Day 26 of 30 Days Wild – Longhorn beetles

It’s great when you come across something you have never noticed before.

There are 69  species of Longhorn beetles in Britain and I probably walk passed plenty every day while out taking photos, but I’ve never really stopped and looked at them before. They have long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle’s body

This one is a Spotted Longhorn beetle (Rutpela maculata). It can be found along hedgerows and woodland margins during May until August. It is one of the easy ones to spot, the adults are commonly found on ‘umbel flowers’ (I had to look that up). The word umbel was taken to be used in Botany from Latin umbella “parasol, sunshade.

Spotted Longhorn beetle (Rutpela maculata)

 

The second Longhorn beetle I came across was a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn – Agapanthia villosoviridescens

This one is mainly found in meadows and hedgerows. Adults feed on Hogweed, Cow Parsley and nettles. Most seen in May and June.

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn – Agapanthia villosoviridescens