So what was the beetle highlight of yesterday's Fenland trip? Well it wasn't Musk Beetle. I've still not seen that one although they are reasonably common around where I live.
No, yesterday's highlight was one of the first beetles I came across as I made my way through one of the denser parches of fen woodland. I happened to notice something out of the corner of my eye sitting on a blade of grass. Something made me stop and have a closer look.
I was rather surprised and not a little bit pleased to see that it was a longhorn beetle and none other than Mesosa nebulosa. This species develops in the canopy in dead and rotten twigs and branches of various deciduous trees, but I think in the UK mainly on Oak. On the continent it commonly uses hornbeam, beech and lime as well.
So not sure what it was doing sitting on grass. It is also something of a looker so I moved it for some better photos.
The first shows just how cryptic it is.
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| Spot the beetle! |
I then went in closer for the money shot.
To my mind there's something rather bovine about this beetle. Probably something to do with its slow lumbering manner. Anyway, it was rather obliging and sat there as I took a few shots. Definitely the highlight of the day
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