Ruber

A rather complicated day of ferrying people around - but I submitted my my draft reports, and Pete and I found enough time between other commitments to make a short visit to Splash Lane. It's feeling very late summer, but I managed to add a few plants to the species list and Pete topped up the catalogue of invertebrates.

The Common Knapweed was attracting quite a few species including this attractive bug Deraeocoris ruber. Commonest in southern Britain, this bug feeds on small insects and can be found on a range of plants, especially nettles. The ground colour ranges from red-orange to almost fully black, and it is notable for the very shiny forewings.