Fungus weevil

I think Peterborough must have been one of the dreariest places in the UK today with persistent rain for most of the morning. This did gradually ease around lunchtime and the day ended mild, sunny and filled with birdsong. Despite the miserable conditions for much of the day I ended up with several blipworthy photographs!

It was Ben's first day back at college - not a good start as the A1 north was closed due to an accident and I had to make a detour through the back lanes which meant he was five minutes late. On my way home I stopped in for a short walk round Thorpe Wood, as the bluebells were looking particularly enticing from the road (see extra). 

Towards the end of my walk I spotted this rather dramatic beetle perched on the end of a ramsons leaf. It is a fungus weevil Platystomos albinus, the larvae living in trees infected with the fungus Daldinia. There is strong sexual dimorphism with the male having antennae as long as the body, but these are shorter in the female. There may also be variation in colour from grey to fawn and brown. The white markings vary in size and may be reduced or occasionally absent and are supposed to provide some camouflage, making the beetle appear like a bird-dropping. It is a southern and eastern species, and is considered to be Nationally Scarce, but Peterborough is something of a hot-spot for them. At between 7-10mm long I thought it qualified for Tiny Tuesday which is kindly being hosted by JDO.