[Reader]

I caught these two in my Moth Trap last night and have no idea what they are.

Any ideas?

[harry eales]

Originally Posted by Reader

I caught these two in my Moth Trap last night and have no idea what they are.

Any ideas?

Hello Reader,

Your first picture is of a Mayfly, the second is a small beetle, but I'm not a fan of either, so I can take them down to species level. Sorry. You will find quite a lot of insects that aren't moths in a moth trap. lol.

Harry

[Reader]

Originally Posted by harry eales

Hello Reader,

Your first picture is of a Mayfly, the second is a small beetle, but I'm not a fan of either, so I can take them down to species level. Sorry.

Thanks for trying Harry. Any more advances?

Originally Posted by harry eales

You will find quite a lot of insects that aren't moths in a moth trap. lol.

Harry

Now he tells me. lol

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by Reader

Thanks for trying Harry. Any more advances?



Now he tells me. lol

The beetle looks like one of the Tenebrionidae, mealworm beetles. Presumably with the advent of Mr Oddie, these things are likely to become more common!

[Reader]

Originally Posted by Neil Harvey

The beetle looks like one of the Tenebrionidae, mealworm beetles. Presumably with the advent of Mr Oddie, these things are likely to become more common!

Thanks Neil. I was wondering if this insect was going to be ID'd

[maporter68]

Yep, Mealworm Beetle - Tenebrio molitor, the larva is the mealworm a popular bird table fodder etc, etc. The adult is one of the few flying members of this family (Tenebrionidae).

As for the Mayfly - my guess , meduim sized, brown body with smoke coloured wings - possibly Leptophlebia vespertina or Ephemerella Ignita, the two families can be seperated by the wing venation - but Ephemerella Ignita is the more common.

Regards

Mark

[Reader]

Originally Posted by maporter68

Yep, Mealworm Beetle - Tenebrio molitor, the larva is the mealworm a popular bird table fodder etc, etc. The adult is one of the few flying members of this family (Tenebrionidae).

As for the Mayfly - my guess , meduim sized, brown body with smoke coloured wings - possibly Leptophlebia vespertina or Ephemerella Ignita, the two families can be seperated by the wing venation - but Ephemerella Ignita is the more common.

Regards

Mark

Thanks Mark

I was hoping for confirmation.

I have attached another photo. Could it be a Cinnamon Sedge Caddisfly?

[harry eales]

Originally Posted by Reader

Thanks Mark

I was hoping for confirmation.

I have attached another photo. Could it be a Cinnamon Sedge Caddisfly?

Hello Reader,
Caddis are a nightmare unless you have the specimen and the necessary keys and a good lens. A guess as to family or genus may be fairly accurate, but even my old mate who is now the national recorder won't give an ID as to species off a photograph, and he has been working on them exclusively for forty years.

Harry

[Reader]

Originally Posted by harry eales

Hello Reader,
Caddis are a nightmare unless you have the specimen and the necessary keys and a good lens. A guess as to family or genus may be fairly accurate, but even my old mate who is now the national recorder won't give an ID as to species off a photograph, and he has been working on them exclusively for forty years.

Harry

Right, I take it you don't know the ID then. lol

[maporter68]

Aghhhhhhh.

As Harry states, a wild guess on something very, very tricky. The Order contains nearly 6,000 species, of which about 190 are represented in the British Isles

A wild guess:

Possibly Limnephilidea family, but be warned there are in the region of 50 british species!!

Good luck, you'll need it!

Mark

[Reader]

Originally Posted by maporter68

Aghhhhhhh.

As Harry states, a wild guess on something very, very tricky. The Order contains nearly 6,000 species, of which about 190 are represented in the British Isles

A wild guess:

Possibly Limnephilidea family, but be warned there are in the region of 50 british species!!

Good luck, you'll need it!

Mark

Eeerrrr!! I think I will pass. lol

[harry eales]

Originally Posted by Reader

Right, I take it you don't know the ID then. lol

Hello Reader,

No, I don't. lol. If any Caddis die in my moth trap, I put them into a specimen tube, add a data label, fill the tube with 80% alcohol, and sent them off the the National Recorder. I'll let him sweat over the ID.

Strangely, this resulted in a record of a Caddis which was thought to be only found in areas where a lot of lime was present in the water. This specimen came off the side of a very acidic stream, running through peat moorland.

So unusual was, this he travelled over 200 miles the following spring to visit this site and collected live larva from the stream. From these he bred several adults of the same species. The text books were apparently wrong.

Just a quick point, there are a good number of Caddis that are as small as, and resemble very much, some of the microlepidoptera. I thought that would make your day.

Harry

[Reader]

Originally Posted by harry eales

Hello Reader,

No, I don't. lol. If any Caddis die in my moth trap, I put them into a specimen tube, add a data label, fill the tube with 80% alcohol, and sent them off the the National Recorder. I'll let him sweat over the ID.

Strangely, this resulted in a record of a Caddis which was thought to be only found in areas where a lot of lime was present in the water. This specimen came off the side of a very acidic stream, running through peat moorland.

So unusual was, this he travelled over 200 miles the following spring to visit this site and collected live larva from the stream. From these he bred several adults of the same species. The text books were apparently wrong.

Just a quick point, there are a good number of Caddis that are as small as, and resemble very much, some of the microlepidoptera. I thought that would make your day.

Harry

Gee this this thread has suddenly got infectious - not. lol

You have a way with words harry.

[paul mabbott]

Mind if I give another (very late) thought on the beetle: the hind corners of the forebody are pointed - don't get these in Tenebrio molitor but they are present on click beetles (Elateridae). Did it jump with a click?
Paul

Originally Posted by Reader

Thanks Neil. I was wondering if this insect was going to be ID'd

[jonafly]

Yep I'd say click beetle too.

André

[Reader]

Originally Posted by paul mabbott

Mind if I give another (very late) thought on the beetle: the hind corners of the forebody are pointed - don't get these in Tenebrio molitor but they are present on click beetles (Elateridae). Did it jump with a click?
Paul

Hi Paul

Better late than never. lol

Thanks for the ID but I didn't see it jump at all so can't confirm that.