Scolopostethus decoratus, Kingmoor Nature Reserve, 21 August 18 (2 of 2)
Scolopostethus decoratus groundbug found on a wooden post in the Kingmoor Sidings Nature Reserve, Carlisle, 21 August 18.
Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any useable in-situ shots, and also failed to get any live shots with my microscope (it just wouldn't keep still - even after a night in the fridge!) and so the above photos were both taken post-mortem: Photo 1 at 20x and Photo 2 at 40x magnification.
It took some time to identify, because according to British Bugs, antennal details are important in telling the three featured Scolopostethus species apart:
www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Lygaeidae/scoloposteth...
Annoyingly, this specimen has an abnormality in this regard. Specifically the first antennal segment on its right side is noticeably shorter than it should be (for all three species), hairless and pale in colour. Although this can be seen in Photo 1, the ventral shot in Photo 2 shows it in more detail.
It's noted that it was found in birch woodland with not a clump of heather in sight, and so the habitat did not tally with that described by British Bugs.
As the CBDC have withdrawn county data from NBN, I don't know how scarce this bug is within Cumbria. However, Tullie House has 39 preserved specimens of Scolopostethus decoratus, the majority of which appear to have been collected from the north of the county. Although most of these findings were historical, perhaps it's still not uncommon locally.
Scolopostethus decoratus, Kingmoor Nature Reserve, 21 August 18 (2 of 2)
Scolopostethus decoratus groundbug found on a wooden post in the Kingmoor Sidings Nature Reserve, Carlisle, 21 August 18.
Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any useable in-situ shots, and also failed to get any live shots with my microscope (it just wouldn't keep still - even after a night in the fridge!) and so the above photos were both taken post-mortem: Photo 1 at 20x and Photo 2 at 40x magnification.
It took some time to identify, because according to British Bugs, antennal details are important in telling the three featured Scolopostethus species apart:
www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Lygaeidae/scoloposteth...
Annoyingly, this specimen has an abnormality in this regard. Specifically the first antennal segment on its right side is noticeably shorter than it should be (for all three species), hairless and pale in colour. Although this can be seen in Photo 1, the ventral shot in Photo 2 shows it in more detail.
It's noted that it was found in birch woodland with not a clump of heather in sight, and so the habitat did not tally with that described by British Bugs.
As the CBDC have withdrawn county data from NBN, I don't know how scarce this bug is within Cumbria. However, Tullie House has 39 preserved specimens of Scolopostethus decoratus, the majority of which appear to have been collected from the north of the county. Although most of these findings were historical, perhaps it's still not uncommon locally.