n s . O n l y a s i n g l e a n n u a l b r o o d m a y b e p r o d u c e d i n s u c h a r e a s , w h i l e i nwarmer par ts there may be two or even th ree broods in a year , w i th adu l ts inev idence fo r severa l months . Spec ies w i th no months g iven may be foundthroughout the year , a l though they may d isappear in to h iberna t ion in the coo le rreg ions .D is t r ibu t ion European d is t r ibu t ion is g iven in a s imp le fo rm:

B = Br i ta in and l re landN = Scand inav ia and F in landC = cent ra l Europe - nor th o f a l ine f rom Bordeaux to Ven ice , to inc lude Denmark

and the Br i t i sh l s lesS = southern Europe - the who le a rea south o f tha t l ineSW = south-western - west of NiceSE = south-eastern - east of Nice

The distr ibution for Bri tain and lreland is given by the fol lowing symbols:l ' = fa i r l y common in su i tab le hab i ta ts th roughout the Br i t i sh l s lesA = fa i r l y common but conf ined to the nor thern ha l f o f these is landsA = fa i r l y common but conf ined to the southern ha l f o f these is landsA = a sca t te red or loca l d is t r ibu t ion , a l though poss ib ly common where i t does

occur : As = southern l An = nor thernA

.= ra re in the Br i t i sh l s les : As = southern : An = nor thern

Southern areas are taken to be those rough ly south o f the Tees , bu t many spec iesl i s ted as southern w i l l obv ious ly have a more res t r i c ted d is t r ibu t ion than th is .There are , however , no hard and fas t d iv id ing l ines fo r insec t d is t r ibu t ions , manyof wh ich are imper fec t ly known, and spec imens may o f ten be found ou ts ide theind ica ted areas .Ear ly s tages . D is t inc t i ve la rvae o f bu t te r f l ies and moths (ca terp i l la rs ) have beeni l lus t ra ted in the main descr ip t i ve par t o f the book bes ide the adu l t insec ts . Thenymphs and la rvae o f o ther g roups are o f ten very s imi la r to each o ther - hard orimposs ib le to d is t ingu ish in the f ie ld - and the i r s tudy is a spec ia l i s t a f fa i r . Wehave, however , i l l us t ra ted a range o f them on pp . 294-5 ( te r res t r ia l ) and 296-7(aquatic), to provide a representative survey of the dif ferent forms,cross-referenced to and from the main part of the text.Other c reepy c rawl ies Insec ts be long to the phy lum Ar th ropoda ( ' jo in ted fee t ' ) ,wh ich a lso inc ludes cent ipedes , mi l l ipedes , wood l ice , mi tes , sp iders , and o therqu i te separa te c lasses o f inver tebra tes . Beg inners can eas i l y con fuse some o fthese w i th insec ts , so to make the d is t inc t ion c lear we have inc luded onpp. 298-307 a br ie f i l l us t ra ted survey o f them, w i th examples drawn f romcommon or consp icuous spec ies o f the reg ion .

Insect AnatomyTechn ica l te rms are kept to a min imum in th is book , bu t some are unavo idab lewhen referr ing to various parts of insects' bodies and a basic knowledge of insectanatomy is necessary fo r iden t i f y ing many spec ies .The insec t body cons is ts o f th ree main par ts : the head. thorax , and abdomen.THE HEAD. The vertex is the area on top of the head, above and between the eyes.The cheeks (o r genae) a re the areas be low and beh ind the eyes , and the i r lowerpor t ions are somet imes d i f fe ren t ia ted as the jow ls . The head car r ies a pa i r o fan tennae or fee le rs , wh ich are main ly concerned w i th the senses o f smel l andtouch. The i r shape var ies a g rea t dea l , bu t in the i r s imp les t fo rm they are a cha ino f more or less ident ica l segments , each we l l supp l ied w i th nerve-end ings . Thenumber o f segments , rang ing f rom one to over a hundred, i s somet imes o f va luein ident i f y ing the insec ts . The f i rs t o r basa l segment i s the scape, and is o f tenlonger than the o thers . The second, usua l ly very shor t , i s the ped ice l , wh i le theres t together fo rm the f lage l lum. In some insec ts , such as the an ts , the scape ispar t i cu la r ly long and the res t o f the an tenna h inges upon i t . Such an an tenna isca l led e lbowed or gen icu la te .

The head a lso has a pa i r o f compound .eyes , the i r sur faces c lo thed w i th a

number o f t iny lenses ca l led face ts . Dragonf l ies and o ther ac t i ve f l ie rs havesevera l thousand o f these lenses in each eye, enab l ing them to de tec t very smal lmovements , bu t some o f the an ts and o ther so i l -dwe l le rs have very few lenses ornone a t a l l . Many insec ts a lso possess some very s imp le eyes ca l led oce l l i -usua l l y th ree , fo rming a l i t t le t r iang le on the ver tex o r somet imes on the f ron t o fthe head, and look ing l i ke t iny g lass

.beads . l t seems un l i ke ly tha t oce l l i canproduce t rue images, and they may be used s imp ly fo r de tec t ing var ia t ions inl igh t in tens i ty .

The mouth is sur rounded by a number o f g rea t ly mod i f ied l imbs, co l lec t i ve lyknown as the mouth-par ts . The fo rm o f these appendages var ies enormous lywi th the insec t ' s d ie t , bu t the bas ic se t cons is ts o f a pa i r o f mand ib les o r jaws, apa i r o f max i l lae (somet imes ca l led secondary jaws) , and a lab ium or lower l ip ,fo rmed by the fus ion o f two max i l la - l i ke appendages. The max i l lae and lab iumhelp f i rs t to ca tch and ho ld the food wh i le i t i s cu t up by the mand ib les , then toshove l i t in to the mouth . They a lso have sensory a rms known as pa lps , wh ichexamine and taste the food f irst. Several other structures may be associated withthese mouth-par ts , no tab ly the labrum or upper l ip . Th is i s an ou tgrowth f rom thef ron t o f the head and fo rms a roo f over the jaw area . where the food is cu t andchewed before en ter ing the t rue mouth .The head of a cockroach, seen from the front and from the side, to show the major regions

compound eye venex

gena (cheek)

m a n d i b l e( jaw)

o c e l l u s

a n t e n n a lsocket

l abrummax i l la rypa lp labial palp --/'

The above ar rangement i s des igned fo r cop ing w i th a so l id d ie t , and is found in awide range o f insec ts , inc lud ing grasshoppers , mant ids , d ragonf l ies , beet les andwasps. Among the l iqu id - feeders we f ind some remarkab le mod i f i ca t ions . Themand ib les a re ,v i r tua l l y absent in bu t te r f l ies and moths , and the max i l lae havebecome long and s lender and l inked together to fo rm a nec tar -suck ingprobosc is . Mand ib les a re a lso absent in house- f l ies , bu t among mosqu i toes and

)

horse- f l ies they are long and need le- l i ke , fo rming par t o f the hypodermic syr ingewi th wh ich they draw b lood f rom the i r v ic t ims. The t rue bugs a lso have p ie rc ingmouth-par ts fo r suck ing ju ices f rom p lan ts o r an ima ls .

THORAX. The insect thorax consists of three segments - prothorax, mesothorax,and meta thorax - each o f wh ich car r ies a pa i r o f legs . Wings , when present . a reborne on the second two, o r i f there is on ly one pa i r , on the midd le one. Thepro thorax never car r ies w ings and is o f ten reduced to a nar row co l la r , though i t i sla rge in bugs and beet les where i t s dorsa l sur face , the pronotum, i s aconsp icuous fea ture . The meso- and meta thorax are genera l l y fused in to a s ing leun i t and the two component sec t ions are no t easy to d is t ingu ish : the mesothoraxis the la rger and i t s dorsa l cover ing , the mesonotum, commonly te rmina tes in aprominent t r iangu lar o r sh ie ld -shaped p la te ca l led the scu te l lum.

forewing

marg ina l ce l l

pterostigma h i n d w i n g

metathoraxa n t e n n a

, . r /

A sawfly (general ised insect)

LEGS. Wi th the except ion o f a few aber ran t fo rms - no tab ly some female sca leinsec ts - a l l adu l t insec ts have th ree pa i rs o f legs . One can usua l ly recogn ise fourmain reg ions in each. The coxa is the basa l segment , jo in ing the res t o f the leg tothe thorax . Then comes the femur (p lu ra l femora) , wh ich is usua l ly the la rges tsegment , and beyond i t i s the t ib ia - o f ten as long as or even longer than thefemur , bu t genera l l y much more s lender . F ina l l y the ta rsus or foo t , wh ichcons is ts o f one to f i ve segments and normal ly bears one or two c laws a t the t ip .The t rochanter i s usua l ly a very smal l segment be tween the femur and the coxa:i t i s f i rm ly fused to the femur and normal ly hard to de tec t . The shapes and re la t i velengths o f the d i f fe ren t leg segments vary a g rea t dea l accord ing to the insec ts 'hab i ts . Many predatory spec ies , inc lud ing the mant ids , have prehens i le o rrap tor ia l f ron t legs , in wh ich the t ib ia can fo ld back aga ins t the femur to t rap andgr ip the prey.

- t i b i a

femurA typ ica l insect leg t rochanter

WINGS are present in most insects, but not in the most pr imi t ive groups - thespr ingtai ls and br is t leta i ls (p. 16). They are also missing f rom a number of h ighlyspecia l ised parasi tes such as l ice and f leas (pp 98-101), and many high-al t i tudeinsects are wingless or virtually so. The 'typical' insect, however, has two pairs ofwings. Both pairs may be membranous, as in dragonf l ies and but ter f l ies, or the

i-:-/

f ron t pa i r may be ra ther tough and func t ion la rge ly as p ro tec t ion fo r the morede l ica te h indwings a t res t . Tough fo rewings o f th is k ind are ca l led tegmina i f theyare lea thery bu t s t i l l w ing- l i ke . as in the grasshoppers and cockroaches. Theforewings o f beet les a re known as e ly t ra . They are genera l l y very hard and hornyand comple te ly cover the f l imsy h indwings a t res t , mak ing the insec ts look as i fthey have no w ings a t a l l . H indwings are absent in a l l t rue f l ies (pp 190-2171,where they have been conver ted in to minu te p in - l i ke s t ruc tu res ca l led ha l te res .These are a lso known as ba lancers , fo r they ac t l i ke gyroscopes and he lp tos tab i l i se the insec ts in f l igh t . H indwings are a lso miss ing f rom some mayf lyspec ies and f rom a number o f f l i gh t less beet les and grasshoppers .

Membranous w ings may be covered w i th sca les , as in bu t te r f l ies and moths , o rw i th ha i rs as in cadd is f l ies . bu t o therw ise the most obv ious fea ture is thevenat ion . Th is var ies enormous ly and is very impor tan t in c lass i fy ing insec tg r o u p s . b u t t h e r e i s a n u n d e r l y i n g p a t t e r n b a s e d o n l o n g i t u d i n a l v e i n s . T h e i r f u l lpa t te rn , worked ou t f rom anatomica l and foss i l s tud ies , i s shown in thehypothe t ica l fo rewing be low. No l i v ing insec t has the comple te se t and thenumber o f b ranches is o f ten grea t ly reduced, bu t the main long i tud ina l ve ins canusua l ly be recogn ised in most w inged spec ies . On ly two c ross-ve ins are shownin the d iagram. These are present in most insec ts , bu t there are o f ten many minorc ross-ve ins as we l l , espec ia l l y among the dragonf l ies and lacewings . The areas o fm e m b r a n e b e t w e e n v e i n s a r e c a l l e d c e l l s . a n d t h e m a j o r o n e s a r e n a m e daccord ing to the ve in in f ron t o f them: thus the cos ta l ce l l i s jus t beh ind the cos ta ,t h e r a d i a l c e l l b e h i n d t h e r a d i u s , t h e 1 s t a n a l c e l l b e h i n d t h e 1 s t a n a l v e i n , a n d s oon. A d isca l ce l l occurs in the w ings o f many insec ts and is commonly used inc lass i f i ca t ion , bu t i t does no t re fe r to any par t i cu la r ce l l and is mere ly a ra therc o n s p i c u o u s c e l l n e a r t h e m i d d l e o f t h e w i n g . T h e d i s c a l c e l l o f o n e i n s e c t g r o u p i sn o t n e c e s s a r i l y b o u n d e d b y t h e s a m e v e i n s a s t h e d i s c a l c e l l o f a n o t h e r g r o u p .C e l l s b o u n d e d b y v e i n s o n a l l s i d e s a r e c a l l e d c l o s e d c e l l s , w h i l e t h o s e b o u n d e do n o n e s i d e b y t h e w i n g m a r g i n a r e c a l l e d o p e n c e l l s .Severa l sys tems have been used fo r naming ve ins , and care must be taken when

re fer r ing to the o lder l i te ra tu re : a g iven ve in then migh t no t re fe r to the ve in o f thesame name today . D ip te r is ts and lep idopter is ts , whose charges o f ten havereduced venat ion , commonly use a sys tem o f number ing fo r dea l ing w i th thel o n g i t u d i n a l v e i n s ( p . 1 9 0 ) .

costa

R2

R3R 4

R 5M A 1

MA2M P 1

costasuo-

Cu, {p[il{ verMPz

A hypothe t ica l insec t w ing , showing the fu l l ances t ra l venat ion . L iv ing insec ts a l lshow some reduc t ion o f these major ve ins . R1 is the rad ius , wh i le R2 to R5 arebranches o f a d iv is ion o f the rad ius known as the rad ia l sec tor . MA and MP are theanter io r and pos ter io r d iv is ions o f the med ia . Cu is the cub i tus , wh i le 1A to 3A arethe ana l ve ins . a i s the an ter io r c ross ve in , a lways l ink ing the rad ius to the med ia ,and p is the pos ter io r c ross ve in wh ich l inks the med ia to the cub i tus .

A B D O M E N . T h e a d u l t a b d o m e n h a s u p t o 1 1 s e g m e n t s , a l t h o u g h n o t a l l a r ev is ib le . each w i th a dorsa l p la te ca l led a te rg i te and a vent ra l one ca l led as t e r n i t e . T h e a b d o m e n h a s n o r e a l l i m b s b u t t h e h i n d e n d c o m m o n l y c a r r i e s apa i r o f appendages ca l led cerc i . These are most obv ious in mayf l ies (p 18) , wherethey are long and th read- l i ke , and in the earw igs 1p 68) , where they fo rm thef a m i l i a r p i n c e r s . M a l e d r a g o n f l i e s a n d b u s h - c r i c k e t s 1 p 4 8 ) u s e t h e i r p r o m i n e n t

cerc i to g rasp the females wh i le mat ing . The gen i ta l ia a re car r ied on the 8 th andgth abdomina l segments . They are usua l ly concea led ins ide the body , a l thoughsome females have a permanently exposed and often very conspicuousov ipos i to r . B lade- l i ke o r need le- l i ke , th is i s used fo r lay ing eggs in the ground orin p lan t o r an ima l t i ssues and is we l l seen in bush-c r icke ts and some ichneumons(p 230) . The de ta i led s t ruc tu re o f cerc i and gen i ta l ia i s o f ten c ruc ia l fo r separa t ingc lose ly re la ted spec ies , bu t th is needs spec ia l i sed mic roscop ic techn iques .

Insect life cyclesNearly al l insects begin l i fe as eggs. protected by tough, waterproof, and oftene legant ly scu lp tu red she l l s , these can surv ive a w ide range o f adverse cond i t ions ,from drought to severe frost. Many species pass the winter as eggs, often freelyexposed on the bare tw igs o f the i r food-p lan ts . Apar t f rom the pr im i t i ve w ing lessinsec ts (see p . 16) , the ha tch l ings ra re ly resemble the i r paren ts . They never havewings and often have quite dif ferent feeding habits. The considerable change thatthese young insec ts undergo as they deve lop is ca l led metamorphos is .

L ike a l l o ther a r th ropods (see p 4) , insec ts have a tough ou ter ske le ton wh ichdoes no t g row wi th the res t o f the body and has to be changed per iod ica l l y fo r ala rger one. Th is sk in change is ca l led ecdys is o r mou l t ing . When about to mou l t ,the insec t s tops feed ing and becomes qu iescent fo r severa l hours o r even dayswhile the inner layers of i ts coat or skeleton are dissolved away. A soft, new,wr ink led sk in i s secre ted under the o ld layers , wh ich by now are very th in andbr i t t le . The insec t pu f fs i t se l f up by muscu lar ac t ion and by swa l low ing a i r o rwater to sp l i t the o ld sk in and to s t re tch the new one, and then s lowly d rags i t se l fou t o f the o ld sk in . The insec t i s espec ia l l y vu lnerab le un t i l the new sk in hashardened and most spec ies t ry to h ide themse lves when about to mou l t .

When the new skin has become f irm, the insect gets r id of the excess air or waterand makes room fo r fu r ther g rowth . There is some e las t ic i t y in the sk in , espec ia l l yin ca terp i l la rs , bu t there comes a t ime when fu r ther s t re tch ing is imposs ib le andanother mou l t must take p lace . Some insec ts mou l t as many as 50 t imes, bu t th isis unusua l and most insec ts mou l t less than ten t imes. Most bu t te r f l y and mothcaterp i l la rs mou l t on ly four o r f i ve t imes. The s tages be tween mou l ts a re ca l ledins ta rs : a 2nd- ins ta r la rva be ing one be tween the f i rs t and second mou l ts . Theadu l t insec t i s the imago. Br is t le ta i l s go on mou l t ing th roughout the i r l i ves , bu tother insects stop when they reach maturi ty. No insect grows any more once i thas fu l l y -deve loped w ings , a l though mayf l ies do undergo one fu r ther mou l t inthe w inged s ta te (see p . 18) .

Winged insec ts a re a r ranged in two d iv is ions , accord ing to the way in wh ichthe i r w ings deve lop . Among the dragonf l ies , g rasshoppers , bugs , and severa lo ther g roups , the w ings deve lop gradua l ly on the ou ts ide o f the body l These arethe EXOPTERYGOTA (= ou ts ide w ings) . The young resemble the adu l ts in genera lappearance, o f ten l i v ing in the same p laces and hav ing s imi la r feed ing hab i ts .The resemblance increases as the w ing buds ge t la rger a t each mou l t . There isthus a g radua l change f rom young to adu l t fo rm and the insec ts a resa id to showpar t ia l o r incomple te metamorphos is . The young are known as nymphs.

Among the bu t te r f l ies and moths , beet les , f l i es , an ts , bees , wasps , and a fewother g roups , the young look no th ing l i ke the adu l ts , never showing any s ign orw ings and o f ten hav ing comple te ly d i f fe ren t homes and hab i ts . They are knownas la rvae. A t each mou l t un t i l the las t , they s imp ly emerge as la rger la rvae. Onreach ing fu l l s ize , the la rva sp l i t s i t s sk in aga in and revea ls the pupa or chrysa l i s ,a non- feed ing and genera l l y inac t ive s tage as fa r as ex terna l appearances go .Great changes take p lace in te rna l l y , however , as the la rva l body is b roken downand rebu i l t in the adu l t fo rm. Out l ines o f the w ings and o ther adu l t fea tures can beseen on the pupa l sk in , bu t these organs a l l deve lop ins ide the pupa and th isgroup is there fore ca l led the ENDOPTERYGOTA. Trans format ion takes any th ingfrom a few days to several months before the imago f inal ly breaks out of thepupa l sk in . Th is type o f deve lopment i s ca l led comple te metamorphos is . There

i s n o w a n i n c r e a s i n g t e n d e n c y t o c a l l a l l y o u n g i n s e c t s l a r v a e , b u t t h i s d i s r e g a r d sthe fundamenta l d i f fe rences in the deve lopment o f the two groups .

S o m e i n s e c t s c a n f l y a s s o o n a s t h e y l e a v e t h e i r n y m p h a l o r p u p a l s k i n s , b u tmost o f the la rger spec ies need to harden the i r w ings be fore tak lng to the a i r .M o s t a d u l t s e m e r g e w i t h s m a l l a n d c r u m p l e d w i n g s , a n d t h e i r f i r s t a c t i o n i s t of i n d a p e r c h w h e r e t h e w i n g s c a n b e u n f u r l e d w i t h o u t d a m a g e . B l o o d i s g r a d u a l l yp u m p e d i n t o t h e w i n g v e i n s , a n d t h e w i n g s n o r m a l l y s w e l l t o f u l l s i z e w i t h i n a f e wm i n u t e s . B u t t h e y t a k e m u c h l o n g e r t o h a r d e n , a n d f l i g h t i s n o t u s u a l l y p o s s i b l ef o r a t l e a s t a n h o u r .

Col lec t ing and s tudy ingMany o f the la rger and more co lour fu l insec ts , no tab ly bu t te r f l ies and moths andsome o f the beet les , can be ident i f ied in the f ie ld qu i te eas i l y w i thout ca tch ingthem. Accura te ident i f i ca t ion o f most o f the smal le r spec ies , however , invo lvesc a t c h i n g t h e m a n d t a k i n g a c l o s e r l o o k a t t h e v e n a t i o n o r o t h e r d e t a i l s .Nets . The t rad i t iona l bu t te r f l y ne t i s the bes t too l fo r ca tch ing f ree- f l y ing insec ts .Good ne ts can be bought f rom entomolog ica l dea le rs , bu t sa t is fac to ry ones aren o t d i f f i c u l t t o m a k e a t h o m e . T h e f r a m e s h o u l d b e l i g h t , b u t s t r o n g e n o u g h t okeep l t s shape when the ne t i s swept th rough the a i r . l t can be c i rcu la r o rk i te -shaped, bu t must be a t leas t 30cm across - b ig enough to ge t your hands in toman ipu la te the ca tch . The bag must be s t rong enough to res is t b rambles , bu t themesh no t so dense tha t you cannot see the t rapped insec ts . l t must be a t leas ttw ice as deep as the d iameter o f the f rame, so tha t i t can be fo lded around thef rame to s top the insec ts f rom escap ing . Dark co lours a re bes t fo r co l lec t ingdragonf l ies and bu t te r f l ies , bu t smal le r insec ts show up be t te r aga ins t al igh t -co loured ne t . A shor t hand le - up to 30cm - i s good fo r genera l use . Netsw i t h l o n g e r h a n d l e s a r e m o r e d i f f i c u l t t o c o n t r o l , a l t h o u g h c e r t a i n l y u s e f u l w h e nt ry ing to ca tch dragonf l ies over water o r moths gyra t ing around s t ree t - lamps. As h o r t o e r m a n e n t h a n d l e w i t h a d e t a c h a b l e e x t e n s i o n i s t h e i d e a l .

Trapp ing . N igh t - f l y ing moths are near ly a l l a t t rac ted to l igh t , and many can bec a u g h t s i m p l y b y s h i n i n g a n e l e c t r i c l i g h t o n t o a w h i t e s h e e t i n t h e g a r d e n a n ds tand ing by w i th a ne t . A moth t rap w i l l do the same job w i th less e f fo r t and canb e l e f t o n t o s a m p l e t h e m o t h p o p u l a t i o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e n i g h t . S o m e t r a p s c a n b erun f rom car ba t te r ies ou t in the w i lds . The hear t o f the t rap is a mercury -vapourlamp. Lured by i t s u l t ra -v io le t l igh t , the moths c rash in to ba f f les a round the lampand fa l l In to a box be low. Egg-pack ing mater ia l in the box prov ides snug res t ingp l a c e s a n d t h e m o t h s s e t t l e d o w n q u i e t l y u n t i l t h e t r a p i s e m p t i e d i n t h e m o r n i n g .T r a p s s h o u l d n o t b e p o s i t i o n e d s o t h a t t h e y a r e i n f u l l s u n e a r l y i n t h e m o r n i n g :the warmth ag i ta tes the moths and they damage themse lves be fore they can bee x a m i n e d . C a r e s h o u l d a l s o b e t a k e n w h e n e m p t y i n g t h e t r a p t o e n s u r e t h a t t h emoths are no t snapped up by b i rds - par t i cu la r ly when a t rap is regu la r ly used ino n e p l a c e , s u c h a s a g a r d e n , f o r b i r d s q u i c k l y l e a r n t h a t t h e t r a p i s a s o u r c e o ffood. The moths shou ld be re leased in to dense vegeta t ion i f poss ib le , w i th theb i rds kept away un t i l the insec ts have se t t led down. A l te rna t ive ly , cover the t rapand keep i t in a coo l p lace un t i l n igh t fa l l , when the moths can sa fe ly be re leased.

Crawl ing insec ts tha t spend the i r t ime on low vegeta t ion can o f ten be spot teda n d p i c k e d u p i n d i v i d u a l l y , b u t s w e e p i n g i s a m o r e p r o d u c t i v e m e t h o d a n dessent ia l fo r any ser ious survey o f insec t l i fe in the herbage. A very s tu rdy ne t ,re in fo rced around the r im, i s needed fo r sweep ing to and f ro th rough thevegeta t ion . Huge numbers o f insec ts can be co l lec ted in th is way and the ne tmust be examined and empt ied a t f requent in te rva ls to p revent the i r ge t t ingdamaged. Whi te i s the bes t co lour fo r a sweep ne t , s ince the smal le r insec ts in theherbage are main ly g reen or b rown. Beet les and o ther g round- l i v ing insec ts a ree a s i l y c a u g h t i n s i m p l e p i t f a l l t r a p s , m a d e f r o m j a m j a r s o r p l a s t i c b e a k e r s s u n kin to the ground. Meat o r r ipe f ru i t can be used as ba i t , bu t ba i t ing is no t rea l l ynecessary : many insec ts fa l l in w i thout any encouragement . A p iece o f s la te o rg l a s s s h o u l d b e p l a c e d o v e r t h e t r a p t o k e e p o u t r a i n a n d m i c e .

Insec ts l i v ing in t rees and bushes are eas i l y co l lec ted w i th a beat ing t ray and astout st ick. The ' tray' consists of a sheet of fair ly tough material stretched over aco l laps ib le f rame about a met re square , and a long hand le makes i t eas ie r to ho ldthe t ray under a b ranch. H i t t ing the branch sharp ly w i th the s t i ck usua l ly b r ings anassor tment o f ca terp i l la rs and o ther insec ts tumbl ing on to the t ray . The smal le rones are bes t p icked up w i th the a id o f a pooter - a s imp le suc t ion dev iceincorpora t ing a ho ld ing chamber fo r the insec ts . Th is can be used fo r co l lec t inginsec ts d i rec t f rom leaves and t ree t runks as we l l as f rom the beat ing t ray .When they have been caught , most insec ts a re bes t t rans fer red to p las t i c tubes

or boxes . Entomolog ica l dea le rs marke t these in a range o f conven ien t s izes : 7 .5 x2 .5cm is the idea l tube s ize , wh i le c i rcu la r boxes about 5cm across and 2cm deepare bes t fo r moths . The insec ts surv ive we l l in such conta iners as long as they arenot exposed to the sun. A lea f o r a p iece o f moss w i l l g ive them someth ing to c l ingto and a lso prov ide essent ia l mo is tu re - bu t watch ou t fo r condensat ion , wh ichcan t rap and drown very smal l insec ts and a lso damage the i r d iagnos t ic fea tures .A good hand lens , magn i fy ing about x10, i s a l l tha t i s needed to ident i f y most o fthe insec ts in th is book , bu t a low-power mic roscope (magn i fy ing about x30) i scer ta in ly very use fu l and can revea l a lo t o f fasc ina t ing de ta i l , espec ia l l y whenused to examine l i v ing spec imens.Most insec ts can be re leased unharmed a f te r iden t i f i ca t ion , bu t some o f thesmal le r spec ies cannot be proper ly ident i f ied , a t leas t by the beg inner , un lessthey are k i l led and examined in de ta i l . E thy l ace ta te i s one o f the most use fu lk i l l i ng agents fo r the amateur en tomolog is t - a l though i t must no t be used inplastic containers - but cherry laurel leaves (Prunus laurocerasus) are a very goodstandby, espec ia l l y fo r anyone who does no t do much co l lec t ing . The c rushedleaves and young shoots g ive o f f a weak cyan ide vapour and, when enc losed inan a i r - t igh t ja r and covered w i th b lo t t ing paper o r t i ssue, make a very conven ien tk i l l i ng bo t t le . But don ' t be in too much o f a hur ry to k i l l your insec ts : watch the i rbehav iour and s tudy the i r na tura l res t ing a t t i tudes , fo r these w i l l he lp you toident i f y the insec ts in the f ie ld on another occas ion . And never k i l l any moreinsec ts than you rea l l y need fo r s tudy .

Insect conservationA smal l re fe rence co l lec t ion is necessary fo r the ser ious s tudent o f insec ts andwi l l do no harm to the popu la t ions o f most spec ies , bu t conserva t ion must a lwaysbe kept in mind . l t i s un l i ke ly tha t co l lec t ing a lone has caused the ex t inc t ion o f anyinsec t spec ies , bu t when combined w i th the a la rming ra tes a t wh ich manyhab i ta ts a re cur ren t ly be ing des t royed i t cou ld cer ta in ly has ten the end o f some o four ra rer spec ies . Br i t i sh conserva t ion is ts , anx ious to min imise the r i sks to ourinsec t fauna, have issued a Code fo r Insec t Co l lec t ing , o f wh ich the main po in tsmay be summar ised as fo l lows:

Take and k i l l no more spec imens than are s t r i c t l y requ i red : a pa i r o f each spec iesshou ld be enough fo r normal purposes .

Do not take a species year after year from the same local i ty. Local forms andspecies known to be rare should be col lected with the utmost restraint, andpreferably not at al l . *

Leave the environment as you f ind i t : replace logs and stones after searchingbeneath them, and replace bark removed from dead t imber.

Breeding from a fert i l ised female is better than taking specimens from the wild:unwanted specimens that have been reared should be released in the originallocality.

Never co l lec t more la rvae or o ther insec ts fo r b reed ing than can be suppor ted byread i ly ava i lab le supp l ies o f food-p lan t .

*Many bu t te r f l y spec ies - inc lud ing the Apo l lo , Large B lue , Large Copper , andPurple Emperor - and various other insects are protected by law in a number ofEuropean countr ies, often with a complete ban on col lect ing.

1 0

The orders of insectsThe insec ts a re a r ranged in a number o f o rders , based la rge ly on the s t ruc tu re o fthe w ings and the mouth-par ts . The names o f the orders genera l l y end in -p te ra ,mean ing w ings : Lep idoptera = sca le w ings , Co leoptera = sheath w ings , D ip te ra =two w ings , and so on . There is much var ia t ion in the s ize o f the orders : someconta in on ly a handfu l o f spec ies , wh i le the wor ld has over 300,000 d i f fe ren t k indsof beet les (Co leoptera) .The 27 orders recogn ised in th is book are l i s ted be low,but some entomolog is ts p re fe r to sp l i t some o f these orders and make a to ta l o fmore than 30 .

Apterygotes : p r im i t i ve . w ing less insec ts wh ich have never had w ings a t anys tage o f the i r evo lu t ionary h is to ry . Many en tomolog is ts now be l ieve tha t on lythe Thysanura are t rue insec ts .

Thysanura Br is t le ta i l s (s i l ver f i sh and a l l ies ) p . 16Dip lu ra Two- ta i led br is t le ta i l s p . 16Pro tura Minu te so i l -dwe l l ing insec ts p . 16Col lembo la Spr ing ta i l s p . 16

Pterygotes : essent ia l l y w inged insec ts , a l though some orders have los t the i rw i n g s d u r i n g t h e i r e v o l u t i o n . T h e r e a r e a l s o w i n g l e s s s p e c i e s o r t o r m sscat te red th rough most o f the o ther o rders .

Exopterygotes : insec ts w i th par t ia l metamorphos is and no pupa l s tage. Theyoung are nympns.

Ephemeroptera Mayf l ies p . 18Odonata Dragonf l ies p . 22Plecoptera Stonefl ies p. 36Or thoptera Grasshoppers and Cr icke ts p . 38Phasmida St ick and Leaf Insec ts p . 64Dermaptera Earwigs p. 68Embioptera Web-sp inners p . 66Dictyoptera Cockroaches and Mantids p. 60lsoptera Termites p. 66Psocoptera Book l i ce and Bark l i ce (Psoc ids) p . 98Mal lophaga B i t ing L ice (a l l w ing less) p . 100Anop lura Suck ing L ice (a l l w ing less) p . 100Hemip tera True Bugs p . 70Thysanoptera Thr ips p .99

Endopterygotes : insec ts w i th comple te metamorphos is and a pupa l s tage. Theyoung are la rvae.

Neuroptera Lacewings , A lder F l ies , and Snake F l ies p . 102Mecoptera Scorp ion F l ies p . 108Lep idoptera But te r f l ies and Moths p . 110Tr ichoptera Cadd is F l ies p . 183Dip tera True F l ies p . 190Siphonaptera F leas p . 100Hymenoptera Bees, Wasps, Ants , Sawf l ies , l chneumons e tc . p . 218Coleoptera Beetles p. 254St reps ip te ra Sty lop ids (a l l paras i tes) p . 255

t 1

THE KEY

This key is des igned so tha t adu l t insec ts o f a l l bu t a few aber ran t spec ies can beass igned to the i r cor rec t g roup. l t i s based on w ing s t ruc tu re , bu t a lso makes useof fee t , an tennae, and a few o ther fea tures , a l l o f wh ich are eas i l y seen w i th thea id o f a lens . w inged spec imens w i l l a lways be adu l ts , bu t w ing less ones can beadu l ts o r young. Nymphs o f exopterygote insec ts , such as bugs andgrasshoppers , can usua l ly be t racked down th rough the key because theyresemble the adu l ts , bu t the la rvae o f beet les and o ther endopterygotes are no tinc luded. l f you suspec t tha t your spec imen is a la rva (o ther than a ca terp i l la r , fo rwh ich see pp 110-821, tu rn to the range o f la rvae p ic tu red on pp 294-7 . Someaquat ic nymphs are a lso i l l us t ra ted on these pages. Some insec t o rders occurmore than once in the key , because they conta in bo th w inged and w ing lessspec ies or because they cover two or more ra ther d is t inc t g roups : g roundhoppersand grasshoppers , fo r example , a re d is t inc t g roups w i th in the order o r thoptera .

t l1 INSECTS WITH WINGS(Th is inc ludes the beet les and o ther insec ts w i th hard and smooth fo rewings , a l thoughthese might appear w ing less a t f i r s t s igh t )

[2 ] A l l w ings membranous* One pair of wings

)C.}}r Grasshopper-l ike, with long back legs: pronotum extends'r r-*a- back over the abdomen. Groundhoppers p. 46

2 or 3 long ' ta i l s ' a t end o f abdomen; w ings he ld ver t i ca l l y a tres t ; very smal l an tennae. Mayf l ies (some fami l ies ) p . 1gMinute insec ts (

**Wing membrane without a noticeable coating of hairs or scales, although veins maybe hairy; usually colourless and transparent, but may be coloured

A l l w i n g s a l i k e , v e r y f l i m s y a n d + v e i n l e s s ; u s u a l l y i n s w a r m s ;southern Europe. Termi tes p . 66

Head ex tended downwards to fo rm a s tou t beak ; w ingsusua l ly mot t led and + a l i ke ; ma les most ly w i th up turned,scorp ion- l i ke abdomen. Scorp ion F l ies p . 109

H i n d w i n g s s i m i l a r t o o r b r o a d e r t h a n f o r e w i n g s ; w i n g s h e l df la t o r ro l led round body a t res t ; o f ten 2 fa i r l y s tou t ' ta i l s ' , nol o n g e r t h a n t h e b o d y a n d u s u a l l y m u c h s h o r t e r .

Stonefl ies p. 36

*x*Wings with many cross-veins forming a dense network2 o r 3 ' t a i l s ' , a s l o n g a s o r l o n g e r t h a n t h e b o d y ; a n t e n n a eminute ; w ings he ld ver t i ca l l y a t res | h indwing much smal le rt h a n f o r e w i n g . Mayf l ies (some fami l ies ) p . 18

Antennae shor t and br is t le - l i ke (sho l te r than w id th o f head) ;body a t leas t 25mm long, o f ten very s lender ; w ings never he ldroofwise over bodv. Dragonfl ies pp. 28-37

Antennae re la t i ve ly long, somet imes c lubbed; w ing ve insusua l ly fo rk a t the marg ins ; w ings he ld roo fw ise over the bodyat res | f l i gh t s low in most spec ies except asca laph ids .

Ant - l ions , Lacewings , A lder F l ies e tc pp . 102-9

***Winos with few cross-veinsVery smal l insec ts , o f ten w i th ha i ry w ing ve ins and somet imeswi th a few sca les on the w ing membrane: venat ioncharac ter is t i c ; w ings he ld roo fw ise a t res | re la t i ve ly longantennae w i th a t leas t 12 segments .

Psoc ids (book l i ce and bark l i ce) p . 98Very smal l insec ts , o f ten pear -shaped, w i th a s lender ,need le- l i ke beak ; w ings normal ly he ld roo fw ise a t res t , bu tsomet imes f la t ; an tennae never w i th more than 10 segments ;o f ten in masses on p lan ts . Aph ids p . 94

Stout -bod ied insec ts w i th a c lear , sh iny , and qu i te s t i f f w ingmembrane; w ings he ld roo fw ise a t res t ; a long, s lender beakfor suck ing sap f rom t rees and shrubs ; an tennae shor t andbr is t le - l i ke . C icadas p . 88

Minute to qu i te la rge insec ts w i th h indwing very muchsmal le r than fo rewing and l inked to i t by a row o f mic roscop ichooks ; w ings typ ica l l y w i th a smal l number o f la rge ce l l s , bu tvenat ion is much reduced in many o f the smal le r spec ies :w ings never he ld roo fw ise .

Wi th a d is t inc t 'wa is t ' . Bees , Wasps, l chneumons, e tcpp.226-53

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*.-+i)4, Slender, soft-bodied soi l-dwellers with 2 short tai ls; front tarsi^=?7-q\. swollen. Web-spinners p.66Pa le , s lender so i l -dwe l le rs w i th 2 shor t ta i l s : f ron t ta rs i no tswo l len . D ip lu rans (Fami ly Pro japyg idae l p . 16F la t tened insec ts w i th sp iky legs and a broad pronotumalmost cover ing the head; 2 s tumpy ta i l s usua l ly v is ib le .

Cockroaches p .60Elongate insec ts w i th la rge sp iny f ron t legs fo r ca tch ing prey ;long neck ; 2 shor t ta i l s usua l ly v is ib le . Mant ids pp . 62-5

Smal l leap ing insec ts w i th ves t ig ia l w ings and head ex tend ingdownwards to fo rm a s tou t beak . Snow F leas o . 108Smal l leap ing c rea tures w i th no s ign o f w ings ; a fo rked'spr ing '

a t the rear (usua l ly tucked under body) ; ma in ly in so i land lea f l i t te r . Spr ing ta i l s p . 16Body c lo thed w i th sca les or f la t tened ha i rs ; w ing ves t igespresent. Moths (some femalesl pp. 124-82Body w i th a marked 'wa is t ' , o f ten bear ing smal l lobes orsca les , a t f ron t o f abdomen; an tennae o f ten e lbowed.

Ants (p. 234l. and some other Hymenoptera p.220Slender , so f t -bod ied and pa le insec ts , normal ly w i th 4 ta rsa lsegments ; usua l ly in co lon ies in dead wood; southern Europeon ly . Termites p. 66Small, pear-shaped insects with head much narrower thanbody; a needle-l ike beak under the head; often a pair of tubularoutgrowths near the rear end; on growing plants.

A p h i d s p . 9 4F la t tened insec ts w i th re la t i ve ly b road head; an tennae longand s lender ; h ind femur o f ten broad; commonly foundindoors among dr ied mater ia ls . Psoc ids (book l i ce) p .98

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"'il\6,\'*4 r --rur r+^i O .< t . O"u* s A,uAb O_Li sr Bee Beetle Tichiis-fasciatus. Very hairy. Elytra range from pale yellow to deep

orange: b lack bars very var iab le. A tooth- l ike pro ject ion on middle t ib ia . 5-7, usual lyseen on f f owers, especia l ly thyme and roses. Breeds in rot t ing t imber. T. zonatus andT. abdominal is are very s imi lar but lack the tooth- l ike pro ject ion on middle t ib ia .Oxythyrea funesta. Usual ly a coppery i r idescence: whi te spots very i r regular . Abun-dant in f lowers of many k inds, of ten destroy ing f lower buds of v ines and f ru i t t rees.4-7. Larvae eat roots. S & C (southern) .

A Rose Chafer ^Cetonia aurata.Ely l ra c lear ly f la t tened, usual ly green but may be bronzeo r e v e n b l u i s h b l a c k : a l w a y s w i t h s o m e w h i t e m a r k s . S l i g h t l y s i n u a t e n e a r a p e x ( l e n s ! 1 .Coppery red beneath, wi th a rounded c lub- l ike process between middle coxae. 5-10,main ly in sunny p laces: n ibbles many k inds of f lowers, inc luding roses. Larvae l ive inrot t ing t imber, especia l ly o ld wi l lows.

A C. cuprea is green wi th a golden or bronze sheen, d is t inguished f rom Rose Chafer bythe narrowing of the e ly t ra towards the rear and a lack of any s inuous curve near theapex. Whi te spots var iab le. Coppery v io let beneath, wi th a rather square processbetween middle coxae. 5-9, v is i t ing var ious f lowers, especia l ly in woods, and n ibbl ingr ipe f ru i t . Enjoys sunshine. Larvae l ive in ant nests.C. aeruginosa is larger , wi th very smooth and shiny e ly t ra and no whi te spots. 5-8 onf lowers and a lso feeding at sap oozing f rom t rees. Larvae feed in o ld oak t runks ands t u m o s . S & C .

A Ser ica brunnea. Ely t ra dul l ye l lowish brown and st rongly r ibbed. L ike Summer Chafer( p . 2 6 a ) b u t s m a l l e r a n d l e s s h a i r y a n d w i t h d a r k h e a d . 6 - 8 , m a i n l y i n s a n d y p l a c e s .Of ten at t racted to l ights in evening. Larvae feed on roots.

As Omalopl ia rur ico la. S imi lar to Garden Chafer (p. 264) , but smal ler and more rotund.5-8. usual ly in warm and dry p laces. F l ies day and n ight . Larvae feed on roots. C: onc h a l k s o i l s i n B .

'

A /t :eiqt?Ao"1io,BUPRESTID BEETLES Buprest idae. A fami ly of some 15,000 rather metal l icbeet les l iv ing mainly in the t ropics. Often bul let -shaped, wi th sharply pointed rearends. They f ly in the sunshine and are of ten seen on f lowers. The larvae aref lat tened and tadpole-shaped, wi th a broad thorax. and l ive mainly under bark.The larvae are long- l ived and are of ten carr ied far f rom home in t imber. Only 12species occur natural ly in the Br i t ish ls les.

Chalcophora mar iana. Brown wi th a l ight bronze sheen. Pronotum and e ly t ra wi thbroad r idges and furrows. 5-10 in p inewoods.

Buprest is 8-gut tata. l r idescent b lue or green: pronotum wi th narrow yel low s ides.Coni ferous forests in summer. Larvae feed in young p ines. Much of Europe, but rare.

B. rust ica. Meta l l ic green or b lue, wi th a coppery or v io let sheen. Summer, usual ly inp inewoods. The larvae l ive in rot t ing t runks and stumps. .

Capnodis tenebr ionis . Non-meta l l ic , wi th grey pronotum and dul l b lack e ly t ra speck-led wi th whi te- Summer, usual ly in sunny habi tats and associated wi th b lackthorn andother Prunus species. The larvae l ive in the o lder s tems. S & C.

Lampra rut i lans. Green, wi th a golden or b lu ish sheen. Ely t ra reddish on outer edges.5-9, usual ly near o ld l ime t rees in which larvae feed.

A Anthaxia n i t idu la. Male is green a l l over . Female head and pronotum purp le or red-d ish: e ly t ra b lue or green. 4-7 on a var ie ty of f lowers. Larvae l ive in s tems of rose, haw-thorn, and re lated shrubs. S & C.

A. candens is easi ly ident i f ied by i ts s t r ik ing colorat ion. 4-7, o f ten on cherry b lossom-Larvae feed in cherry t runks and branches. S & C.

A. hungar ica. Male genera l ly ent i re ly green above, of ten wi th purp l ish sheen: femaleely t ra green or b lue. Both sexes are br ight meta l l ic purp le beneath. 4-7 on var iousf lowers, especia l ly in and around oakwoods. Larvae l ive in decaying oakt imber. S.

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Ptos ima 11-maculata. B lack wi th b lue i r idescence. Pale marks orange or ye l low andvery var iab le. 5-6. Larvae feedin Prunus species and are pests of cherry . S & C.

A Agr i lus pannonicus. Dark green or b lue wi th whi te spots. 5-7. Breeds in o ld oaks.

A A. v i r id is is unmarked: of ten ent i re ly green, somet imes ent i re ly copper-coloured. 6-7on sal lows and other deciduous t rees.

Isorh ip is melasoides Eucnemidae. L ike c l ick beet les, but wi th some anatomical d i f fer -ences. 5-7. Adul ts and larvae ( leg less) in rot t ing beech and oak. S & C.

A Melas is bupresto ides. Mat t b lack, somet imes t inged wi th red. Thorax widest at thef r o n t . F e m a l e a n t e n n a e o n l y l i g h t l y t o o t h e d . 5 - 7 . B r e e d s i n v a r i o u s d e c i d u o u s t r e e s .L a r v a e l e g l e s s . S & C .

9pn*slnt'CLICK BEETLES Elater idae. A large fami ly (over 7,000 species) of e longatebeet les named for the abi l i ty to leap into the ai r and r ight themselves when la idon their backs. The act ion is accompanied by a loud c l ick. The larvae are s lenderand short- legged, vegetar ian or carnivorous, and l ive in rot t ing wood or the soi l .An Ctenicera pect in icorn is . Green or coppery and very sh iny. Female antennae only

l ight ly toothed. 6-7 in grassy p laces. Larvae l ive in the soi l . N & C. An C. cupreaiss o m e t i m e s e n t i r e l y v i o l e t o r c o p p e r - c o l o u r e d . F e m a l e a n t e n n a e o n l y l i g h t l y t o o t h e d .G r a s s l a n d . 5 - 7 . N & C .

A Ampedus c innabar inus. L ight ly c lo thed wi th rust -co loured hai rs . Woodland, main lyin spr ing. Breeds in decaying deciduous t rees, where larvae eat other insect grubs.

A A. sanguineus is s imi lar but has b lack pubescence. 5-8, main ly on woodland f lowers.Breeds in rot t ing t imber, especia l ly coni fers. A A. bal teatusf requents umbel l i fers andother f lowers. 5-6. Breeds in dead evergreen and deciduous t rees.

Agr io tes l ineatus. Brown or ye l lowish wi th s t r iped e ly t ra. Much of the year , but seenm a i n l y 5 - 7 . A b u n d a n t o n g r a s s l a n d a n d c u l t i v a t e d l a n d . T h e l a r v a ( p . 2 9 5 ) i s o n e o f t h einfamous wireworms that cause much damage to crop roots.

A Athous haemorrhoidal rs . Clothed wi th grey or brown hai r . E ly t ra s t rongly grooved.Abundant 5-8, especia l ly in hedgerows and grass land. Larvae (wi reworms) eat roots.Selatosomus cruc iatus. B lack mark ings roughly in the form of a cross. 4-7, main ly inwoodland and scrub. Larva l ives in so i l .

Card iophorus gramineus. Deciduous woodland, especia l ly on hawthorn f lowers, 4- 5.Larva, very long and th in, feeds on other insects under bark. S & C.

Oedosthetus 4-pustu latus. Rear ye l low spots may be absent . River banks and otherdamp, grassy p laces, of ten under s tones. 5-7. N & C.

Cebr io grgas Cebr ionidae. Female, wi th shor t e ly t ra and no h indwings, remains in herl a r v a l g a l l e r y a l l h e r l i f e . M a l e f l i e s i n e v e n i n g . 8 - 1 1 . L a r v a e e a t r o o t s . S .Dr i lus f lavescens Dr i l idae. Male is winged but rare ly f l ies. 6-7 among low-growingvegetat ion: female rare ly seen. Larvae feed on snai ls .Dasci l lus cerv inus Dasci l l idae. Covered wi th hai r - grey ish in male, ye l lowish browni n f e m a l e . 5 - 7 . R o u g h g r a s s l a n d , u s u a l l y o n f l o w e r s . L a r v a e e a t r o o t s .Byrrhus p i lu la Byrrh idae. Very convex. Brown or reddish. Among moss and shor tt u r f , e s p e c i a l l y i n s a n d y a r e a s . A l l y e a r , b u t h i b e r n a t e s : m o s t c o m m o n i n s p r i n g .Microcara testacea Helodidae. Thin-sk inned and rather sof t . Abundant in damp

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tA nLA{nr,;La.,a..SOLDIER and SAILOR BEETLES Canthai idae. So-cal led for the br ight colours ofsome species, reminiscent of o ld mi l i tary uni forms. Elytra are sof t . The beet lesare predators. of ten hunt ing on f lowers of grassland, hedgerow, and woodlandmargin. They f ly wel l in the sunshine. The larvae resemble those of groundbee t les (p . 295) and hun t ma in l y on the g round .A Cantharis rustica. Femora largely red. Abundant everywhere 5-8. A C. fusca is

s imi lar but wi th b lack femora and the b lack spot near the f ront edge of the pronotum.L C. l iv ida has legs par t ly b lack and somet imes has b lack spot on pronotum. 4-8.

A Rhagonycha fu lva is a very common species, of ten cal led the b loodsucker because ofi t s c o l o u r , a l t h o u g h i t i s h a r m l e s s . P r o n o t u m a l m o s t s q u a r e a n d e l y t r a a l w a y sblack{ipped. 5-8. :' 'e ^ tar' rD r--L\ "'1.. " - h 2 [, :

Mal th inus f laveolus. Ely t ra are r idged and shor t , leav ing t ip of abdomen exposed.A b u n d a n t o n s h r u b s a n d a m o n g g r a s s e s , m a i n l y n e a r w o o d l a n d m a r g i n s . A l l s u m m e r .

As Gf ow-worm Lampyr is noct i luca Lampyr idae. Males f ly at n ight in search of wingless,l a r v a - l i k e f e m a l e s t h a t s i t i n g r a s s a n d e m i t g r e e n i s h l i g h t f r o m u n d e r r e a r e n d o fabdomen. 6-7 on grass land, inc luding roadside verges. Larva feeds on snai ls . Absentf rom far nor th and becoming rare in many other p laces. Phausis sp lendidula,common on cont inent , is a l i t t le smal ler : female tawny brown wi th 3 spots of l ight .

F i l .e f ly Lucio la lus i tan ica. Male f l ies af ter dark, emi t t ing br ight f lashes about oncee v e r y s e c o n d f r o m u n d e r r e a r e n d o f a b d o m e n . F e m a l e h a s s m a l l e r h e a d a n d e y e s a n da v e r y p o i n t e d a b d o m e n . A l t h o u g h f u l l y w i n g e d , s h e d o e s n o t f l y : s h e s i t s i n v e g e t a t i o nand responds wi th f lashes when she sees a male overhead. 5-7. Larva feeds on snai ls .S: not west of Rhone.

Ls Phosphaenus hemipterus. Wingless female rare ly seen: she s i ts among tur f or s tonesand at t racts wander ing male wi th greenish l ight af ter dusk.5-7. Larva is l ike that ofG l o w - w o r m a n d f e e d s o n s n a i l s .

- ; ' l l ' - )F a m i l y C l e r i d a e . A f a m i l y o f b r i g h t l y c o l o u r e d a n d r a t h e r h a i r y b e e t l e s . M o s t a r ep r e d a t o r y a s a d u l t s a n d l a r v a e . T h e l a t t e r a r e o f t e n b r i g h t l y c o l o u r e d a n d f e e d o nother grubs under bark and in t imber. Most of the 3,000 or so species are t ropical . .

Denops a lbofasc iata. Woods and woodland margins, 5-6. Larva feeds on grubs ofvar ious bark beet les. S & C.

A Ti l lus e longafus. Female has red thorax: male ent i re ly b lack. On t runks of var iousdeciduous t rees. 6-7.

Opi lo domest icus. In coni ferous woodland and of ten in houses. 6-8. Breeds in drysof twoods, feeding on woodworm and other grubs. S & C. L O. mol l is is very s imi lar .

Thanasimus formicar ius. E ly t ra l pat tern var ies, but a lways wi th 2 pale cross bars. Ont r e e t r u n k s i n s p r i n g . F e e d s o n b a r k b e e t l e g r u b s i n v a r i o u s t r e e s . M a y e n t e r h o u s e s i nlogs.

Clerus mut i l lar ius. Spr ing and summer on o ld t rees and logs, especia l ly oaks. Feedso n o t h e r b e e t l e g r u b s . S & C .

Tr ichodes a lvear ius. Dark bands b lue or b lack, the f ront one forming a shal low U:e ly t ra red at apex. Very common on umbel l i fers and other f lowers 5-7. Larvae feed ongrubs of so l i tary bees. ! . , ap i4r ius is s imi lar but f ront band is s t ra ighter and e ly t ra ared a r k a t a p e x . B o t h s p e c i e s w i d e l y d i s t r i b u t e d i n S & C . / J ' - t t ' \ - t , : . . i ' . 1 ' - i , ) r

A Necrobia ruficollis. Sometimes seen on flowers, but more often in tanneries and meatstores. Larvae eat sk ins and bones and dead insects. A l l year indoors: spr ing and summerout of doors. L N. ruf ipes, wi th a l l -b lue thorax and e ly t ra, is more common in B.

A Cardinal Beet le Pyrochroa coccinea Pyrochro idae. Rather f la t and found on f lowersand o ld t ree t runks and stumps 5-7. Larva (p. 295) l ives under bark and feeds on otherinsects. N & C. A P. serrat icornrc is s imi lar but head is scar le t .

An Schizotus pectinicornis resembles P. coccinea but has veryfeathery antennae and a b lack spot on pronotum. N & C.Lygistopterus sanguineus Lycidae. Soft elytra, less flattenedt h a n c a r d i n a l b e e t l e s . S u n - l o v i n g a n d f o u n d o n f l o w e r s , u s u a l l y i nwoodland, 5-9. Larvae eat other grubs in rot t ing t imber

An Dictyoptera aurora resembles last species but pronotum is deco-rated wi th sunken p i ts . E ly t ra s t rongly r idged. Coni ferous woods,5 - 8 . L a r v a e f e e d o n o t h e r o r u b s u n d e r b a r k . N & C a n d m o u n t a i n si n S .

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f*y;tr{:: E:;#r:::",A Malachius aeneus Melyr idae. A predatory beet le f requent ing f lowers in spr ing, espe-

c ia l ly in woods. Ely t ra rather sof t . Male has outgrowths near base of antennae, usedfor hold ing female. S & C. A M. b ipustu latus, a lso wi th antennal swel l ings in male,hunts other insects among f lowers and grasses. 5-8.

A Anthocomus fasc iatus. E ly t ra sof t , ground colour b lack or greenish b lack. Knees off r o n t l e g s b r o w n i s h . S u m m e r . P r e d a t o r y i n g r a s s a n d o n v a r i o u s t r e e s , a n d a l s o i nthatched roofs, f rom which red larvae of ten get in to houses. S & C.

A Endomychus coccineus Endomychidae. Of ten mistaken for a ladybi rd, but much f la t -ter and wi th longer antennae. A fungus-eater l iv ing under bark of dead or dy ing t rees,especia l ly beech. 4-6.

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LADYBIRDS b"J#f t ,L ' f f lA"e. Smal l , domed, and usual ly hemispher icat , at thoughsome species are oblong. Head sunk into pronotum. Legs short and retractable:tars i 4-segmented but 3rd segment very smal l and concealed in b i lobed 2ndsegment. Usual ly br ight ly coloured and distasteful , but colour pat tern isnotor iously var iable. Most ly carnivorous. Often hibernate in large masses. Larva(p. 295) a lso carnivorous: pupates openly on plants.

Epilachna chrysomelina. 6 black spots on each elytron, varying and often merging toform heavy black network. Vegetarian on gourd family: sometimes a pest of melons.Alf year in Mediterranean region. L Subcoccinel la 24-punctata eats al l kinds ofplants: a carnation pest in France. Very variable. Summer.

A Coccidula scutel lata hunts aphids on various plants in marshy places. 7-8.A Scymnusfrontal is Elytra may lack red spots. Front of pronotum often reddish inmale, always black in female. Dense vegetation in dry places. 5-7. S & C.

A Hippodamia |3-punctata. More oval than many species. 4-9 in low marshy areas.Possibly ext inct in B.

A 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata. The ladybird, abundant everywhere 3-10.A Eyed Ladybird Anatis ocellata. Usually on or near conifers. 6-7. L Psylloboraz2-punctata feeds largely on mildews. 4-8 in low vegetation and shrubs of al l kinds.

A 2-Spot Ladybird Adalia bipuncfata Abundant everywhere 3-10. Black legs. Elytra veryvar iab le : b lack ground co lour , espec ia l l y common in nor th , he lps heat absorp t ion insmoky and cloudy regions. A 10-Spot Ladybird A. 10-punctata is similarly variablebut has ye l low ish legs .3-10 .

A Propylea 14-punctata. Elytra range from almost al l yel low to almost al l black, withblack spots merging together: always a black l ine along the junci ion of the elytra. Com-mon on shrubs 4-9. A Cream-spot Ladybird Calvia 14-gunafa occurs mainly onshrubs and smal l t rees . 4 -9 .

LARDER BEETLES Dermest idae. Most ly sombre-co loured scavengers , c lo thedwi th sca les or ha i rs . C lubbed an tennae can be h idden under body . Many arecosmopoli tan pests of stored foods and fabrics'. Larvae are brist ly and known as'woo l ly bears ' .A Larder or Bacon Beetle Dermestes lardarius. Larvae and adults eat carrion in the wild

and dried meats in store. Al lyear, but hibernate in the wild. A Hide Beetle D. maculatushas similar habits but damages hides and furs as well as stored foods.

A Attagenus pel lro. Visits f lowers 3-9: also common in houses. Larvae in birds'nests,furs, carpets. stored grain, etc. Sometimes cal led the fur beetle.

A Varied Carpet Beetle Anthrenus verbasci. Pattern varies. Adults eat pol len and nectar3-9 . Larvae (p . 295) ea t d r ied mater ia l in b i rds ' nes ts and bu i ld ings and a lso damagewool lens and insec t co l lec t ions .

A Khapra Beetle Trogoderma granarium. Adult does not feed, but larva is serious pest ofstored grain and cereal products everywhere. Al l year in heated bui ldings.T. angustum, much narrower than most olher Trogoderma species, is a native of Chilenow es tab l i shed in Germany and Sweden. A pes t in insec t co l lec t i6ns .

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Pt inus fur Pt in idae. One of the 'sp ider beet les ' , so ca l led for the rounded bodies ofmany of the females: sexes d i f fer markedly in shape. Colour and pat tern vary. Scav-e n g e s a n d b r e e d s i n d r y o r g a n i c m a t t e r i n d o o r s a n d o u t , o f t e n d a m a g i n g m u s e u msoecimens and other s tored mater ia ls . P. fectus is more common in B. where i t breedsin foodstuffs.Furn i ture Beet le Anobium punctatum Anobi idae. Dark brown to ye l lowish and verydowny. Antenna wi th unusual and very character is t ic 1-s ided c lub. Abundant indoorsa n d o u t , 5 - 7 . L a r v a i s t h e w o o d w o r m , t u n n e l l i n g i n d e a d c o n i f e r o u s a n d b r o a d - l e a v e dt i m b e r a n d c a u s i n g s e r i o u s d a m a g e . E s c a p e h o l e s o f a d u l t s 1 . 5 - 2 m m a c r o s s .Death-watch Beetle Xestobium rufovillosum. Hairy and, as in all the family, the headi s m o r e o r l e s s h i d d e n f r o m a b o v e . B r e e d s i n o l d t r e e s a n d b u i l d i n g t i m b e r s - u s u a l l yo a k a n d o t h e r h a r d w o o d s , e s p e c i a l l y w h e r e d a m p . T u n n e l l i n g l a r v a e c a u s e i m m e n s ed a m a g e t o o l d b u i l d i n g s , b u t l e s s c o m m o n t h a n f u r n i t u r e b e e t l e . A d u l t s a p p e a r i nspr ing and make tapping noises to at t ract mates. Exi t ho les 3-4 mm across.Pt i l inus pect in icorn is . Antennae are s imply toothed in female. 5-8, o f ten indoors.Breeds in dry hardwoods.Lesser Grain Borer Rhizoper tha dominica Bostrychidae. Pimply pronotum formshood over head. Antenna wi th 3-segmented c lub. Adul t and larvae feed on gra in ofv a r i o u s k i n d s , c o m m o n l y i n f e s t i n g g r a n a r i e s a n d f l o u r m i l l s .Lyctus l inear is Lyct idae. One of the powder post beet les. Antennae wi th 2- segmentedclub. Breeds in o ld hardwoods, indoors and out , and reduces them to a very f ine dust .4-7.Cadef fe Tenebroides maur i tan icusTrogossi t idae. Dark brown to b lack. Found main lyin food stores and baker ies, where adul t and larva prey on other insects. Somet imesout of doors, under loose bark, in warmer areas.

Lymexylon navale Lymexyl idae. Sof t , fur ry e ly t ra. Female s l ight ly larger and lacksfeathery palps. 5-8, around dead and dy ing deciduous t rees in which i t breeds. Occa-s i o n a l l y d a m a g e s o a k t i m b e r s . S & C .

Hylecoetus dermesto ides. Only male has feathery palps. 5-6 around dead and dy ingtrees, usual ly deciduous species. L ike prev ious species, larva has horny spine at end.

Saw-toothed Grain Beet le Oryzaephi lus sur inamensis . S i lvanidae. 6 b lunt teeth one a c h s i d e o f t h o r a x . U s u a l l y i n g r a i n s t o r e s a n d w a r e h o u s e s , f e e d i n g o n l a r v a e o f o t h e ri n s e c t s , i n c l u d i n g g r a i n w e e v i l s .

Gl ischrochi lus 4-punctatus Ni t idu l idae. Smooth and shiny: rear edge of thorax nar-r o w e r t h a n e l y t r a . C l u b b e d a n t e n n a e . 3 - 1 1 a r o u n d c o n i f e r s . B r e e d s u n d e r b a r k a n d i nbark beet f e gal ler ies. L G. hor tensrs is s touter , wi th s ides of thorax more or less con-t inuous wi th e ly t ra. 5 tarsal segments. Feeds on oozing sap and over- r ipe f ru i t 5-10.

Raspberry Beet le Byturustomentosus Bytur idae. Clothed wi th f ine hai r . 5-7, gnawingraspberry buds and lay ing eggs in them. Larvae feed in the growing f ru i t .

Mycetophagus 4-pustu ' la tus Mycetophagidae. Super f ic ia l ly l ike Gt ischrochi tus, butf la t ter and wi th 3-4 tarsal segments: pronotum semic i rcu lar . 4-9. usual ly on bracketf u n g i o n d e c i d u o u s t r e e s : o c c a s i o n a l l y o n d u n g .

Gnatocerus cornutusf enebr ionidae. Female lacks horns. which are outgrowths f romjaws. Feeds on f lour in gra in s tores, f lour mi l ls . e tc . A lso under loose bark.Confused Flour Beet le Tr ibo l ium confusum. Conf ined to f lour mi l ls . granar ies, andfood stores. Feeds on f lour and other cereal products.

Meafworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor. Seen mainly ingranar ies, e tc , where i t damages gra in and cereal prod-ucts, but a lso breeds readi ly in o ld b i rds ' nests in houseroofs. Larva (p. 295) is the mealworm, widely so ld in petshops for feeding b i rds and other smal l an imals. Occa-s i o n a l l y o u t o f d o o r s , u s u a l l y u n d e r b a r k , i n s u m m e r .

A Diaper is bolet i . Shiny b lack wi th ye l low or orangem a r k i n g s . S t r o n g l y d o m e d . F e e d s o n f u n g i , m a i n l y i nw o o d l a n d .

A Churchyard Beet le B/aps mucronata. A f l ight less,ground- l iv ing beet le of caves, ce l lars , s tables, andother damp, dark p laces. Strongly nocturnal . l ike mostmembers of the fami ly . Scavenges on vegetable mat-t e r a n d e m i t s a f o u l s m e l l w h e n a l a r m e d .

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Oncomera femorata Oedemer idae. Ely t ra and body sof t . Pol len- feeding on var iousshrubs, inc luding ivy, 4-10. Larvae feed in decaying wood. S & C.

Oedemera nobi l is . Female is th inner and lacks swol len h ind femora. Ely t ra pointeda n d g a p i n g . P o l l e n f e e d i n g : c o m m o n o n a w i d e r a n g e o f f l o w e r s 4 - 8 .

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A Notoxus monoceros Anth ic idae. An agi le , ant - l ike beet le wi th a tho-rac ic horn pro ject ing over head. Ely t ra of ten b lack wi th just a pale t r ian-g l e a t t i p . A m o n g d e b r i s a n d t u r f o n s a n d y g r o u n d : o f t e n o n f l o w e r s .

A Anth icus anther inus. Very agi le . Usual ly on compost heaps and othervegetable debr is or manure heaps. 5-10. L A. f lora l is is very ant- l ike:whole body of ten dark. ln manure and vegetable refuse. 5-10.

As Spanish Fly Lyt ta ves icator ia Melo idae. One of the b l is ter beet les, so cal led becausethey emi t b l is ter ing f lu ids when a larmed. 5-8, chewing the leaves of var ious t rees andgiv ing out a s t rong moUsy odour . Larvae in nests of so l i tary bees. S & C.

A M e l o e v a r i e g a t u s . O n e o f t h e o i l b e e t l e s , r e l e a s i n g a s m e l l y , o i l y f l u i d w h e na l a r m e d . F l i g h t l e s s , w i t h s h o r t e l y t r a o v e r l a p p i n g a t t h e f r o n t . 4 - 7 i n g r a s s yp l a c e s , c h e w i n g l e a v e s o f v a r i o u s p l a n t s . L a r v a l i v e s i n n e s t s o f s o l i t a r y b e e s . S &C . L M . p r o s c a r a b a e u s i s b l u i s h b l a c k a n d , l i k e a l l o i l b e e t l e s , v e r y v a r i a b l e i n s i z e .M a f e h a s k i n k e d a n t e n n a e . 4 - 7 . A M . v i o l a c e u s i s s i m i l a r b u t m o r e f i n e l y p u n c t u r e do n h e a d a n d t h o r a x . H a b i t s a r e l i k e t h o s e o l M . v a r i e g a f u s . M a l e o i l b e e t l e s a r ea l w a y s s m a l l e r t h a n f e m a l e s .Mylabr is polymorpha. Pale mark ings vary in shape and may be orange or ye l low. Onf l o w e r s i n s u n n y p l a c e s , f e e d i n g o n p o l l e n . 6 - 9 . L a r v a e p a r a s i t i s e g r a s s h o p p e r e g g s . S .

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LoNGHoRN BEETLES /d;#i;tf i,ae. A ramiry ormore than 20 ,000 beet les . most ly w i th very longantennae ar is ing f rom prominent tuberc les . Antennaeu s u a l l y l o n g e r i n m a l e s t h a n i n f e m a l e s . B o d y u s u a l l yd is t inc t l y e longate and o f ten ra ther f la t tened, bu t s izeis very var iab le and re f lec ts the qua l i t y o f the la rva lfood. E ly t ra may be much broader than thorax . Tars iappear to have on ly 4 segments , w i th 3 rd segmentb i lobed and a lmost comple te ly enc los ing the t iny 4 thsegment . Tarsa l segments much broader in ma les thani n f e m a l e s .Many spec ies are very co lour fu l , o f ten w i th markedd i f fe rences be tween the sexes , bu t there are a lso manysombre spec ies . Most a re fu l l y w inged and f l y , by n igh tor day , w i th a ghos t ly r i s ing and fa l l ing mot ion . A feware fas t and no isy . They feed on f lowers , par t i cu la r lythe po l len , and leaves , a l though some spec ies takel i t t le food in the adu l t s ta te . Many can s t r idu la te loud lyby rubb ing the i r thorac ic p la tes together . They do th ism a i n l y w h e n a l a r m e d . a n d e s p e c i a l l y w h e n h a n d l e d .The la rvae are a lmost a l l wood- feeders , a t tack ing bo thl i v ing and dead t imber . Severa l spec ies cause severedamage to fo res t and p lan ta t ion t rees . They are usua l lye longate , pa le co loured , and f la t tened - espec ia l l ythose spec ies tha t l i ve jus t under the bark . The jaws arepower fu l , bu t legs are very shor t o r absent . Wood isno t a very nu t r i t ious food and la rva l l i fe i sconsequent ly ra ther long - usua l ly two or th ree yearsand somet imes much longer in d ry , seasoned t imber .Pupat ion takes p lace in an en la rged feed ing tunne l o rin a chamber ho l lowed ou t jus t under the bark . Thela rvae o f ten go on growing a f te r the i r t rees have beenf e l l e d a n d u s e d f o r b u i l d i n g , a n d w i t h t o d a y ' swor ldwide t rade in t imber the adu l ts o f ten emerge fa rf rom the i r na t ive homes.Severa l hundred longhorn spec ies l i ve in Europe, w i thabout 70 spec ies na t ive to Br i ta in . Most l i ve in thew o o d l a n d s . T h e i r h a b i t s a r e a l l r a t h e r s i m i l a r a n d o n l ym i n i m a l d e s c r i p t i o n s a r e g i v e n o n t h e f o l l o w i n g p a g e s .The hab i ta ts g iven are essent ia l l y those o f the la rvae.

LONGHORN BEETLES

A typ ica l longhorn larva,showing the taper ing body andvery short legs.

A Tanner Beetle Prionus coriarius. One of Europe'sstoutest longhorns. La,rvae l ive in tree roots. 6-9.

Ergates faber. Up to 60mml o n g . T h o r a x s p i n y - e d g e d : w i t h 2l a r g e s p o t s i n m a l e . L a r v a e l i v ei n s t u m p s i n o l d p i n e w o o d s . T - 9 .S & C : m a i n l y e a s t e r n .

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Monochamusgalloprovincialis. Antennaereddish brown. U-shaoedhairy patch on scutel lum. Onpines. 6-9. Mainly S, but alsoplantat ions in C.

M ori m us f u nereus. Fl ightless.Found on stumps and old trunksof deciduous trees, especial lyoak and beech. 5-6. S.

A Musk Beetle. Aromia moschata.Sometimes coppery or blue.Emits musk-l ike secretion.Deciduous trees, especial lyw i l lows.6-8 .

L Lamia textor. A lethargicspecies found aroundsallows and poplars: aoest of osier beds. 5-10.

A Monochamus sartor.Antennae black: banded withwhite in female. Scutel lumentirely hairy. On dead anddying conifers: damagesstructural t imbers. 6-8. C:main ly in up land reg ions .

L Saperda carcharias.Roots, trunks, andbranches of youngpoplars: often a pest.7-9.

House Longhotn. Hylotrupes balulus. Breedsin dry coniferous timber. often destroyingtelegraph poles and house t imbers. 6-8.

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Wasp Beetf e Clytra arietis. A superbw a s p m i m i c , s c u t t l i n g o v e r t r e e t r u n k si n s u n s h i n e w i t h a n t e n n a e w a v i n g .P r o n o t u m v e r v r o u n d . C o m m o n i ng a r d e n s a n d h e d g e r o w s 5 -