Last Summer's Beetles

Water beetle, Ilybius ater .  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 15 July 2014.

Some beetles from my moth trap last year.  I get quite a few water beetles.  I wonder if they think the light is the moon reflecting from water? 

Whirligig Beetle, Gyrinus substriatus.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 3 July 2014.

There is a tiny pond two gardens down, but I don't think they all come from there.  They turn up in other moth trap too, and I think they fly around more than people tend to think.

Some beetles turn up on the ground near the trap, so I'm not sure the trap has actually brought them in.

Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus.  Female.  Hayes, 14 June 2014.

This Stag Beetle was crawling around nearby.  It's large for a British beetle; notice the half-centimetre squares it is sitting on.  It has had a hard time and is missing a leg and an antenna.  There is some spider web sticking to it.  Why do big beetles have such a problem with web?  Look at this ...

Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelopipedus.  Hayes, 14 June 2014.

This Lesser Stag Beetle was in the garden on the same day, and it is completely tangled up.  (June is a great month for insects.)  I was excited to find both these species, but sad at their condition!

Ground Beetle, Dromius species.  In my garden light trap in Hayes on 21 May 2014.

I also see a few ground beetles in the trap, and this one stood still to be photographed.  Beetles are many and varied, and I only see a tiny fraction of the available types in the light trap.