Sunday 9 October 2011

Bog Bush-Crickets (Metrioptera brachyptera) and Green Tiger Beetles (Cicindela campestris) at Foulshaw Moss

September 20, 2011:
Foulshaw Moss comprises an acidic raised bog together with some small subsidiary pools and is well-known for it large range of insect life including dragonflies. It is also a haven for other interesting insects including the Bog Bush-Cricket and the Green Tiger Beetle.



On this warm late summer's day, Bog Bush-Crickets seemed to be singing over a large part of the Moss and could occasionally be located (although with difficulty) concealed in the heather even close to the board-walk. Females with their long curved ovipositors were readily distinguished from the males.



[Female, above, showing its long curved ovipositor]


[Male]

Nearby, on a lightly trodden peaty footpath, there was evidence of holes of Green Tiger Beetle' larvae and the occasional adult could also be seen. The latter were well camouflaged against the background but still showed a very lustrous coloration.



[Green Tiger Beetle camouflaged even against such an unnatural object as this rusting iron sheet]