I spent 15 minutes at lunchtime at work today having a quick rummage in one of the decaying heaps of vegetation in the Lodge gardens. I got a few odd looks from folk as I squatted over a steaming mass of rot and casually sieved the larger bits out to reveal the beetle treasure beneath. It's amazing what you can find on a winter's day in a short time.
Best of the bunch was this Tachinus subterraneus. A lovely looking and distinctive staph,
This Rugilus erichsonii was the only one of it's kind I found. This species has an incredibly wide head (compared to the rest of it) plus a teeny-tiny neck that looks like it can't possibly support the head.
A single carabid found was this Syntomus foveatus. Not found one in winter before. I tend to pick these up in the spring on the sand paths of the heath at the Lodge.
The most numerous beetle was this Omalium species. I struggle with these and I'm still trying to get it down to a species.
There was also this Anthobium unicolor and 2 species of aleochs but they'll have to wait for a rainier day. Not bad for 15 minutes.
Fantastic! If it ever stops raining I shall have to put my sieve into action, there's enough piles of rotting grass clippings and leaves here, even got a woodchip pile!
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