Forget the fab four, think the fab 12. For the next 12 weeks, it’s quiz time again and this time, I will be testing your knowledge of British beetles. Many beetles have metallic or iridescent coloured elytra and thorax, making them - the real shining stars of the show. Beetles can live in a wide range of habitats. Some can fly and others cannot. Some have long antennae, and others long legs. Some have even mastered the art of disguise! Prepared to be be(et)dazzled and if you’re feeling lucky, perhaps you can even guess the bonus quiz question!Magical mystery beetle quiz #4Clue: The folk of Craven may have let this cow into their kitchen.Bonus quiz: Tidy rapper.
only one I can find is Milkweed Beetle
Ray
going off for the day
a good laugh is better than a tonic
As Craven is capitalised, I wonder whether it refers to the district in North Yorkshire around Skipton.
I'm probably clutching at straws but it seems the area was once quite famous for its Longhorn cattle. So could it be a species of Longhorn Beetle we are looking for?
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Have just been checking that TJ and think you are right
There is a Craven Heifer in the area which was famous for its size and was an Old English Longhorn breed I think so Longhorn could be right.
The only other one with cow connections that I can think of is a Cow Wheat Shieldbug but no idea what that looks like the name just seems to have stuck
Did Lennon and McCartney not write a number called "Lend me your comb " or something similar ? maybe these rappers were tidying their mop heads.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Enjoy your trip Ray, send us a postcard
and I will follow the herd with a longhorn
Cin J
Sounds like we might have a remake of Bonanza or similar,loved those westerns when we were growing up,or maybe I never did grow up !!
with re to the kitchen there is a House longhorn beetle
Bonus I am back from my day out so I'm a DAYTRIPPER
Never thought of the anagram Ray,single brain cell does not like Mondays and goes off at a tangent.
Clue: An extension for Mr G Punto.
Congratulations to all of you who guessed House longhorn beetle (Hylotrupes bajulus). First a bit about the clues. First clue: The folk of Craven may have let this cow into their homes. The English longhorn cow originated in Craven, North Yorkshire. A house is a home. From this we get House Longhorn. Second clue: An extension for Mr G Punto. Giovanni Punto was an 18th century Czech horn player. To extend something would be to make it longer.
House longhorn beetles are, as their name suggests, a type of longhorn beetle and have long antennae. Also known as an Old-house borer, House longhorn beetles are often found close to human occupation throughout May to August. Their larvae can cause damage to building timbers and telegraph poles. House longhorn adults have two shiny black bumps on their grey hairy pronotum.
A picture of a House longhorn beetle can be found here.
Did you know: the size of House longhorn beetles can vary and this is reflective of the nutritional value of the timber on which the insects develop.
Bonus quiz answer: Day tripper, 1965. Rubber Soul album.
Keep an eye out for next week’s mystery beetle quiz here soon!
Take care,
Claire