The hunt for
Bruchidius villosus, the Broom Seed Beetle
Charlie Barnes, County recorder for beetles, writes:
Now is a great time to search for
Bruchidius villosus, the broom seed beetle. The beetle feeds within the seed pods of broom,
Cytisus sp.,the larva eating the individual seeds from the inside out. Having pupated within the seed, the adults then eat their way out but remain inside the seed pod until it bursts open. As some seed pods of broom remain "un-burst" over winter it's possible to find the adults now - select a few firm and bumpy seed pods and gently split them open. If you're lucky you should find an adult beetle or two. Look for small black "seeds" - the broom seeds themselves are normally brown. The adults should be drowsy for a few
moments, but will quickly arouse once disturbed!
There's an excellent write up and videos of the life-cycle of
Bruchidius villosus, the broom seed beetle, and the weevil
Exapion fuscirostre which also feeds on broom, at
http://www.kerbtier.de/Pages/Themenseit ... aefer.html
Despite broom being widespread over Lincolnshire, there are only 5 records of Bruchidius villosus, the broom seed beetle in the database. Can you add a dot to the map?
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Andrew Chick Website:
http://www.forktail.co.uk/
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