Another Hairy offering!
When we were walking along the bridle path back to the car yesterday Historian noticed this little fellow walking across in front of us, I thought it was a hairy catterpillar so I carefully potted it with some leaves and brought it home. I gave him a few hours to settle down, before I took another look only to realise he wasn't a moth or butterfly at all...but a Beetle larva!!
After a bit more investigation I found out he is the larva of a Nationally scarce beetle Drilus flavescens. They live on chalk grassland in the south of the UK. The male beetles can fly and have strongly pectinate (with teeth along the ridges) antennae used to help locate the wingless grub-like females. The larvae feed on snails, so now I have a challenge on my hands, anyone got a large supply of snails????
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