Roesel's Bush Cricket

Another trip up on the old colliery spoil heap at Gedling on Wednesday evening.  This was the final visit with my son who is doing an invertebrate survey prior to the site opening as a country park.  To date we have found over 140 species of beetle with two new to the county.  Several species of odonata and a couple of species of cricket. Photographed are Roesel's Bush Cricket.  There is a good healthy population up on the site, favouring the sunny south facing banks where they hang around in the long grass.  The photographs show immature specimens about 7-8 mm in length. By the end of the year they will be a lot bigger and probably more photogenic.  However much we moan about our warming climate, I for one like the spread of these exotic insects further north in the last decade. 

Roesel's Bush Cricket -Gedlng Colliery 12th June 2014

Roesel's Bush Cricket -Gedlng Colliery 12th June 2014

Agapanthia villosoviridescens on Heracleum sphondylium

Agapanthia villosoviridescens - Shelford Notts 1st June 2014

I just had to use these names in the title, they're so much better then the common names,  not sure what Agapanthia's common name is, but the plants English name is Hogweed.  If you get out and about in the next month or two this beetle s relatively easy to find on Hogweed stems.  Look for tall strong Hogweed growing out in the open, the beetle doesn't seem to enjoy sitting on Hogweed in either the shade or in hedgerows based on my own observations. The first time I saw this beetle was on the site of the old Netherfield Railway sidings. The exact site is now covered by concrete as part of that monstrosity to progress known as a retail park.  Netherfield Retail Park, a real eyesore with absolutely nothing that I want to buy, hence I don't use it.   Still A. villosoviridescens appears to be doing OK in the county I can usually find if I look.  Also included is  a picture of a couple of dodgy looking sheep, the gave me the "proper eye"  before trotting off, if sheep trot that is, never really thought about it before. Still they made me smile even if they're looking a little serious.