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TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORFOLK &. NORWICH NATURALISTS' SOCIETY Edited by E. A. Ellis Assistant Editor: P. W. Lambley Vol. 26 Part 1 MAY 1982 TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORFOLK AND NORWICH NATURALISTS SOCIETY Volume 26, Part 1 (May 1982) Editor Dr E. A. Ellis Assistant Editor P. W. Lambley ISSN 0375 7226 OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY 1981-82 President— Dr C. P. Petch President Elect: Mr Bruce Robinson Castle Museum, Norwich Vice-Presidents: P. R. Banham, A. Bull, K. B. Clarke, K. C. Durrant, E. A. Ellis, R. Miss C. Gurney, Jones, M. J. Seago, J. A. Steers, E. L. Swann, F. J. Taylor-Page General Secretary: R. E. Baker 25 Southern Reach, Mulbarton, NR14 8BU. Tel. Mulbarton 70609 Assistant Secretary: (Membership and Publications) Miss J. Wakefield Post Office Lane, Saxthorpe, NR11 7BL Assistant Secretary: (Minutes) K. B. Clarke Excursion Secretary: Mrs J. Robinson 5 Southern Reach, Mulbarton, NR14 8BU. Tel. Mulbarton 70576 Treasurer: D. A. Dorling St Edmundsbury, 6 New Road, Hethersett. Tel. Norwich 810318 Assistant Treasurer: R. Robinson Editor: E. A. Ellis Assistant Editor: P. W. Lambley Auditor: J. E. Timbers Committee: Mr M. Baker, Miss A. Brewster, Dr A. Davy (University Representative), J. Fenton, C. Goodwin, R. Hancy, R. Hobbs (Norfolk Naturalists' Trust), P. W. Lambley (Museum Representative), Dr R. Leaney, R. P. Libbey, M. Taylor, Dr G. D. Watts, P. Wright (Nature Conservancy Representative). ORGANISERS OF PRINCIPAL SPECIALIST GROUPS Birds (Editor of the Report): M. J. Seago, 33 Acacia Road, Thorpe Mammals (Editor of the Report): R. Hancy, 124 Fakenham Road, Taverham, NR8 6QH Plants: P. W. Lambley, and E. L. Swann Fungi: E. A. Ellis Insects: K. C. Durrant 18 The Avenue, Sheringham NR26 8DG Amphibia-Reptiles: J. Buckley 22 Aurania Avenue, Norwich Mollusca: R. E. Baker Marine: P. R. Banham Field Study Centre, Polka Road, Wells-next-Sea Freshwater: R. Driscoll Castle Museum, Norwich 1 PAST PRESIDENTS REV. JOSEPH CROMPTON, M.A 1869-70 E. H. HANKIN, M.A., Sc.D 1925-26 REV. JOSEPH CROMPTON, M.A 1870-71 E. H. HANKIN, M.A., Sc.D 1926-27 1871-72 HENRY STEVENSON, F.L.S H. J. HOWARD, F.L.S 1927-28 MICHAEL BEVERLEY, M.D 1872-73 H. F. WITHERBY, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 1928-29 FREDERIC KITTON, Hon. F.R.M.S. 1873-74 G. H. GURNEY, F.E.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 1929-30 H. D. GELDART 1874-75 A. M. GELDART 1930-31 JOHN B. BRIDGMAN 1875-76 E. J. SALISBURY, D.Sc., F.L.S 1931-32 T. G. BAYFIELD 1876-77 MAJOR A. BUXTON, D.S.O., M.B.O.U. ... 1932-33 F. W. HARMER, F.G.S 1877-78 MAJOR A. BUXTON, D.S.O., M.B.O.U. ... 1933-34 F. W. HARMER, F.G.S. 1878-79 W. P. PYCRAFT, F.L.S., F.Z.S 1934-35 THOMAS SOUTHWELL, F.Z.S 1879-80 COLIN McLEAN 1935-36 OCTAVIUS CORDER 1880-81 G.J. COOKE 1936-37 J.H. GURNEY, Jun., F.Z.S 1881-82 J. M. FERRIER, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U 1937-38 H. D. GELDART 1882-83 E. T. BQARDMAN 1938-39 H. M. UPCHER, F.Z.S 1883-84 HUGH WORMALD, M.B.O.U 1939-40 FRANCIS SUTTON, F.C.S 1884-85 J. A. STEERS, M.A 1940-41 MAJOR H.W.FIELDEN, E. C. KEITH 1941-42 C.B., F.G.S., C.M.Z.S 1885-86 A. J. RUDD, O.B.E., F.Z.S 1942-43 SIR PETER EADE; M.D., F.R.C.P 1886-87 C. E. GAY 1943-44 SIR EDWARD NEWTON, SIR H.E.S. UPCHER 1944-45 K.C.M.G.,F.L.S., C.M.Z.S 1887-88 H. W. BACK 1945-46 1888-89 J. H. GURNEY, F.L.S. , F.Z.S R. G. BUXTON 1946-47 SHEPHERD T. TAYLOR, M.B 1889-90 THE EARL OF LEICESTER 1947-48 HENRY SEEBOHM, F.L.S., F.Z.S 1890-91 R. PEARCE GOULD 1948-49 F. D. WHEELER, M.A., LL.D 1891-92 JAMES FISHER 1949-50 HORACE B. WOODWARD, F.G.S. 1892-93 J. E. SAINTY, B.Sc 1950-51 THOMAS SOUTHWELL; F.Z.S 1893-94 J. M. LAMBERT, M.A., F.L.S 1951-52 C.B. PLOWRIGHT, M.D. 1894-95 R. P. BAGNALL-OAKELEY 1952-53 H.D. GELDART 1,895-96 E. A. ELLIS, F.L.S 1953-54 SIR F. C. M. BOILEAU, Bart., E. A. ELLIS, F.L.S 1954-55 F.Z.S., F.S.A 1896-97 R. JONES 1955-56 E. W. PRESTON, F.R.Met.Soc 1897-98 E. L. SWANN, F.L.S 1956-57 J.H. GURNEY, F.L.S.., F.Z.S. 1898-99 E. DUFFEY, O.B.E., Ph.D 1957-58 JOHN T. HOTBLACK . 1899-1900 F. J. TAYLOR-PAGE 1958-59 SIDNEY F. HARMER, Sc.D., F.R.S. 1900-01 L. C. JOHNSON 1959-60 W. H. BIDWELL 1901-02 K. C. DURRANT, F.R.E.S., J.P 1960-61 HENRY WOODWARD, J. M. LAMBERT, M.A., Ph.D., F.L.S. 1961-62 1902-03 M. SEAGO 1962-63 LL.D., F.R.S. , V.P.Z.S., F.G.S J. FREDERICK LONG; L.R.C.P 1903-04 JOHN BUXTON 1963-64 WALTER GARSTANG, M.A . 1904-05 RUTH M. BARNES, A.M.A., F.L.S. 1964-65 EUSTACE GURNEY, M.A., F.Z.S. 1905-06 T. A. BENNET-CLARK, C.B.E., F.R.S. ... 1965-66 C. A. HAMOND 1906-07 B. FORMAN, Ph.D 1966-67 1967-68 SYDNEY H. LONG, M.D., M.B.O.U. 1907-08 R. P. BAGNALL-OAKELEY REV. M. C. H. BIRD, M.A., M.B.O.U. .. 1908-09 E. A. ELLIS, F.L.S 1968-69 D. G. THOMSON, M.D 1909-10 ETHEL M. BUTTERY, B.Sc 1969-70 W. M. CROWFOOT, F.R.C.S 1910-11 P.R. BANHAM, B.A 1970-71 W. LINCOLNE SUTTON, F.I.C 1911-12 J. A. KITCHING, O.B.E., F.R.S 1971-72 ROBERT GURNEY, M.A., F.Z.S. ... 1912-13 K.B. CLARKE, B.Sc., F.G.S 1972-73 ALICE M. GELDART 1913-14 CATHERINE GURNEY 1973-74 J. H.F. WALTER, F.Z.S 1914-15 A. BULL 1974-75 ... H. J. THOULESS 1915-16 EARL OF CRANBROOK, C.B. E., F.L.S. 1975-76 CLAUDE B. TICEHURST, M.A., M.B.O.U. 1916-17 M. GEORGE, Ph.D 1976-77 W. G. CLARKE, F.G.S. 1917-18 D.M.MAXEY 1977-78 EDWARD BIDWELL 1918-19 P. J. TRETT, J.P 1978-79 1979-80 J. H. GURNEY, F.L.S., F.Z.S 1919-20 E. T. DANIELS B. B. RIVIERE, F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U. 1920-21 P. W. LAMBLEY, B.Sc 1980-81 1981-82 E.L. TURNER, F.L.S., F.Z.S 1921-22 DRC. P.PETCH RUSSELL J. COLMAN 1922-23 SIR HUGH R. BEEVOR, Bart 1923-24 DONALD HUTCHINSON, M.D 1924-25 2 NOTES ON RARE DYTISCIDAE (COLEOPTERA] IN NORFOLK by G. N. Foster 20 Angus Ave., Prestwick, Ayrshire. Introduction The Norfolk Broads were the first wetland complex to be comprehensively surveyed for aquatic Coleoptera in Britain (Balfour-Browne, 1905). On the basis of a visit in 1935, Professor Balfour-Browne (1940) implied that the rare water beetles associated with mowing marsh were likely to disappear with the uncontrolled growth of Phmgmites communis. He also predicted that Hydroporus scalesianus Stephens was still likely to be found in other sites in East Anglia and in Lincolnshire. No records of the rarest water beetles have been published since Balfour-Browne' s survey despite otherwise highly productive recent surveys (Pope, 1969; Driscoll, 1978) until Palmer's (1981) survey of the Stanford Training Area ponds, in one of which H. scalesianus and Hydiaena palustiis Erichson were found. Surveys of wetlands in Norfolk in September 1977, September 1978 and April and June 1981 have revealed four of the rarest British diving beetles two of which are, in Britain, apparently now confined to Norfolk. The Beetles Bidessus unistiiatus (Schrank) This has always been a rare water beetle in Britain, known from Dorset, South Hants, Middlesex, Cambridgeshire, West and East Norfolk in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and as late as 1947 from a now defunct site at Camber, East Sussex. Balfour-Browne (1905) recorded unistiiatus widely in the Broads area where its relative abundance in different districts indicated a preference for slightly brackish water. C. E. Tottenham took it at Catfield in September 1926 and two specimens were taken in dykes on Catfield Fen recently, one in September 1977 by the author and the other in March 1978 by Professor J. A. Owen. The remains of unistiiatus are common in Flandrian deposits in Somerset, according to Girling (1976, 1977). It existed only during that part of the hydrosere dominated by moss and sedges in eutrophic pools in the Abbot's Way sample (Girling, 1976) and was dominant in the Rowland's Track sample (Girling, 1977) in a period when the peat was derived from developing fen woodland. The map (fig 1) indicates a dramatic eastward decline in this species, not all of which can be explained either by lack of collecting or by the difficulty of detecting such a small beetle in netted debris. Samples of beetles from Dorset, South Hants, Sussex and Norfolk have been checked for the possibility of confusion with giossepunctatus Vorbringer, a closely related species recently detected in Sweden (Huggert and Nilsson, 1978) and Denmark (Holmen, 1979).