Neon-Bright Baby Bugs

[Farplace]

These tiny beetle-like creatures were swarming out of the ground and climbing up the grass. It was in a limestone quarry in Weardale. Ideas anyone?

[Jason Green]

Evening Jan,

They look like Flea Beetles to me - I saw a good gathering of them locally about this time last year, of a similar appearance. Upon closer examination they were the common Altica lythri, identified using secondary characteristics.

Any closer views?

Take care,

Jason

[Farplace]

No better pictures I'm afraid. I just had my pocket-sized camera with me, cos I was just going down the road.....
But yes, they do look like Flea Beetles. thank you!

[Jason Green]

Pleasure.

Have you ever held a magnifying glass up to your camera before, to create a 'Quick and dirty' macro-lens? Put the camera on manual focus (if you have it), then deploy the full optical zoom of your camera. Next, carefully hold the magnifying glass in front of the lens and move the camera forwards and backwards until you get the insect as apparently sharp as the set-up will permit. The results won't be as good as a real add-on, but should at least allow you to get something from it if for whatever reason you can't or don't use an alternative.

[Farplace]

Thanks, i will try that in future