Beetle & Weevil Species Recorded At Woolston Eyes

Family: Dytiscidae Common Name: Great Diving beetle - an aquatic diving beetle which live in freshwater, still or slow flowing. One of our largest beetles, to 30mm and oval shaped, are dark coloured above and yellow-orange underneath , as are the legs. Males have shiny wing cases whilst females are grooved.

Family: Cantharidae Common Name: Common Red Soldier Beetle - a shiny orange-brown beetle to 10mm in length with black antennae and bar across the tips of the wing cases. Feeds on pollen and smaller insects, aphids in particular, and prefers open flowers especially Hogweed and other umbellifers.

Family: Curculionidae Common Name: Green Immigrant Leaf Beetle - a vibrant iridescent green weevil 5 to 6mm in length and pale legs which can be coated in displaced green scales. Confusion with the smaller Pale Green Weevil P. impressifrons is possible but is 20% larger has stronger lined wing cases, a longer, narrower face and noticeable larger eyes.

Family: Curculionidae Common Name: Green Leaf beetle - a green leaf weevil which requires closer examination to separate the nine similar species. For P. maculicornis the ID keys are; front femora (thighs) have a ‘tooth,’ their base colour is dark not pale, the tibia are finely hairy and the body scales which give the iridescent green colour are elongated. Found from April to August in habitats that have mixed deciduous tree species.

Family: Carabidae Common Name: Pterostichus niger_ - a medium sized, to 20mm long, beetle, all shiny black except for the orangey leg spines and end claws. The pronotum is slimmer than similar species, widest in front of the middle and has sinuate side. Nocturnal, found in moist places under dead wood or rank vegetation during the day, carnivorous hunts on the surface on other smaller insects and larvae.

Family: Coccinellidae Common Name: Harlequin Ladybird - a very familiar species which is highly variable in both colour and markings. It is an alien species, larger than our native ladybirds at 8mm. It is active from April to October and hibernates over winter and predates on smaller insects, larvae and other ladybirds.

Family: Cocinellidae Common Name: 7 Spot Ladybird - a very familiar and common ladybird, red with seven black spots, three on each wing case and one at the back split between the wings. The pronotum is black with two white patches on the front edge and two smaller ones on the head. Active March to October and hibernate over winter. Both the adult and larvae feed on aphids.

Family: Cantharidae Common Name: Cantharis nigricans - at 10mm long this is a medium sized beetle dark wing cases which look grey from the coating of hairs, orange-brown pronotum and legs, the hind femur have a broad black band above the tibia joint. Attracted to flowers where their prey of smaller insects and larvae feed from May to August.

Family: Odemeridae Common Name: Swollen-thighed Beetle - to 10mm long this is a striking metallic green beetle. The males are easy to identify with swollen femurs on the hind legs, which the females do not. The wing cases are pointed and gape open towards the rear when folded. This is a pollen feeder and is found in flower rich areas from April to September.

Family: Cerambycidae Common Name: Wasp Beetle - a striking and unmistakable beetle black with yellow transverse stripes and up to 18mm in length. The legs are orange-brown grading darker towards the abdomen. The adults feed on pollen and nectar but breed in decaying wood and are active from May to August.

Family: Coccinellidae Common Name: 14 Spot Ladybird - Common across England and Wales, scarce in Scotland, there is variation in the body colour and shape and size of the black spots. Frequents shrubs and tall sward.

Family: Ptiliidae Common Name: Acrotrichis Henrici - small, measuring c. 1.5mm in overall length, typically brown or black and found in leaf litter, moss and decaying organic matter.

Family: Melyridae Common Name: 2 Spot Ladybird - common with two colour variations, most are red with two black spots but can be black with two red spots. The legs are black and the toes extend to the edge of the wing case. Found on soft parts of plants and trees where it feeds on aphids.

Family: Melyridae Common Name: 10 Spot Ladybird - does not always have 10 spots and young specimens are pale brown before they develop the orange colouration. The legs are brown. Found on soft parts of plants and trees where it feeds on aphids.

Family: Elateridae Common Name: Adrastus pallens - 5mm long with orange-brown wing cases, legs and long antennae. The wing cases have a dark stripe down the middle and pits are visible in rows along their length. The head and pronotum are black. Found in wetland habitats but also hedgerows and rough grassland.

Family: Dytiscidae Common Name: Agabus bipustulatus - possibly the UK’s commonest water beetle, all black and 10mm long and is smoothly rounded in contour. Although there is some brown on the mid and hind legs the front legs and antennae are all pale brown. It is carnivorous and feeds in and out of water. Males are glossy and females are dull.

Family: Cerambycidae Common Name: Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle - a distinctive larger beetle at 20mm length with a golden iridescent wash to the upper body and dark and light banding on the antennae. Feeds on umbellifers and active May to July in moist grassland, hedgerows and similar margins.

Family: Leiodidae Common Name: Agathidium varians - a small beetle at c.3mm with adults able to curl up into an almost perfect sphere. Shiny dark brown to black with lighter brown shade on the head and pronotum margins.

Family: Chrysomelidae Common Name: Alder Leaf Beetle - a distinctive metallic blue-black beetle around 7mm long and feeds mainly on Alder.

Family: Eleateridae Common Name: Agriotes acuminatus - a brown click beetle. The head is generally darker black/brown than the brown wing cases which have ridges running down their length. The legs and antennae are a light brown colour. Active May to July mainly in deciduous woodland but also scrub, agricultural land and grassland.

Family: Carabidae Common Name: Amara aulica - a ground beetle, black with metallic bronze lustre, herbivorous.

Family: Carabidae Common Name: Amara fulva - widespread but localised to dry sandy habitats close to water. 8 to 10mm long dull yellowish-brown with greenish iredescence.

Family: Carabidae Common Name: Amara plebeja - a widespread and generally common, 6 to 8mm long and shiny metallic bronze in colour. Found in damper open margins but overwinters in drier more wooded areas.

Family: Carabidae Common Name: Amara tibialis - locally common in southern and central England becoming more coastal and western moving north. 4 to 6mm long with a bright metallic brassy colouration in well vegetated habitats.

Family: Scraptiidae Common Name: Anaspis frontalis - generally abundant in England found on various flowers, especially Hawthorn early in the season in May. Small at 2.5 to 5mm but look elongated. Black in colour but the front of the head and front legs yellow.

Family: Scraptiidae Common Name: Anaspis maculate - common in England, small at 2.5 to 3mm but elongated and pale orange-brown. Found in woodland and woody margins and feed on pollen on a number of flowers, Hawthorn, Elder and Hogweed being common.

Family: Scraptiidae Common Name: __Anaspis thoracica_ - fairly common in England, 3 to 4mm long bicoloured, the wing cases are dark blackish and the thorax and head a pale brown. They develop in decaying wood but adults feed on pollen on flowers.

Family: Coccoinellidae Common Name: Water Ladybird - typical colouration is a pale orangish yellow-brown with many black spots. Highly variable on spot intensity and size as some fuse. Elongate-oval in shape and 3-5mm long, feed on aphids and inhabit leaf litter in Typha and Phragmites, overwintering in the stems.

Family: Melyridae Common Name: Anthocomus rufus - a small, 5 to 6mm red and black beetle associated with damp places, reed beds and other water margins. The red wing cases (elytra) are shorter than the body which is dark with black on the head and thorax. Feeds on pollen and smaller insects on flowers.

Family: Elateridae Common Name: Athous haemorrhoidalis - a common click beetle across England, 10-15mm long with an elongated form with black head and thorax and brown to red-brown wing cases. The beetle is covered in short fine brown hairs and feeds on pollen on a number of flowers, umbellifers being common.

Family: Elateridae Common Name: Athous hirtus - a large click beetle at 13-17mm and elongated oval shaped. It is all black with a covering of silvery hairy down with ridged wing cases. Widely distributed from southern to northern England and fairly common in varied habitats.

Family: Kateretidae Common Name: Brachypterus glaber - small at 2mm long with shiny black upper surface which is densely pitted and no metallic iridescence. The wing cases do not cover the rear of the abdomen and the legs are black. Feeds on Nettle flowers.

Family: Byturidae Common Name: Byturus ochraceus - common and widespread in England, 3.5 - 5mm elongated oval shaped beetle, mid-brown colour, including the legs, and covered in brown hairs on upper surface. Very similar to B. tormentosus but is slightly larger, to 5mm and slightly darker. Found feeding on many flowers.

Family: Byturidae Common Name Raspberry Beetle - very similar to B. ochraceous above but smaller 3.2 - 4mm and slightly lighter brown in colour. Is also common and widespread in England. Larvae develop on Raspberry, Blackberry and Loganberry feeding on the growing fruit.