I wandered through the woods below Beinn Bhraggie this morning in warm sunshine and found new 'firsts' for the year, like this speckled wood, but was more than usually conscious of the beauty of what I saw around me. It must be a function of advancing age that every small thing, be it a butterfly or what might be termed....
....a rather ordinary small bird like a dunnock seems more special, more unique, more deserving of attention and appreciation.
Perhaps that appreciation of the wonders that are all around us is heightened when one finds something, like this 2cm long beetle, which appears to be unusual. There are reputed to be over 4,000 beetle species in the British Isles alone, and I spent an hour when I reached home trying to find this one amongst them - but failed. So perhaps this is even more special. Or perhaps not.
Hello Jon,
ReplyDeleteIt is a Violet Ground beetle. After school, I used to set pitfall traps using flowerpots in my grandad's garden. His garden seemed to be exceptionally populated with these wonderful beetles. I used to love the vivid hues of colour, often violet but some could be green, blue or even pinkish. I now know that the beetle is totally black and that the colour seen is a product of the microstructure of the carapace which refracts light of differing wavelengths according to the sizes of these structures. Many beetles show this pleasing colouration. One beetle with which you will be familiar on your walks is the Dor beetle often found on its back on a path, unable to right itself without help. The underside is a dazzling green and purple.
Thanks for the comment Derryck - informative as ever - and apologies for the slow moderation process.
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