A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Lochmaea crataegi
4 - 5mm. Reddish brown throughout but elytra with longitudinal black marks varying in size and intensity. Antennae darkened apically, insertions very close, shorter in male with joints less elongate. Head, thorax and elytra densely and confusedly punctured throughout, head more finely so. Pronotum characteristic with sharp hind angles, strongly sinuate hind margin and lateral margin angled at middle. Elytra glabrous, strongly bordered. Legs finely and densely pubescent, tibiae especially so. Female elytra less elongate than male and dilated behind.
Adults are found on Hawthorn (Crataegus) blossom, around Watford it seems exclusively so as beating the earlier flowering Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), among many other types of blossom, over the years has failed to produce the species. Depending on season Crataegus begins to flower during the third week of April when occasionally single Lochmaea are found, numbers increase until the first or second week of may when Crataegus blossom is everywhere and the adults can be beaten in numbers throughout our area.
Useful web sites: http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/haw...
No Comments