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Friday, 17 June 2011

OPAL bug survey

Yesterday I did the OPAL bug survey in my Nana's garden. Me and my little brother did 3 x 15 minute surveys finding bugs on soft ground,  hard surfaces and plants. It was fascinating ! We found slugs, snails, worms, bees, various flies and beetles, woodlice, earwigs and centipedes. We used our book to identify a large group of tiny beetles on 1 plant and found out they were carpet beetles . Here is the link if you want to take part :  http://www.opalexplorenature.org/





The Opal survey also counts toward my Wildlife Action Awards :o)

This is a picture of a carpet beetle
Latin name: Anthrenus verbasci

Size: Between 3 and 5mms long

Distribution: Found throughout the UK

Months seen: March to October

Food: The adult beetles feed on nectar and pollen. The larvae feed on dry materials and dead insects. They have been known to reduce museum collections to piles of dust.

Habitat: Woods, parks, gardens and sometimes inside houses.

Special features: The adult beetles sometimes appear on walls and window sills in spring and early summer. The patterns can vary, but they mostly feature a zig-zag of light and dark colouration.

The females like to fly inside houses to lay their eggs. There can be up to 100 eggs, and when they hatch, the young feed on woolen clothing and carpets, especially soiled materials.

Click for a better viewThe larvae of these beetles are commonly called 'wooly bears' on account of their bristly haired appearance.


Info borrowed from  http://www.uksafari.com


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