29 Monday Jun 2020
Posted in nature, insects, wildflowers
Tags
beetle, British beetles, Rutpela maculata, Spotted longhorn beetle, umbellifer flowers, umbellifers
This Spotted longhorn (Rutpela maculata) was happily minding its own business, feeding on the umbellifer flowers growing along the edge of a woodland ride, as is its wont, when …
Incoming!
And so the necessity of life as a beetle takes over, the need to reproduce, to continue the species. Lunch might have to wait.
24 Wednesday Jul 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature
Tags
#365DaysWild, British beetles, Longhorn beetles, Rutpela maculata, Slade Wood, Spotted longhorn beetle
I thought I’d found a new variety of longhorn beetle when I spotted these creatures at Slade Wood on Monday but no. It turns out the yellow-and-black markings of Spotted longhorn beetles (Rutpela maculata) are quite changeable and these were just variations on a theme.
As their larvae inhabit rotten wood, the adult beetles can usually be found near woody areas, on hedgerows and along woodland rides, where they enjoy nectaring on umbellifer flowers.
I’ve just been reading that the adults only live for a few weeks between May and August so eyes peeled – you haven’t got long to spot these little stunners.
17 Tuesday Jul 2018
Tags
British beetles, British insects, Longhorn beetles, longhorns, Rutpela maculata, Spotted longhorn beetle
I’ve been seeing quite a few of these handsome mini-beasties recently, the Spotted longhorn beetles (Rutpela maculata).
Though the pattern of their black-and-yellow markings can vary a bit, they’re really quite unmistakeable.
They’re large beetles and look quite fierce, but they’re harmless.
Spotted longhorns are most often found feasting on the pollen of the umbellifer and other flowers that grow in hedgerows and alongside woodland paths.
Their larvae overwinter in rotten wood, then emerge as adults in late Spring, so these lovely longhorns can be seen from May through till around the end of August.
25 Thursday Aug 2016
Let me introduce you to Rutpela maculata. It’s called a longhorn beetle, but really I would say it has long antennae rather than long horns, and its common name is the Spotted longhorn, but really it has spots and stripes, so its other common name of Black and Yellow longhorn seems more appropriate. Its colours and patterns roughly mimic those of wasps which, in theory, gives it protection from predators like birds.
I was a little surprised, and somewhat saddened, to learn that the adult beetles have a very short life, of just two to four weeks, but this is actually quite common amongst insects. Most spend the majority of their lives as larvae.
The adult longhorn beetles grow to between 13 and 20mm long, and can be seen any time from May to August, frequenting hedgerows and the edges of woodland trails, often enjoying a feed of pollen or nectar on umbellifers. I’ve only seen two so far, both pictured here, and you can see that the markings and colouration vary from beetle to beetle.
