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. Such was its striking colour that I stopped for a second look, but that was enough to draw attention to myself and it was gone. I'm well used to seeing brown rats in London parks; although it's still quite unnerving to be sitting having a picnic on the grass

and examine the gnarled and wrinkled bark at the very base of the trunk. Sure enough, sheltering in the crannies there, are several specimens of a very pretty weevil, Dorytomus ictor. No English name for this little (4.5mm) beetle, even though

isn't very old, it's not more than 20cm in diameter at the base, but the bark is rough and gnarled enough to provide the odd nook and cranny for overwintering ladybirds.Surprisingly, these are not the recent alien invader Harmonia axyridis