Thursday 3 June 2010

Longhorn Beetle


This splendid longhorn beetle, just over 2.5 cm (an inch) long, including its antennae, was found by Gordon Yates when we visited the Narrow-leaved Helleborine site this week. I photographed it as it clambered about on his jacket. Its scientific name is Rhagium mordax. Like a lot of beetles, it doesn't have a well-known vernacular name, though on one website I found it is called the black-spotted longhorn beetle. It is reported to be common and widespread in Britain in and around woodlands and larger gardens, though as far as I can tell this is the first record for Islay. But that's not saying much (!), as our beetles have been very poorly studied.
Malcolm

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