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Thursday, May 17, 2007

LESSER TREBLE BAR MOTH & RHOPALUS SUBRUFUS

I'm enjoying playing around with the new camera phone. I'm at work now, doing my first night shift (joy...), but earlier I was rummaging around in the garden seeing if I could take any 'macro' photos of insects etc...
I only really found two of interest, and took photos of them both.

The first is the "Lesser Treble Bar" moth. I adore moths - I hope to set up a moth trap in the garden in the height of the summer, to see what beauties I can attract.

This moth is pretty dull, very well named (as most moths are), and is very similar to the "Treble Bar" moth. I won't bore you with the EXACT details of the differences between the two species, it's obvious if you can take a photo and study the picture in depth - my new toy gives me that facility.
The Lesser Treble Bar Moth feeds on St.Johns Wort.
It must be depressed.

Strangely enough, the other insect I captured an image of tonight ALSO feeds primarily on St.Johns Wort. Our bleedin garden is full of depressed insects! (Must be our nesting Blue Tits that is depressing the resident insect population)!

This is Rhopalus subrufus, the Rhopalid Bug. Not particularly common, and pretty well confined to the south of the UK, it is a "true bug" and both the larval and the adult stages feed on St.Johns Wort.
It's quite easily recognisable by its purple and green colour, but mainly its black and white stiped margins to its 'shield'. This is a small bug - I only saw it because it was basking on our white wall, taking in the last of the evening sun...

In case you weren't aware what the common, yellow, hedgerow plant, "St.Johns Wort" looks like, the photo below will show you.

If you see any, do check it for Rhopalid bugs and Treble Bar moth species...!

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