Although a-scales are morphologically common lepidopteran scales, d-scales have four distinctive features. This study showed that d-scale detachment only occurs through fluttering and that d-scales are obviously morphologically different from a-scales. To investigate the scale detachment mechanism, we analyzed the scale detachment process using video photography and examined the morphology of both d- and a-scales using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Even after this programmed detachment of scales (d-scales), small regions along the wing margin and vein still have scales attached (a-scales). However, in the pellucid hawk moth, Cephonodes hylas, numerous scales detach from a large region of the wing at initial take-off after eclosion consequently, a large transparent region without scales appears in the wing. Roesel’s Bush-Cricket ( Roeseliana roeselii)įor those that may be interested you can visit my Insects page ‘here’.Abstract: No scales of most lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) detach from the wings through fluttering. Hairy Spider Weevil (Barypeithes pellucidus)īlack-tailed Skimmer ( Orthetrum cancellatum) female Little Nomad Bee ( Nomada flavoguttata) female So enough text … and now for some photos I have taken of these amazing and most fascinating six-legged creatures: Red-legged Shieldbug ( Pentatoma rufipes)īerberis Fusehorn ( Arge berberidis) femaleĢ-spot Ladybird ( Adalia bipunctata) larva And they will be around long after we have gone on our way. So there we have it: The Earth belongs to the insects. ![]() Insects have survived 5 mass extinction events.Insects developed flight 400 million years ago, which means they had total air dominance for more than 150 million years.Around 479 million years ago insects appeared on the planet, long before the dinosaurs, and long before us.Insects come in around a million different variants.Insects account for well over half of all of all multicellular species.There are between 1 and 10 quintillion (can you imagine that number? I can’t) insects which are surrounding us in almost every environment on Earth.There are more than 200 million insects for every human being living on the planet.Try to take in these facts about insects, they are quite astounding to comprehend: I have now photographed and uploaded 500 different species of insect to this site. The length is between 5-9 mm (around 5/16 in).ĭiscovered in a local field back in May 2020. It feeds on plants from the Fabaceae family, including species of vetch and broom, and is found in fields and meadows where the host plants can be found.Īttactagenus plumbeus is quite an attractive beetle. Native to Britain, not surprisingly it is very localised with a few scattered records across England and Wales, except the south-east of England, and is absent from Scotland and Ireland. There are only 4 records for 2020, and 1 of these is mine. The British nature conservation status is Nationally Notable B (species found in between 31 and 100 hectads – 10 km x 10 km square), making it nationally scarce. Data gleamed from the NBN Atlas shows only 96 records between 19, and 151 records in total from 1890. What is so special about this species apart from its own uniqueness is is scarcity. Not surprising it happens to be an invertebrate, an arthropod, and an insect at that.Īttactagenus plumbeus is a member of the Curculionidae family which make up the weevils. I have stopped short of making this post ‘1000’ as the 999th species convinced me to use it as a marker milestone. I have now recorded 999 species on this website, from plants to animals, fungi and even a cyanobacterium. The smaller males (1.5 mm long), which possess wings, are rarely seen. The images show females with cottony ovisacs. Once these insects are attached to a tree they become immobile, feeding on the sap of the host plant. A cottony wax coating is produced that is used to conceal the eggs. They have a a soft shell of protection attached to the body which helps prevents them from dying out and gives them protection from potential predators like parasites. These strange insects are called the Woolly Vine Scale Insect ( Pulvinaria vitis). I discovered these belong to a family called Coccidae – the soft scales. ![]() Scale insects belong to the order of insects called Hemiptera – the true bugs, which include the shieldbugs and the likes. I had my suspisions they were some kind of scale insect. They were something I had never come across before. They are around 5-7 mm (1/4 inch) long.Īs you can see they are brown and wrinkly with what looks like a cotton wool ball tucked at the back of them. I have a Hawthorn bush growing in the back garden, and I discovered these strange things stuck to the branches.
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