Friday 3 January 2020

2019 Wildlife Review: Bugs and Beetles

Bugs - Hemiptera

Fifteen new species were recorded on the Warren this year bringing the overall total to 125. In this diverse group of insects the new species consisted of aphids, damsel bugs, planthoppers and leafhoppers. These new species included Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, Water Mint Leafhopper Eupteryx thoulessi, Ant Damselbug Himacerus mirmicoides, Bay Sucker Trioza alacris, Elaeaganus Psyllid Cacopsylla fulguralis and Plain Tamarisk Bug Tiponia brevirostris.


Bishop's Mitre - Alan Keatley

Alongside these new records familiar species present included Bishop’s MitreParent, Green and Gorse ShieldbugsDock Bug congregated in some numbers with the occasional Rhombic and Denticulate Leatherbug found in the short grassland.


Parent Shieldbug - Alan Keatley 

The Warren also provides a home for the local Dune Spurge Bug Dicranocephalus agilis and the ground bug Beosus maritimus both of which were found in good numbers along the Dune Ridge.


Dune Spurge Bug - Alan Keatley

Beetles - Coleoptera

It was also good beetle year with seventeen new species recorded. These included rove beetles, ground beetles, chafers and leaf beetles amongst others.


Opatrum sabulosum

Notable finds include Black Oil Beetle Meloe proscarabaeus, which had emerged from a Yellow-legged Mining Bee colony, the nationally scarce Opatrum sabulosum, Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitialis, Dune Chafer Anomala dubia, Figwort Weevil Cionus scrophularieSea Rocket Flea Beetle Psylliodes marcidaOedemera femoralis - a false blister beetle, Rosemary Beetle Chrysolina americana and the Bronze Leaf Beetle Chrysolina banksii.


Bronze Leaf Beetle - Alan Keatley

Familiar species recorded included Common Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva, the Marram weevils Otiorhynchus atroapterusPhilopedon plagiatum, Black and Yellow Longhorn Rutpela maculata, Red-headed Cardinal Pyrochroa serraticornis, Thick-thighed Pollen Beetle Oedemera nobilis and Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis


Wasp Beetle - Alan Keatley

Despite a good year for the Tree Lupin Aphid, ladybird numbers didn't recover with just five species recorded, unfortunately most of these were the invasive Harlequin Ladybird.

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