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Rhopalus subrufus a Scentless Plant Bug
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,378 Major grins
I was in the sunshine in our garden, adjacent to an area which has had long grass for at least 20 years. In the middle of the area (about a pace in) I saw what looked like a couple of mating flies. They were end to end, atypical of flies or beetles but typical of bugs.
Access was tricky, as moving the grass might disturb them and getting a clear shot and lighting them was challenging. Getting one of them was OK but both of them was fully successful in this one image out of several.
The bug is about 7mm long and, of the four UK species, this is distinguished by the white tip of the bifid scutellum and.by the alternate dark and light bands on the connexivum. The rather membranous front wings distinguish it from other bugs we are likely to see. Apparently, it is quite common, on low vegetation, but this is the first encounter that I am aware of. Anyway two at once!
EM-1, Kiron 105mm f16, twin TTL RC flash, hand-held.
Harold.
Access was tricky, as moving the grass might disturb them and getting a clear shot and lighting them was challenging. Getting one of them was OK but both of them was fully successful in this one image out of several.
The bug is about 7mm long and, of the four UK species, this is distinguished by the white tip of the bifid scutellum and.by the alternate dark and light bands on the connexivum. The rather membranous front wings distinguish it from other bugs we are likely to see. Apparently, it is quite common, on low vegetation, but this is the first encounter that I am aware of. Anyway two at once!
EM-1, Kiron 105mm f16, twin TTL RC flash, hand-held.
Harold.
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Comments
Thanks, SB.
The images are out there.
Bugs tend to be less mobile when in copula, which was to my advantage. The Dock Bug is to be seen mating every day but I have yet to obtain an image of them which I find photogenic, although others have done so.
Harold
Paul.
Link to my personal website: http://www.pauliddon.co.uk
Thanks, Paul.
They are quite distantly related to Shield-bugs, being next to Firebugs.
Harold