Saturday, June 09, 2007

Capsid bugs and dolis



Now that the 'hay' crop is reaching its highest, there are many small insects prowling about in the canopy layer.
The tiny Dolichpodid flies perch on leaves looking for even smaller prey. The one pictured here is, perhaps, a Medetera species. Note the small, brilliant white patch on its head above the antennae - some sort of signal to others of its species no doubt.
The capsid bug is Calocoris stysi and apparently those occuring in Britain are subspecies insularis. The adults are often found in patches of nettles (though there are none of these in Emthree) and they feed on fruit, unripe seeds and small insects. The example here is on our narrow-leaved vetch, a great value-for-money plant that attracts a wide range of insect species.

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