John C. writes: This morning I spent another hour in Sue’s meadow. There wasn’t a lot about except plenty of flower beetles. But my eye was caught by something on a plantain leaf.
It turned out to be a fine, delicate cocoon, smaller than a pea. It wasn’t until I’d taken some photos that I realised there was someone was at home – presumably ready to emerge.
It reminded me of the cocoon that we found on the Club trip to the Somerset Levels, two years ago, which was identified as belonging to a species of weevil, hypera pollux. However, I’m not sure that’s what it was – whatever was inside was the wrong colour -green not brown – , it didn’t quite look like a weevil (more like a beetle), and the habitat was not a wet place. A search of the web didn’t help with identification. It’s possible that it was the cocoon of a treehopper.
Whatever it was, the cocoon is a work of art but must remain a mystery.
The only other things of note were a nice hairy (aka sloe) shield bug and a tiny bee – still to be identified – foraging in the Canterbury bells.
John Cobb 16 June 2024
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB 