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Thursday, February 27, 2020

Paddle palps

Work took me to the Suffolk coast today, specifically to Minsmere RSPB reserve. The weather was awful on arrival with driving sleet and a chill wind. By lunchtime it had cleared somewhat and whilst it was still cold I managed to grab 30 minutes to go looking through moss and leaf litter around the visitor centre and adjacent woodland.


I didn't find huge amounts of beetles but there were three weevil species, five ground beetles, five staphs and a silphid.
Calathus melanocephalus
Anthobium atrocephalum
When I picked up this large staph I assumed it was going to be Tasgius morsitans but it's actually Ocypus brunnipes given that there are 2 sizes of puncture on the pronotum and its heftier mandibles (although this isn't used in the key I have). I don't appear to have recorded this common species before so it's another new one for me.


I also found an overwintering Cychrus caraboides that had dug out a little earthern cell under a log. I took a few pics before returning it and as always was amazed to see the sizable paddle-shaped palp end segments that I guess must be one of the final things a snail sees...


Also came across this pseudoscorpion which spent most of its time walking purposefully backwards.
It was quite large for a pseudoscorpion but no idea as to what species it is. EDIT: it's Neobisium sp. Apparently N. 'carpenteri agg' is also known from coastal Suffolk and Essex. It differs from carcinoides in having a triangular epistome.


2 comments:

  1. I think the pseudoscorpion is Neobisium carcinoides - https://ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com/2019/11/scorpions-at-charnwood-lodge.html

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