The Minotaur of Selwyn's Wood

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Saturday 25 September 2010 16:41

Alice and I moth trapped Selwyn's Wood on Thursday night but sadly it was a very poor night for moths. What truly stole the show was this male Minotaur Beetle Typhaeus typhoeus that came to light. This impressive dung beetle is more often detected by its burrows which I seem to see on heathland and sandy ground more than anywhere else. The males uses the protrusions on their pronotums to fight with other males. 
The moths were very few and far between, Pink-barred Sallows and Pinion-streaked Snouts were the highlights, I think we struggled to get ten species of macro despite warm and calm conditions. It did clear though soon after dark and there was a very bright moon that probably had a part in it. Here is a Pink-barred Sallow from the Woods Mill moth trap last week.

0 Response to "The Minotaur of Selwyn's Wood"

Post a Comment

Nature Blog Network