Another moth, some beetles and other stuff.

I'm supposed to be sorting out the 2022 beetle list but I was keen to have a go at some of the photographic techniques I've recently picked up from the web, mostly the Beetles FB group, so I had a delve in the fridge and found some specimens from 2021 that I'd not tackled. This proved to be a very worthwhile exercise, finally proving Philonthus concinnus, which I've strongly suspected previously but only had a female specimen to work on, until this one. This species is new for Orkney and really very uncommon in Scotland, with a confirmed record from the Western Isles and then a few unconfirmed from the Borders. Many thanks to HS for taking the time to look at this and confirm my ID.

Philonthus concinnus, male. 26/05/2021, Hyval.

Aedegus of the above and essential for id.

The other beetle I managed to identify was another Staphylinidae, Lesteva longoelytrata. A new genus for me. I've kind of mostly given up with the key approach to get to genus, unless I really have to (I did with the Philonthus though, just to be certain.) Go straight to Beetles UK or UK Beetle Recording websites and look at the high quality images. With this species I knew it was Staphylinidae and suspected Omaliinae because of the ocelli on top of the head. It was then pretty easy to find the genus on Beetles UK. Getting to species was not so easy and required measuring and comparing the pronotum and the elytra, I used the Mike Hackston key. Anyway, I'm reasonably confident I've come to the correct conclusion, Lesteva longoelytrata.

Lesteva longoelytrata, 26/05/2021, Hyval.

The photographic technique involves surrounding the specimen with a cylinder of baking parchment, this softens the light. I tried using both the LED bendy paired lights and the spare circular LED I have. I think the latter works best. 

Set up, just need to lower the camera.

Cylinder around the specimen.

Missing is the cable release which is non-functional currently, I'm not sure why. I've ordered a new (cheap) one, hopefully that will work. However, there is so much light that it's barely necessary. The image of the aedegus was taken down the microscope though, holding the camera to the eyepiece. This works best with the EM5 and 30mm (60mm really) macro but is ok with the TG4, see image below. Again, there's a lot of light, from a similar LED ring but it's just a fiddle getting everything lined up. The TG4 works best on A not on super-macro.

Aedegus, TG4 image, camera held to eyepiece.

Thanks to MF, WJH and others via Beetles of Britain FB Group, for their posts and comments on posts etc.

Birding the patch the other day I glanced casually and found some case bearers, so I took a single inflorescence. There were two cases in it, both quite different in size. Could the smaller one be Coleophora glaucicolella? I had the usual hassle extracting the larvae, and in the end didn't do it very well, however, well enough to find that both larvae were C. alticolella, just different in size. Second moth species of the year.

The larger of the two cases with the larva.

One of the features to prove Coleophora alticolella, see Moths UK website.

The Yellowhammer put in another appearance, and the light was a tad better.

Yellowhammer, 2cy male.

Today, I toodled out to have a look at an interesting Aythya duck on Loch of Harray. It wasn't the easiest to photograph as it was sensitive to any approach closer than the road, although it probably didn't help that the hound was with me. Trying to sneak around with a large, white, barky canine is unlikely to build quaker confidence.

Tufted Duck x a scaup species I think.

The duck has a green gloss to the head and is at least as large as a Tufted Duck, perhaps this points to a Greater Scaup hybrid?

Quite a few year ticks, and 10km Patchwork points with Meadow Pipits, Reed Bunting, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, Slavonian Grebe, Pink-footed Goose, and best of all Ruff and Merlin. Also an inland Rock Pipit, although it was by the saline Loch of Stenness.

Rock Pipit, well inland at Brodgar.

And also in Loch of Stenness.....

Typical view of Otter.