Tuesday 28 December 2021

Wildlife Review 2021 - Beetles & Bugs

Beetles

There were 37 new additions amongst the 109 species recorded, increasing the beetle list to 313, a very under-represented group on the Warren.

Fairy-ring Longhorn Pseudovadonia livida - Alan Keatley

The majority of additions were weevils with 15 new species, Perapion violaceuma dock weevil, found on 11 May was the first of the year. Other new weevils included Sitona sulcifons & S. humeralis on trefoils, Mononychus punctumalbum on Yellow Iris, Trichosiralus thalhammeri on Sea Plantain, Aspidapion aeneum & A.radiolus on mallows, Datonychus melanosictus on Gypsywort and Holotrichapion ononis on Restharrow.

Scarlet Lily Beetle - Alan Keatley

Other new species included, in May, Scarlet Lily Beetle Lilioceris lilii and Grammoptera ruficornis, a longhorn beetle and in June, Malthinus flavelus, a soldier beetle, Elaphrus cupreus, a ground beetle, Dasytes plumbeusa soft-winged flower beetle and the nationally scarce Bruchis atomarius, a seed beetle.

Agrypnus murinus, a click beetle - Alan Keatley

Later in the year Shore Sexton Beetle Necrodes littoralis and Aphodius rufipes, a dung beetle were attracted to a light trap on 9 September, 24-spot Ladybird Subcoccinella 24-punctata found in November and the rove beetles Stenus aceris and Tachyporus dispar in December.

Dune Chafer - Alan Keatley

Other scarcities included the second records of Adonis Ladybird Hippodamia variegata, Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus and Rosemary Beetle Chrysolina americana, and the third record of Pine Ladybird Exochumus 4-pustulatus. Familiar species encountered during the year included eight other species of ladybird, Purple Loosestrife Weevil Nanophyes marmoratusThick-thighed Pollen Beetle Odemera nobilis, Dune Chafer Anomala dubia, Bronze Leaf Beetle Chrysolina banksii, Asparagus Beetle Crioceris asparagi and Common Malachite Beetle Malachius bipustulatus.


Bugs

An excellent year for this diverse group, with a total of 114 species of various families recorded including an impressive 35 new species, meaning just over 200 species have been found on the Warren.

Notostira elongata - Alan Keatley

The first new species of the year was a Water Measurer Hydrometa stagnorum in a drinking trough on 29 March, presumably seen by countless pond-dipping school groups before but never formally recorded. 

Ten new aphids, many host specific, were discovered including Dysaphis maritima on Sea-plantain, Hayhurstia atriplicis on goosefoots, Laingia psammae in marram flowerheads, Thecabius affinis on Poplar, Marcosiphoniella artemisia on Mugwort and Macrosiphoniella asteris on Sea-aster.

Thecabius affinis gall - Kevin Rylands

A good number of Mirids (plant bugs) were found with 12 new species including: Atractotomus mali on Apple, Macrotylus horvathi on Black Horehound, Dicyphus epilobii on willowherbs, Orthotylus flavosparus on oraches, Phytocoris tiliae attracted to light trap and Pinalitus cervinus on Ivy, the 5000th species for the Warren.

Liocoris tripustulatus - Alan Keatley

Other new species included the ground bugs Scolopostethus decoratus and Stygnocoris sabulosus; the leafhoppers Iassus lanio and Ribautiana ulmi on oak and Eupterycyba jucunda on Alder; a beet bug Piesma maculatum and the lacebug Agramma laeta

Other species recorded during the year included Denticulate Coriomeris denticulatus and Rhombic Leatherbug Syromastus rhombeusBeosus maritimus a shore bug, Tuponia mixticolor a mirid on Tamarisk, Gampsocoris punctipes a stiltbug on Restharrow, Eupteryx thoulessi a leafhopper on Water Mint and Ant Damselbug Himacerus mirmicoides.

Phytocoris varipes - Alan Keatley

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