Wildlife June 2010

[angie]

Angie,
If it's big (2.5-3.0cms), and black with brown margins to the various body parts, then you may have a Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis. If you're trying to fish it out use a net, they have strong jaws - if you succeed with that, you may in future have to deal with the larvae if it's laid eggs. Speaking from personal experience, they bite also! If one has flown in then there's always the possiblity that others could do so in future.
Both adults and larvae are predators (anything up to the size of fish, newts, etc).
Here's a link for identification: http://www.eol.org/pages/1171540

Peter

Hi Peter

That's it, now that I have seen it close up it even looks scarier to me and to think it could fly . I sat at the pond today hoping that I would be able to catch it and show a picture but know I will just have to try and catch it.
Thanks Peter for finding this beetle for me. The pond is full of baby fish, hopefully I can net it out.
Thanks also for the link Peter, isn't this forum great, whatever you need to find out just ask here.
Angie

[angie]

Oh I have just noticed the ITS JULY NOW sorry Maggi, its a bit late and I am tired, been busy all day gardening.

SORRY
Angie

[Lesley Cox]

The long horn beetles are quite common, the larger species are very good hissers.
New Zealands largest species is the Huhu beetle Prionoplus reticularis , scares a lot of people when it is attracted to light. A lot of people eat Huhu grubs, they taste like peanut butter.
Attached a pic-hope it works.

 edit by maggi: it does work but I'm replacing it with a jpg which is easier!

Sorry to be regressing in time but I've only just come across June. I loathe and hate and detest these things. In other words I'm scared stiff of them. They are present around my house in summer and in flight sound like a jet aircraft on take-off. Their flight is erratic and when they come into my bedroom at night, I dive under cover and wait until someone comes and disposes of the "thing." When I was a child and they came in, one landed on my eye one night and I guess the terror stems from then. I used to dive under and scream for my mother to remove them. Nowadays I read with the window shut and only open it after I put ut the light.

[Anthony Darby]

The long-horn ID was correct. The larvae feed in the stems of thistles.

Was away when June became July, so missed the change over. Just caught up!