Three Hagges Wood-Meadow
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An Inventory of Invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow During 2017 and Updates on Previous Surveys Thymelicus sylvestris [Small Skipper Butterfly] male Zygaena filipendulae [Six-spot Burnet Moth] caterpillar Harmonia axyridis [Harlequin Ladybird] adult Gymnocheta viridis [a parasitic fly] male A Report to Hagge Woods Trust by Andrew Grayson The Author: Andrew Grayson Andrew was born in Scarborough on the 14th of June 1962. He has three children and two grandchildren, and has lived most of his life in North Yorkshire, principally in the town of Kirkbymoorside or the nearby village of Beadlam. His entomological interests developed during the late 1960s, and have been maintained more-or-less continuously until the present day. His initial interests were Lepidoptera; however, the majority of his adult work has been with Diptera [true flies]. Andrew has been a professional freelance entomological consultant since 2009. His previous profession was in the laundry industry, in which he worked for The Ryedale Laundry in Kirkbymoorside from 1978 until 2009. Andrew is the author of two entomological books, viz. Flies in The Yorkshire Museum (Grayson, 1994) and The Horseflies of Yorkshire (Grayson, 1995), and is also the author, or co- author, of more than 100 papers which were published in various scientific journals etc. since 1987. His papers Forum at Oxford University Museum of Natural History include species new to Britain, new to Ireland, and new in 2010. Andrew’s amateur entomological studies have to England, plus notes on exceptionally rare species. been carried out on a wide variety of habitats at many Andrew is recognised as the national expert on localities scattered throughout Britain, and also in Tabanidae (horseflies etc.) and Oestridae (bot-flies and France and Spain. The majority of his professional warble-flies etc.). His current volunteer posts include entomological surveys have been carried out on being Scheme Organiser of the national Oestridae Study brownfield sites located outside his home county of Group [of which he was the founder], Recorder for North Yorkshire. Such surveys have principally been in [most] Insects for the Ryedale Natural History Society, the Humberside and Teesside regions, but also as far and Recorder for [most] Diptera for the Yorkshire north as the Solway Coast, and as far south as Grays. Naturalists’ Union. Andrew has held the latter two posts Andrew’s involvement with the Three Hagges Wood- continuously since the mid 1990s. Andrew has given meadow project began when he carried out a systematic various talks to natural sciences organisations, of which baseline study of invertebrate assemblages during 2014, the most prestigious was a presentation on the World when the site was known as Three Hagges Jubilee Oestridae fauna which was delivered to the Dipterists Wood. This study was repeated in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Invertebrates on the Front Cover Thymelicus sylvestris [Small Skipper] This small butterfly was observed only once at Three Hagges Wood-meadow during 2014, but has become increasingly more abundant since the initial sighting, and is currently well-established. This male was photographed on the MG5 Meadow (Area 9) on 2nd July 2017. Zygaena filipendulae [Six-spot Burnet] Zygaena filipendulae [Six-spot Burnet] and the similar Zygaena lonicerae [Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet] are resident moths at Three Hagges Wood-meadow, and both were present in small numbers every year since invertebrate recording began in 2014. This caterpillar was photographed in the Coups 6, 8 & 10 survey compartment (Area 1) on 1st June 2017. Harmonia axyridis [Harlequin Ladybird] This large invasive ladybird comes in a wide variety of colour forms. It was recorded in small numbers at Three Hagges Wood-meadow in 2014, 2016 and 2017. This individual was photographed in the Coups 6, 8 & 10 survey compartment (Area 1) on 7th August 2017. Gymnocheta viridis [a parasitic fly] This common fly is characteristic of woodlands during spring; however, it was not recorded at Three Hagges Wood- meadow until 9th April 2017. This male was photographed in the About Thyme Wood (Area 11) on 3rd May 2017. An Inventory of Invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow During 2017 and Updates on Previous Surveys A REPORT TO Hagge Woods Trust Little Annexe, Estate Office, Escrick, York, YO19 6EA www.haggewoodstrust.org.uk www.threehaggesjubileewood.org.uk Hagge Woods Trust is Registered Charity No. 1151831 BY Andrew Grayson Invertebrate Consultant, ‘Scardale’, High Lane, Beadlam, Nawton, York, YO62 7SX Email: [email protected] REPORT SUBMITTED ON Tuesday 22nd May 2018 All PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS REPORT WERE TAKEN BY ANDREW GRAYSON DURING 2017 UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 1 SUMMARY . 1 THE SURVEY AREA . 2 SURVEY METHODOLOGY . 3 PRINCIPAL SURVEY REQUIREMENTS . 3 SURVEY COMPARTMENTS . 3 SURVEY DATES, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NOTES . 4 TARGET ASSEMBLAGES . 5 SUPPLEMENTARY RECORDING OF INVERTEBRATES . 5 PRESERVATION OF SPECIMENS . 5 INCIDENTAL RECORDING OF PLANTS . 6 RESULTS . 6 INTRODUCTION . 6 SPECIES OF NATIONAL CONSERVATION CONCERN . 6 SPIE [FORMERLY UK BAP PRIORITY SPECIES] . 7 JNCC-LISTED SPECIES . 11 DIPTERA NEW TO VICE-COUNTY 61 . 16 A FEW HYMENOPTERA OF INTEREST . 16 SUMMARY TABLES OF SURVEY DATA 2017 . 17 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 23 REFERENCES . 23 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: PLANS . 25 APPENDIX 2: SURVEY COMPARTMENTS . 27 APPENDIX 3: FULL INVERTEBRATE LIST FOR 2014 TO 2017 . 91 APPENDIX 4: INVERTEBRATE LIST FOR 2017 . 114 APPENDIX 5: DISSECTION OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FOR 2017 . 128 APPENDIX 6: PLANT LIST FOR 2017 . 139 APPENDIX 7: PHOTOGRAPHS OF INVERTEBRATES . 140 APPENDIX 8: PHOTOGRAPHS OF EVENTS ETC. 166 APPENDIX 9: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2017 . 172 APPENDIX 10: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2016 . 218 APPENDIX 11: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2015 . 255 APPENDIX 12: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2014 . 282 Appendices 9 to 12 are not paginated [pages 172 to 313] 1 INTRODUCTION SUMMARY This is the author’s fourth annual report on the invertebrates of Three Hagges Wood-meadow, which was initially known as Three Hagges Jubilee Wood. It was under this latter name that invertebrate surveys were carried out during 2014 and 2015. The overall list of invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow between 2014 and 2017 now stands at exactly 900 species. This impressive total is due to invertebrate-sampling, recording and photography carried out by various specialists and enthusiasts since invertebrate studies commenced in 2014. Studies during 2017 produced 466 species, including 152 additions or amendments to the previous lists. An overview of invertebrate recording at Three Hagges Wood-meadow since 2014 is as follows. The main invertebrate investigations between 2014 and 2017 were the author’s monthly surveys, for which details are given within the four annual reports (Grayson, 2014, 2016, 2017, and the current report). These studies were greatly supplemented by the work of other visitors to Three Hagges Wood-meadow, including members of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. The list of nocturnal moths was principally due to light-trapping carried out by Dave Chesmore and Lin Hawthorne during the initial years of the Three Hagges Wood-meadow project, and knowledge of the aquatic fauna was principally due to the results of pond-dipping carried out by a team led by Martin Hammond. The excellent photographic record of invertebrates owed much to the patience and photographic skills of Pat and Jim Bone, Dave Tate and Mike Cowling. In its second year in operation, the Bee Hotel (Area 1a) [photographs on pages 168 and 170] again proved rather successful in attracting its target bee and wasp communities [hymenopterans], including their hymenopteran parasites. The author’s observations indicated that there was a probable increase in the numbers of hymenopterans visiting the Bee Hotel (Area 1a) in comparison with 2016, and some additional species were recorded. The flora of the meadow/plantation area (areas 1 to 9) has noticeably changed on an annual basis since invertebrate recording began in 2014. Following an initial spectacular floral display during 2014, which was produced by cornfield annuals in the wild flower seed mixes, the meadow-plantation area (areas 1 to 9) saw a great reduction in the abundance of flowers during 2015 and 2016. This reduction was very much reversed during 2017, when increased numbers of flowers occurred throughout the meadow/plantation area (areas 1 to 9), albeit, the suite of flowers has changed since 2014. This increase of flowers attracted greater numbers of flower-visiting invertebrates, that are, of course, inadvertent pollinators. The seedlings which were planted in the meadow/plantation area (areas 1 to 9) from December 2012 onwards are now beginning to rise above maximum level of the meadowland, and when comparing the results of the invertebrate survey carried out during 2017 with earlier surveys it is noticeable that many invertebrates which were initially only recorded on the fringes of the study area have now moved onto the main Meadow/plantation area (area 1 to 9) too. These have tended to be arboreal species and others usually occur in the close proximity of trees and bushes. Continuous intensive systematic monitoring of invertebrate assemblages at Three Hagges Wood-meadow is providing much useful data and would not be possible