IBMC #09: The Be a Baby Challenge

My Baby

Conostethus venustus A fairly recent introduction to the UK from Europe. First discovered by me in Lincoln, on a small brownfield site, sadly it is now a residential site for humans. A voucher specimen was collected and was passed on to Colin Smith, (VC53/54 recorder for terrestrial Heteroptera), who had come to see me, and find a specimen himself, he failed. It was late in the afternoon so I was probably lucky to find one. Anyway whatever the reason I never got any feedback from him as far as a verification goes, it was however verified by Dr Tristan Bantock, and I think Jim Flanagan, (the national recorder for terrestrial Heteroptera), had some dealings with the verification too. Re the latter gentleman, and I must say I am not 100% sure, but I have been led to understand that he might be claiming his find, (a year after I had found it), as the first for the UK. Check this link  out, note the date, no names mentioned,  as pointed out to me here. A photo of the site referred to in the article can be found here,  and I agree it was taken, I think,  coincidently a month before my find, note though it only states where it was found. I do have to say that had the site been checked out at the time it could well of been there, and in abundance as scentless mayweed is its host.

Record Data
Species:  Conostethus venustus,  Date: 06/06/201o Location: Lincoln. Site: Fort Barnes. Grid reference: SK957682.  County: VC53  Quantity: 1  Stage: Adult. Gender: Female.  Recorder:  Mick E Talbot.  Determiner: Mick E Talbot.  Comments:  National and County recorders please feel free to copy and add the record to your respective databases.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia. Subkingdom: Eumetazoa. Phylum: Arthropoda. Subphylum: Hexapoda. Class: Insecta. Order: Hemiptera. Suborder: Heteroptera. Infraorder: Cimicomorpha. Superfamily: Miroidea. Family: Miridae. Subfamily: Phylinae. Tribe: Phylini. Genus: Conostethus. Species: venustus.
Binominal name: Conostethus venustus (Fieber 1858)

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IBMC #09: The Be a Baby Challenge