Botanic Garden site supports all the “Big Six” common bumblebee and four of their cuckoo parasites [Bombus terrestris and it’s cuckoo Bombus vestalis; Bombus lucorum; Bombus hortorum; Bombus pratorum and it’s cuckoo Bombus sylvestris; Bombus lapidarius and it’s cuckoo Bombus rupestris; and Bombus pascuorum and it’s cuckoo Bombus campestris [a melanic form - all black - of this cuckoo was seen the day before]. The foraging choices of the bumblebees included Fuchsia, NEWSLETTER 40 Obedient plant, Nepeta, Pelargonium, Inula, Liatris, Veronicastrum, Eryngium, Sidalcea, Dahlia, Chicory and especially Lavender. How many bumbles does your garden support? It would be a real contribution to bumblebee conservation if all gardens provided a wide range of foraging choices for any bumble visitors, from early spring, throughout the summer and into the autumn. ENTOMOLOGICAL January 2009 * In VC55, possibly indicating climate change, some bumblebees are now thought to over- SOCIETY winter as they do further south e.g.: Bombus terrestris workers seen with pollen loads, foraging Lonicera x purpusei in my garden in January 2008. VC55

Maggie Frankum, August 2008 ______

Indoor Meetings Programme More about the Black Arches (Lymanlia monacha) All meetings are held at Holly Hayes, 216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicestershire LE4 4DG. Arrive at 7:00 pm for pre-meeting refreshments. Evening session starts at 7:30 pm in the lecture room. considered a more favourable locality for Further to Graham Finch’s article (see trapping: clearly the ’” think “ differently. th Newsletter 39) on the distribution of this Thursday, 19 February 2009 species in Leicestershire, I have also made „Recorder friendly leafminers‟ – Anona Finch will introduce us to the leafmining that are records starting with a moth trapping session, easy to identify and show us their unique habits and lifestyles. along with Glen McPhail, at a farm in Scraptoft st th (SK664054) on the 21 July 2006. The night Thursday, 19 March 2009 was warm and still and so conditions were set Garden Moth Scheme – Dave Grundy will introduce us to the garden moth scheme that has been fair for a good night on moth records. running very successfully in the west midlands area. Dave hopes to recruit new members outside the We did not have to wait too long to record this west midlands. species, although only a single individual was

th caught it was the fifth species caught on what Thursday, 16 April 2009 turned out to be a good mothing night. CANCELLED THERE IS NO INDOOR MEETING IN APRIL.

My next encounter with this species was at Ketton Quarry on the 3rd August 2007, a site Looking for information? where you would expect it to be found; once The following are willing to act as an initial point of contact for providing advice and information to again I was trapping with Glen. Glen caught the members. As you will see, this list is far from complete – If you think you can help, please let us know. only specimen of the session at the edge of the sheet. This gives us one record at the edge of the city and one 25 miles away. Lepidoptera:- Adrian Russell, 15 St Swithin’s Road, Leicester LE5 2GE. Tel. 0116 241 5101. Email: [email protected]. Black arches (Lymanlia monacha) My final record for this species is perhaps the

Biological Recording:- Sue Timms Holly Hayes, 216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicestershire most surprising. It was recorded by Lenny th LE4 4DG. Tel: 0116 267 0018. Email: [email protected] Holton on the 5 August 2008 in his garden Harry Ball trap on a mild and cloudy night. Lenny lives on Coleoptera :- Derek Lott, 5 Welland Road, Barrow on Soar, Leicestershire LE12 8NA Evelynn Road at the back of Braunston Lane Stratiomys potamida (or The Banded [email protected] (SK5402) which is well into the city. These Email: General) at Rough Hill three records, together with Graham’s, suggest that black arches is making a slow recovery Diptera :- John Kramer, 31 Ash Tree Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5TE I was lucky enough to come across this super Tel. 0116 271 6499. Email: [email protected] and is spreading west across the county. It will be interesting to see where else this species is soldierfly on an umbellifer near the pond at Rough Hill, Newtown Linford on 30th June Hymenoptera :- Maggie Frankum, 3 Chapel Lane, Knighton, Leicester LE2 3WF recorded in the county in 2008. 2008. I am grateful to Steve Woodward for Tel. 0116 270 5833. Emai:l [email protected] rushing over to photograph it. Lenny Holton, over a number of years, has had some good moth records, for example white Hemiptera:- Dave Budworth, 121 Wood Lane, Newhall, Swadlincote, According to Stubbs and Drake 2001 the larvae spot (Hadena albimacula) and small Derbys., DE11 0LX. Email: [email protected] ranunculus (Hecatera dysodea). I do not catch live in wet places such as seepages and pond edges and since the late 1970's records have as many of the same species although his locality and mine are not far from each other, been getting more frequent so that it is now known from much of England and South and my trapping location might be Wales. 20 1

I did some searching for other VC55 records bumblebee species, what better venue to bumblebee species and their cuckoos, that LEICESTERSHIRE and the NBN Gateway came up with the details choose for the meeting than the Botanic might be foraging there; and to make a note of ENTOMOLOGICAL of three previous records - Muschamp in 1946 Garden in Oadby, with the herbaceous borders the flowers they were foraging. The route was at Leicester Canal, Derek Lott in 1982 on ablaze with a wide range of flower colours, by way of the formal pond and fountains, the SOCIETY Buddon and “Anon.” in 1986 at the River Eye. shapes and perfumes, guaranteed to entice sunken garden and the fuchsia collection near Affiliated to: I then spoke to Howard Bradshaw who any passing bumblebees to forage for nectar to Beaumont House; then across to the Leicestershire & Wildlife Trust searched through his records and came up and pollen; and challenge the knowledge and limestone garden and the lavender borders in with four more of his sightings of this species in identification skills of those attending the the herb garden near Southmeade; then Chairman & 1988 on Hogweed in Reedpool Spinney on the workshop. My thanks go to Richard Gornall for around the Order Beds and the natural pond LES Occasional Publications Editor: the Quenby Estate, at Bede Island, on Wild giving us permission to use the site. near Hastings House and back to the Knoll Ray Morris 16 Hinckley Road, Dadlington Carrot on an old track in 1999 and again at entrance again. Leics. CV13 6HU Quenby in Carr Bridge Spinney, on Hogweed So on a sunny Sunday afternoon in early Telephone: 01455 213569 in 2003 and this year on Giant Hogweed near August amidst wedding parties and lots of The August workshop was rather late in the Email: [email protected] Baggrave Hall on 4th July. Maggie Frankum other visitors to the sculpture exhibition and season, springtime being the ideal time to start

tells me that Gareth Burton found a female at the Fibonacci Pavement, I met up with my identifying the different bumblebee species. Secretary: the Attenborough Arboretum, Knighton, group of ten trainee “bombologists” at the Knoll The first ones seen are the big queens, newly Anona Finch Leicester on 17th July 2006. entrance. They included absolute beginners emerged from hibernation and searching for 14 Thorndale, and two were beekeepers; however what they nest sites in which to start their new colonies; Ibstock, Leics. LE67 6JT all had in good measure was lots of or foraging for nectar [for energy] and pollen [email protected] enthusiasm, which would certainly be put to [protein for developing young], often the test during the afternoon! There followed a depending on the early spring flowers, shrubs Treasurer: general introduction to bumblebees and their and bulbs that you have thoughtfully provided Stuart Poole 18 Croft Drive, Wigston, life cycle, pointing out the three castes - in your garden. The smaller infertile female Leicester LE18 1HD queens, workers and drones [males]. The role workers share similar coloured hair patterns to Telephone: 0116 288 0236 of “cuckoo” bumblebees was also explained. their queen and so identification to species is [email protected] These are parasites in the nests of “true” fairly easy [e.g.:- black-bodied red-tail [Bombus

Committee Members: bumblebees, having no need for a worker lapidarius]; banded red-tail [Bombus pratorum],

Dave Budworth caste, because when the female “cuckoos” two-banded white tail [Bombus lucorum], two- 121 Wood Lane, infiltrate their host queen’s nest, they kill the banded buff tail [Bombus terrestris], three- Newhall, Swadlincote queen and make the host workers rear the banded white tail [Bombus hortorum] and Derbys. DE11 0LX “cuckoo” young. brown [Bombus pascuorum] etc]. Cuckoo Telephone: 01283 215188 Strationmys potamida Photo Steve Woodward Email: [email protected] bumbles have slightly different colour patterns I suspect that there are more Leicestershire The technique for catching specimens was to their hosts, each species being associated Maggie & Roy Frankum sightings that have not reached the system. demonstrated, using clear plastic lensed cubes with a particular host [e.g.:- Bombus vestalis is 3 Chapel Lane, Knighton, rather than hand-held nets. The cubes a cuckoo in the nest of Bombus terrestris]. Leicester LE2 3WF Does anyone know of further records? Telephone: 0116 270 5833 facilitate close-up viewing, which helps when [email protected] Ref. Stubbs, A.E. & Drake, M. 2001. British comparing the colour patterns of the captive By late summer, many bumble colonies have Soldierflies and their Allies. BENHS. bumblebee with simple colour identification reached maximum size, with new daughter Consultant Entomologist charts. Cubes provide a quick way to gently queens and drones mating on the wing as well.

capture bumblebees without damaging them or The workshop beginners were really “dropped Derek Lott Helen Ikin 5 Welland Road, the flowers they’re visiting – or indeed the in at the deep end” with far more tricky Barrow upon Soar, catcher! Bumblebees are usually non- identification clues to watch out for. The Leics. LE12 8NA aggressive as they are far too busy foraging different colour patterns of the “true” Telephone: Email: [email protected] Black Hairstreak (Strymonidia around the flowers, however the females do bumblebee drones [sexual dimorphism] and have a sting but it is only used in self defence! the cuckoo males, added to the confusion; it pruni)Survey at Luffenham Heath – swatting at them with a net might be was all about the number and colour of bands Newsletter Editor: Golf Course (SK 9502) in2008 construed as an aggressive act requiring on the thorax and abdomen; the colour of the Frank Clark Lenny Holton made seven trips to the golf 4 Main Street, defensive retaliation! [I’ve only ever been tail; and the facial hair colour of males – black Houghton on the Hill, course to search for black hairstreak butterflies. stung once in my life and that was when I or yellow – and very often a combination of Leicester LE7 9GD It takes two to three hours to walk around the grabbed a handful of compost from a newly these clues was required split identification to Telephone: 0116 243 2725 golf course and entails stopping for 5-15 opened bag - unfortunately a bumblebee species. Older bumbles at the end of their life Email [email protected] minutes at various locations (see LES queen had decided that the dark interior was a had faded hairs or bald patches where the hair Newsletter 36 for locations), normally where likely place to set up her nest, so I grabbed her was completely worn away. Next Copy Deadline: there are large stands of mature blackthorn as well which was obviously considered to be 5 t h Septembe r 2009 (Prunus spinosa) or nectar sources such as an aggressive act on my part and she stung We saw mostly drones on our visit, because bramble ( fruticosus agg.)or wild my finger! The bumble died and was sent to the mated daughter queens would already be (Ligustrum vulgare). the Barrow Collections as a specimen for the in their hibernation tunnels. They are the only “Bee Box”! bumblebees to survive until the following year, The visits were made on the following dates:- all the others die*; and the drones with nothing 08.06.08, 15.6.08, 17.06.08, 19.06.08, It was time to put knowledge into practice and else to do, spend lots of time crawling over 22.06.08, 26.06.08, 29.06.08. we set off on a circular walk around the easy access flowers [like visiting the “bumble On the 15.06.08 one possible sighting of the Botanic Garden, hopefully to catch and identify pub”!], until the cold weather kills them off. butterfly was made and on the 19.06.08 one any of the “Big Six” common [yet declining] Our final tally for the visit showed that the black hairstreak was seen. Both sightings were 2 19

th Ladybird Parasites made in the large area behind the 16 hole the drilling also melts the rubber coating if you (see LES Newsletter 36 for location). are too impatient! Next time I try this, I will On the 11th June 2008, Gareth Burton, at the The weather during the summer of 2008 was make a clamp out of two bits of wood with 16 Attenborough Arboretum [University of not quite as bad as in 2007 enabling more trips mm holes, and drill more slowly! Leicester], Knighton, Leicester, [SK600015], to be made. However, conditions were often brought me two ladybird pupae that he had windy and overcast which are not good found on grass stems. We wondered if the conditions in which to spot butterflies. pupae were harlequin ladybirds [Harmonia axyridis]. He said that harlequins had been The bad weather during last year (2007) may less numerous in 2008 than in the previous have had an effect on the numbers in 2008 as year. fewer individuals were seen this year. Lenny Holton believes that black hairstreaks may take Photo: Maggie Frankum a number of years for populations to recover to Parasitic Phalacrotophora sp. former population density after periods of adverse conditions. The have now been sent to Dr. Remy We would like to thank the Luffenham Heath Ware at the Evolutionary Genetics Group at Golf Club committee and members for their Cambridge University, who is working on kind permission in allowing us to carry out the Have a go yourself, if you have the balls. Or Phalacrotophora, particularly in relation to the survey. bring any spares to me. harlequin ladybird but also native coccinellids. Harry Ball & Glen McPhail

______Stephen Woodward Maggie Frankum & Gareth Burton, ______22.10.2008 A USE FOR DEAD MICE

MICROSCOPE ILLUMINATION

Manipulating a pinned insect under the Buzzing About in the Botanic microscope is not easy. Using our fingers, it’s LEDs are revolutionising the world of lighting.

Photo: Maggie Frankum Garden difficult to hold it steady enough to count the No longer are they little red dots that remind Ladybird pupae on grass stems bristles on its hind metatarsals - but then the you that the hi-fi is on - they are replacing even We grow flowers for all kinds of reasons. next couplet in the key expects us to turn the the brightest of incandescent lamps. They are There were several tiny larvae moving around Some offer a considerable challenge to our insect over and look at some feature of the particularly good for microscopy because they the petri-dish and by the 12th June 2008, they gardening skills; and all are incredibly beautiful pronotum. Every step in the key has us fiddling run cool - it’s now possible to identify a live had pupated. However on the 14th June 2008, to look at in detail, their colours and shapes about with our specimen - couldn’t they put all creature before it’s fried to a crisp. Fibre-optic an adult 7-spot ladybird [Coccinella 7-punctata] being the palette of our planting schemes – yet the leg questions together? lamps used to be the “cool” thing to use, but emerged from one pupa and was released. we should not forget their true function, which they are ludicrously expensive. is to bribe passing with nectar and What we need is something to position and pollen, thus making them unwitting tools in the rotate our insect freely and quickly, then to hold At a meeting last year I demonstrated an LED important process of pollination – the results of it there. My solution to this problem is to find a desk lamp on a flexible stalk from B&Q. It’s still which are in all those little packets that we buy dead computer mouse and remove the rubber- on sale and the price has come down to about each year. coated ball. Find a scrap of MDF or plywood £12, I think. For low power work it works very about 100 mm square and drill a 16 mm hole well. But as the magnification goes up, so Most gardeners recognise honeybees but not through it. The ball should sit snugly in the does the intensity of light required. At x40 I everyone is aware of the various bumblebees hole. Better still, one hole in the centre and was struggling to see the pores on a that visit our gardens. Different bumblebee another near a corner. Now with a knife, slice centipede’s coxa - I now realise that the species have tongue lengths that are adapted off a circle of the rubber about 10 mm diameter problem was not the microscope but lack of to exploit different kinds of flowers, thus so that the steel ball is just exposed. Cut a light. reducing competition for the same nectar small piece of plastazote (or cork) to fit over the sources e.g.:- long-tongued bumbles visit circle, about 10 mm thick, and glue it on. Job flowers with long tubular corollas; and short- done. Photo: Maggie Frankum tongued bumblebees visit open, easy access Parasite pupae flowers, however sometimes they take sneaky A pinned insect can now be stuck into the

rd bites at the base of long corollas and rob the plastazote and quickly turned to almost any I kept the parasite pupae and on the 3 July nectar, thus by-passing the important angle under the microscope. 2008, tiny flies emerged. I emailed the photos pollination process – which other opportunists to Peter Brown [Ladybird Survey], who passed may then exploit with a bit of secondary The length of the pin (typically 38 mm) is a bit my message on to Mike Majerus. I asked if robbery! of a nuisance, since we may have to rack the the other pupa was a harlequin and if so, were focus up and down as we rotate the ball. My parasites finally catching up? Mike said that Earlier this year, I was asked by the Mark 2 Manipulator has a hole drilled into the both the ladybird pupae are 7-spots, not Bumblebee Conservation Trust to lead a mouse ball, beneath the plastazote, to harlequins. The parasites are scuttle-flies of bumblebee identification workshop for their consume most of the pin. This brings the the family Phoridae and although the species members from the Midlands area. As gardens insect closer to the centre of rotation. Drilling a cannot be determined, it is almost certainly are of great importance in the conservation of hole in a steel ball is a DIY challenge, either Phalacrotophora fasciata or P. several of our common yet declining especially when it cannot be gripped solidly in beroliensis. a vice as it’s covered in rubber! The heat of 18 3

I paced out the length of the fringe, where the Tesco are selling, for a mere £8, a “3 Watt species were active, which was 33 yards. Aluminium Torch” model FT-MN-2AA. It uses 2 x AA cells and it’s 150 mm long. It is The whole length was full of stridulating Short extremely bright and focused into a spot. It’s winged-Coneheads. It was not possible to popular with cyclists for dazzling car drivers. estimate the numbers. Many females were Best of all, on my Prior dissecting microscope it seen, and two were captured, and fits into the hole vacated by the “death ray” photographed. We noted the short wings, and incandescent spotlight. On other microscopes the diagnostic identification point of the female; it may be necessary to contrive something to the female’s upturned ovipositor. The Long hold it in place - but the torch comes to pieces winged-Conehead female’s ovipositor is almost easily, so the DIY entomologist would have straight. This is a great way to separate these little difficulty in fixing the LED assembly coneheads. wherever it is needed. I put one female on the open field, next to the

Stephen Woodward rushes, and Dave and I got flat on our Photo:Maggie Frankum Photo:Gareth Burton stomachs to take the profile. Dave also A. grossulariae catkin Attenborough A.grossulariae catkin 27.10.2008, Gareth photographed a Short winged-Conehead Arboretum Burton. Further new site for Short- winged nymph. Peter also took photos of the adult. Conehead (Conocephalus dorsalis). As the sun warmed up, a pair of Lesser Marsh Also in the central cavity of the gall were silken I emailed photos to Chris and they have been Grasshoppers were caught and identified, as cocoons blocking the exit hole [each with a verified as the catkin form of A. grossulariae th Friday 10 October 2008. Hambleton was the nymph of the Meadow Grasshopper. white larva]. ♀♀. Part of the gall had been browsed to Peninsular. South shore of North Arm 1. access the larvae – a good source of protein! We spent some time listening to the stridulating Force 3, warm, 3/8 thin clouds, dry. 10.15am. of the Short winged-Coneheads, which was a learning curve for the boys. At this time of the Clive Jones, Dave Needham, Alistair season, the rate of the stridulating is a little Lawrence, Peter Scott, Phil Rudkin. slower. It was quite amazing to listen to the winding down at intervals, which sounds similar Amazing, incredible! They are the only words to free-wheeling on the gears of a pushbike. to describe the following. Cast your minds back to September 2007, and my finding of the first Discussion: The discovery of the Short Short- winged Coneheads in Rutland. Located winged-Conehead in 2007 was on the in the verge along the Hambleton Peninsular Hambleton Peninsular roadside verge. The Road. This season of 2008, the small habitat is tall Rosebay Willow Herb/grasses population had not expanded, but were heard and thistles. The Map reference being SK 892 stridulating in the same spot. 080. The discovery today of the large colony near Fast track to the end of the Rutland Natural the shoreline (approx half a mile away), is SK History Society indoor meeting on the evening 901 079. This sets the new colony nicely, just Photo:Maggie Frankum of Tuesday 7th October in Oakham. Over tea inside the next 1km square. Therefore, a new Caterpillar skin, frass & cocoons A. grossulariae gall Attenborough Arboretum and biscuits, the above group decided to meet square for this species. Photo:Maggie Frankum th up on Friday morning, 10 October 2008, at A.grossulariae agamic, Q.robur catkin chewed the Hambleton Peninsular Road, the small car This is an incredible find! The reason being, There was also a caterpillar skin and frass. area, Attenborough Arboretum 28.10.2008. The larvae in the cocoons were probably park for fishermen. The temperature was rising that no one had discovered this colony before. to 20C in the sun. This raises the intriguing question: when did endoparasitoids of the caterpillar [I’ll try to rear Finally, on 11th November 2008, Gareth found them out]. I bound the two pieces of gall the species arrive in this location? The an acorn-cup form of Andricus grossulariae We set off at 10.15am, and over the stile, into numbers are very high indeed. This cricket has together again with cotton thread and the ♀♀, at the Arboretum cynipid should emerge later as usual. the fields along the south shore of North Arm 1. a single year egg cycle (the same as the Long- We eventually arrived at the fifth field. The winged Conehead). The latter species had th first species to note was a lovely male built up large colonies within 2 years. So, could On the 27 October 2008, Gareth found yet Stonechat, on a clump of rushes. Clive went the Short- winged Conehead have been here another gall showing the remnant of a catkin. uphill towards the trees, and found a Hornets for 2 to 3 years? I have not received reports, nest. Meanwhile, we were nearing the clump or found myself, any other colonies in Rutland. of rushes, and I switched on the bat detector. The reason could be in the choice of habitat: What a surprise! The unmistakable sounds of Quote. Habitat: Short winged-Conehead; “It A.grossulariae on acorn cup Attenborough Short winged-Coneheads were heard. SK may be found on salt marshes amongst Arboretum 12.11.2008. 90170 07954. Elevation: 85m. grasses and rushes, and also inland in reed beds and bogs and other damp areas”. Clive describes the habitat: “A fringe of rushes Quote. Habitat: Short-winged Conehead: “It is Maggie Frankum and Tufted Hair Grass, above the shore line, normally found in damper places than the ______between 3 to 6 metres wide”. Long-winged Conehead, such as salt marshes

4 17

On the 20th October 2008, Chris found another and estuarine meadows, and inland in wet Sunday morning, 12th October 2008. 11.35am. Andricus aries gall near to the main gate car meadows and ditches”. 20C. Warm, clear sky, sunny, force 1, dry, park at Knighton Park, Leicester, [SK606008], north west. so it has really established itself here. The Long- winged Conehead is much more widely distributed throughout Rutland, and can The weather was excellent today, and I took And another “first” for VC55 be found in a variety of habitats. Quote. the opportunity to return to the site. The Habitat: Long- winged Conehead; temperature was constant at 25C, when I On the 4th October 2008, Gareth found some “An inhabitant of coarse dry and damp reached the location. During the next 2 hours, catkin galls on the Oak, Quercus cerris, grassland of all sorts, including downland, I took photographs of the site. Sound recorded at the University of Leicester Botanic Garden, moorland, woodland edge, reed beds and the stridulations. Noticeable, was the Oadby, Leics. [SK616015]. marshes”. observation of a macropterous male and a female, (long winged form), but they were very Therefore, it is easy to see that the Short- alert to my efforts at capture. Meadow winged Conehead is much more restricted in Grasshoppers were also heard stridulating. its choice of habitat. The shoreline of North Arm 1 is a popular wildfowl area, so not much Another new species for this square was a notice will have been taken of this stretch of small colony of Speckled Bush Crickets, picked rushes. It was lucky indeed that we decided to up on the bat detector. They were in the tree hop over the style, to walk the fields, instead of line, upwards on the hill bordering the 5th Field, the path towards Armley Woods. That still with circa 4 in Ash, and 15 yards further up, leaves the question of the tiny colony on the another 8, again in Ash. Same map reference, Peninsular Road. Where did that emanate but this time at elevation of 88 m. The Hornets

Photo:Richard Illife from? Later, after a snack in the car park, we were very busy also. had a stroll along the verge, (which is 0.2 miles A.grossulariae agamic on acorn cup, Bosworth th Park, from the car park), and heard only 2 spasmodic Phil Rudkin. 13 October 2008. bursts from Roesel’s Bush Crickets. Nothing th from the Short- winged Coneheads. We Photo:Maggie Frankum On the 24 October 2008, Gareth also found a specimen of an asexual A. grossulariae ♀♀ observed the habitat, and here was a clue: the A personal tribute to the late Audrey Andricus grossulariae sexual on Q. cerris, tall dead Rosebay Willow Herb/Thistles and Lomas by Harry Ball Botanic Garden, Oadby catkin gall on the boardwalk at the Arboretum but there was no evidence of acorn cups. Was grasses are in a very dry area. I first met Audrey Lomas when I was working Will this small colony survive? Food for as a volunteer at the Leicester Museum on These were identified as the sexual generation this the new catkin form of A. grossulariae ♀♀ mentioned by Chris Leach in his article in thought! New Walk where I was Helping Donald Hall of Andricus grossulariae ♀♂. These are Smith on the moth and butterfly collections. rounded with a distinct point, green with fine Cecidology? [“A Form of Andricus grossulariae Galls New to the U.K.”, Although Audrey did not always arrive for work hairs when young, becoming red, then dark at the museum before I left to go home there purple or black; shiny and hard when mature Cecidology, Vol. 23, No.2, Pages 61-62]. Chris refers to comments by Graham Stone were times when we did meet and it was at [Page 415, BPG Keys], [although these galls these times she gave me advice on how to were brown with emergence holes at the tip]. [Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh], that this catkin gall used to be identify moths. On this subject she was an expert and she helped sort out many of my Following on from this at the L.E.S. meeting on called Andricus mayri but has since been th synonymised to Andricus grossulariae and the identification problems; nothing was too much the 16 October 2008, Richard Iliffe had a gall trouble for her, and this extended to anyone specimen that had been found on the 11th interesting thing is that you find the two catkin generations at about the same time, which else who needed advice. October, by a child on a public fungus walk at Bosworth Country Park, Leics. [SK412027]. means that this “new version” of A. grossulariae ♀♀ must have a two year We got on very well and, over a period of time, The gall was on a acorn cup, I started running a moth trap. After a while, alongside a Knopper Gall, Andricus lifecycle. The insects from the two types of gall are morphologically and genetically when I had become reasonably efficient at this, quercuscalicis ♀♀, and was later identified as I asked Audrey if she would consider the asexual generation of Andricus indistinguishable]. South shoreline of North Arm 1 10/10/2008 accompanying me on moth trapping nights to grossulariae ♀♀. which, to my delight, she said yes. Before rearing out the “boardwalk” catkin gall, References: Evans M. and Edmonson R.J.. I decided to have a look inside. I noticed an Now I would have an expert at my moth trap. 2007.A photographic Guide to the On the first night our strategy was for Audrey to exit hole and sectioned across at that point. Grasshoppers and Crickets of Britain and Inside were separate cells with a white cynipid stay at the sheet whilst I covered the surrounds . Publisher WGUK ISBN-13: 978- chasing the moths not coming to the sheet. larva present in each. 0954950613. Audrey would point out the different species we Baldock D. (1999) Grasshoppers and Crickets had collected giving me more of her knowledge of Surrey.Surrey Wildlife Trust. ISBN-13: 978- on them. I like to think that we formed a very 0952606543. good partnership and we had many happy nights at our moth trapping. Phil Rudkin. 11 October 2008. But all good things came to an end when Audrey was struck down with arthritis and could no longer go moth trapping in the field. However, it was not all bad news as I had 16 5 benefitted from all of her moth knowledge and I setting up the workshop, with Graham’s These galls have a globular base with two still had the chance to engage her in assistance, and of course to Stuart and Roger tapering projections, which may be long, discussions about them whenever our paths for so generously sharing their expertise. slender horns, or fused into a single strap, or crossed. When I left the museum I still kept in reduced to two points. They are green at first, touch with her by occasional visits to her home Leicestershire were reviewed by becoming brown, hard and woody. Andricus and by telephone and Christmas cards. Darwyn Sumner in 1998. He assigned species aries is an alien oak gall that arrived in Britain Audrey was a quiet lady but when you got to to relative frequency groups 1 - 8, group 1 around 1998 and is gradually extending its know her she was a very kind unassuming being the most frequently recorded in the range northwards, [Page 405, BPG Keys]. A person who would do anything to help anyone county and group 6 being the least. There couple of weeks later [15th September], Gareth that asked for her assistance. I hope if there were no group 7 species. Group 8 was brought along another gall from the are moth trappers in heaven she is with them. reserved for species with no recent record. I Attenborough Arboretum and this proved to be suspect that not much recording has been a second record for the Rams Horn Gall, done between 1998 and 2008. The table Photo:Maggie Frankum Andricus aries [♀♀] in VC55, Harry Ball A. seminationis Attenborough Arboretum ______below shows what the Class of 2008 have found between them, with columns for the 12.06.2008 popular recording sites. The contributors are HOVERFLY UPDATE Helen Ikin (HI), Steve Woodward, Steve Smith, Identifying them was a challenge - at first Maggie Frankum (MF), Ray Morris, Richard glance, they looked a bit like Andricus The second session of the LES Hoverfly Iliffe, Anona Finch and Graham Finch. We callidoma [♀♀] but they are bud galls, whereas Identification Workshop was held on 14 have not attempted to collate the records of the specimens were on oak catkins. They December at Barrow Collection Resources others. Some 60 taxa are listed, nearly all of turned out to be the rare Common Spindle or Centre. Armed with the knowledge gained at them from 2008 - a handful of older specimens Barley-corn gall, Andricus seminationis [♀♀] the first session (reported in Newsletter 39), were also checked. [Page 416, British Plant Galls Keys, Redfern, trainees were expected to collect some Shirley and Bloxham] – a possible “first” for specimens over the year and have a go at We can report two new additions to the county VC55. The galls are green initially but then turn identifying them. Stuart Ball and Roger Morris, list and “lost” species that have been found, as brown as they mature and fall to the ground, who run the National Hoverfly Recording follows: unless parasitised. One gall was opened under Scheme, returned as promised to check our the microscope and it contained a white larva. IDs and resolve any difficulties. Rhingia rostrata (Linnaeus, 1758) used to be The other galls are in the process of being a Red Data Book 3 species in the original reared out and a single adult female cynipid The order Diptera (two-winged flies) is the Insect Red Data Book (Shirt, 1987). It was wasp should emerge from each gall next largest in Britain with about 7000 species. then downgraded to Nationally Scarce spring. Photo:Maggie Frankum Hoverflies are “manageable” family within the (Notable) by Falk (1991) and Ball and Morris A.aries with emergence holes Attenborough Diptera, with less than 300 species. Most are have de-listed it in the latest review (pers. Aliens arrive in VC55 Arboretum 6.10.2008 medium to large insects and many have comm., nearing publication). th th colourful markings. With practice, many can be At the end of August [30 ], Chris Leach led a On the 6 October 2008, cynipid wasp causers named in the field, but look-alikes abound so to In October 2008, HI found a male of this gall meeting at Steve and Ros Smith’s farm started to emerge from the Andricus aries be sure of correct identification, a specimen species in a garden at Woodhouse and this is [North Farm, Shenton, Market Bosworth, galls. needs to be put under the microscope. The the first record for the county. The Hoverfly Leics]. Near to the house, Steve and Chris distinguishing characters can be very small or Recording Scheme website found a cluster of bud galls on Quercus robur, subtle, so it is essential to run the hoverfly (www.hoverfly.org.uk) shows that records of R. including Marble galls, Andricus kollari [♀♀], through the key - matching it up with a picture rostrata are getting more frequent, mostly from and another unusual gall that Chris identified may not identify it accurately. There is an south east England and towards the borders of as the Rams Horn Gall, Andricus aries [♀♀], excellent hoverfly book (Stubbs & Falk 2002) Wales. The only records in counties adjacent another “first” for VC55. with illustrated keys and superb colour plates. to VC55 are three from Northamptonshire in The keys are generally good, but there are 2007 & 2008 with the next nearest being Salop, some awkward couplets - notably the dreaded Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Hereford. “hairy humeri” question that foxes novices, as it It has been found in only 128 10 km squares. is the very first couplet in the master key! Stubbs and Falk say that it seems to be erratic Humeri are the “shoulders” at the front of the in its occurrence and many records are thorax, which tend to be obscured by the fly’s associated with deciduous woodland. Nothing head. This couplet does get easier with is known about the habits of the larvae or even practice, but others are persistently where they live - badger dung-pits are a troublesome. We still struggle with the width of possibility. The larvae of the very common the black stripe on the face of Eristalis, which Rhingia campestris are found in the dung of seems to vary with the age of the fly. Or cattle and probably of other too. deciding whether abdominal hairs are dark or Photo:Maggie Frankum pale - are they really pale or black and shining R. rostrata is similar to the much commoner R. A.aries wasp Attenborough Arboretum under the light? It certainly helps to have an campestris but the abdomen is entirely orange 6.10.2008 expert at your elbow who knows where the key except for a possible narrow centre black stripe Photo:Steven Woodward should be leading! Anyway, we worked our on tergite 2. The lateral edges of the tergites, A. aries & A.kollari at North Farm Shenton. way through the specimens (not to mention the where they join the sternites, have no black. Steven Woodward. chocolate biscuits) and gained a lot of The tibiae are orange with no black. The confidence. Many thanks to Anona Finch for 6 15

“nose” is slightly shorter than in Rhingia A new hoverfly in the garden campestris which is known as the Heineken Hoverfly on account of its reaching ability. My most exciting “first” for the garden in Perhaps R. rostrata should be the Carling August 2008, was the arrival of the big Hoverfly, although there is a Polish lager called zonaria hoverfly that is spreading Brock! northwards. The slightly smaller Volucella inanis moved north and arrived here in the quadrimaculata (Verrall, 1873) garden a few years ago. Neil down in Reading was taken from a sunlit tree-trunk in the upper kept saying “You just wait until the big one part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve by SFW in arrives!” Well, Volucella zonaria is certainly an March 2008. The fly was completely black as impressive yellow, black and chocolate striped this was a female - the specific epithet refers to hoverfly that at first glance, looks very much the four spots on the male’s abdomen. This is like a hornet – but then you realise that the one of several species with hairy eyes! M. “jizz” is wrong. Other Volucella hoverflies have quadrimaculata adults feed on sallow and hazel catkins. The larvae predate upon . also been seen in the garden this summer – Photo : Maggie Frankum Volucella inanis, regular sightings of Volucella Volucella inanis on Hemp Agrimony Records are thinly scattered throughout pellucens, hovering motionless in the sunshine England, Scotland and Wales - this is the first and the less frequent Volucella bombylans f. [Ref: British Hoverflies, Alan Stubbs & Steve for Leicestershire. plumata [the white-tailed bumblebee mimic]. Falk] In August, HI captured Helophilus trivittatus Volucella hoverflies are found in association Volucella inanis Ulverscroft NR August 2008 with wasp nests, where their larvae feed on the (Fabricus, 1805) in Herbert’s Meadow at Maggie Frankum Ulverscroft NR. This is a first for the reserve nest detritus [even though I haven’t seen that (Poda, 1761) ______and is one of Sumner’s “lost” species (group 8). Volucella zonaria many wasps this year]. In the past, I have This is even more impressive than V. inanis, watched a Volucella pellucens slowly sidle into Helophilus species are strikingly patterned, with vertical bands on the thorax and horizontal and is a good hornet mimic. MF’s Knighton the entrance of a vulgaris wasp’s Some interesting oak galls found in record on 15 July 2008 appears to be the first nest, without being challenged by the workers VC55, in 2008. on the abdomen (see photo). for the county (see Maggie’s article and photo). that were coming and going. Like the previous species, it likes gardens and On 10th June 2008, Gareth Burton emailed me glaucia (Linnaeus, 1758) was also reported as “lost” by Sumner but SFW found is moving north and threatens to cause a photo of some galls that he’d found on widespread panic among gardeners and Quercus robur, at the Attenborough one near Groby Pool, feeding on an Angelica head on the roadside verge. The colour of the picnickers. SFW found a specimen on Arboretum, Knighton, Leicester [SK600015]. Cotoneaster at Braunstone Frith at the end of abdomen was bluish-grey with black bands, though yellow forms of this species are also August. known. Sericomyia silentis (Harris, 1776) Another species lost and found is Another large wasp mimic, reported as “lost” by Sumner but found by (you’ve guessed it) MF at interrupta (Fabricius, 1805). It turned up on the Shenton Estate feeding on Knighton on 29 Sep 2007.

mint at the end of August. HI also found one at Cademan Moor (near Whitwick) on 16 July. Sphaerophoria are slender flies with yellow and References black abdomens. They can only be identified Falk, S. J., 1991. A review of the scarce and from the male genitalia. threatened flies of . Research and Survey in Nature Conservation . NCC. 39 Photo : Maggie Frankum Photo: Gareth Burton Volucella inanis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large A. seminationis Attenborough Arboretum Shirt, D.B., 1987. British Red Data Books 2. Volucella zonaria♀ on buddleia yellow and black fly, superficially like a wasp. It had not been recorded in the county when Insects. NCC. A couple of days later, he brought along some Sumner’s review was published. Formerly of the longitudinally ridged galls, which were Stubbs, A.E. & Falk, S.J., 2nd ed. 2002. British attached by stalks to thickened petioles. confined to southern England, from about 2000 the range of this species has expanded Hoverflies. BENHS

dramatically. It has colonised the Midlands and Eastern England and is penetrating the Sumner, D., 1998. Diptera: Syrphidae - A northern counties. MF has regularly recorded it review of the current status of Leicestershire Hoverflies. Leicestershire Recorder , pp42- in her Knighton garden since 2002. HI netted a 2 specimen in Herbert’s Meadow in August, 45. which later posed for a photograph.

Below is a table of hoverfly records tabulated at the hoverfly workshop.

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Garden Moth Scheme Groby ace Dieu ace Knighton Cademan Dadlington Freq group Freq Gr Woodhouse Shenton Est Shenton Poultney Fm Poultney

Newtown Linf Newtown Dear All, Ulverscroft NR Ulverscroft Scientific Name Other sites I 'm getting in touch with you as we are keen to encourage more recorders for the Garden Moth Baccha elongata 5 * * * * * Scheme (GMS) in the East Midlands in time for the start of our recording year on March 6th. So would Cheilosia albitarsis 2 * Mountsorrel you be interested in joining in with recording for 2009? Loughborough, In case you want more information on the GMS then please see the attached note about attracting Cheilosia illustrata 3 * * * Swithland more people in 2009. Also for your interest I attach a copy of our latest newsletter to give you more of Chrysogaster solstitialis 4 * * * * a flavour of what is involved. If you do want more information or want to join in then please get back in Chrysotoxum bicinctum 3 * * touch with me or Roger Freestone (our East Midlands coordinator) on Dasysyrphus albostriatus 3 * * [email protected]

Dasysyrphus tricinctus 5 * Also do you know of other moth recorders in your area that might be interested in joining in - if so then Dasysyrphus venustus 3 * please can you let them know about the GMS. If you have regular mailings or a newsletter or website Didea fasciata 5 * then please can you send information on the GMS to these sites? Do you have any moth meetings Epistrophe eligans 2 * * * * * Mountsorrel coming up in the next couple of months? If so, then would it be possible for me to attend and give a Epistrophe grossulariae 3 * slide show about the GMS to moth trappers?

Priory Water, Brentingby The GMS is completely voluntary run by moth trappers and for voluntary moth trappers and aims to Meadows, Asfordby Hill, achieve a valuable scientific dataset on what is happening to our common moths. This will enable us , Egleton NR, Cribb's to react quickly following these changes. Meadow, Loughborough, New Lount, Swithland, So I hope you might be interested in joining in and letting other moth recorders know about the GMS. Episyrphus balteatus 1 * * * * * * * Mkt Bosworth Please get back in touch with us if you are interested, Mkt Bosworth, New Eristalis arbustorum 1 * * * * * * Lount, Stonesby Quarry Best wishes Eristalis interruptus 2 * * * * * Dave Grundy Eristalis intricarius 2 * * * * DGCountryside, Eristalis horticola 2 * * Mkt Bosworth, 5, Melrose Avenue, Mountsorrel, New Lount, Woodfield Road, Eristalis pertinax 1 * * * * * * * Hinckley Sparkbrook, Birmingham, Mkt Bosworth, B12 8TG. Mountsorrel, New Lount, Eristalis tenax 1 * * * * * * * Woodhouse Eaves Tel: 0121-446-5446 Mobile: 0777-898-0924 Eupeodes corollae 2 Stonesby Quarry Email: [email protected] Eupeodes luniger 1 * * * * Website for Garden Moths; www.gardenmoths.org.uk Helophilus hybridus 4 *

Fosse Meadows, Mountsorrel, New Lount, Watermead CP, Mkt Helophilus pendulus 1 * * * * * * Bosworth Helophilus trivittatus 8 * Leucozona glaucia 8 * Leucozona lucorum 1 * * Melangyna compositarum 6 Swannymote Wood Melangyna quadrimaculata X * Melangyna umbellatarum 5 * Melanogaster hirtella 3 * Melanastoma mellinum 1 * * *

Asfordby Hill, Fosse Melanostoma scalare 1 * * * * * * * * * Meadows Meliscaeva auricolis 2 * Meliscaeva cinctella 5 * Merodon equestris 4 * * * Myathropa florea 2 * * * * Mountsorrel Herald (Scoliopterx libatrix) Neoascia podagrica 2 * New Lount Pipiza noctiluca agg. 4 *

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The record of the morning was the dark green Loughborough, New Dark Green Fritillary and other Platycheirus albimanus 1 * * * * * * * * * Lount, NR Lepidoptera at Browns Wood fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) which was spotted by Lenny Holton. It was in prime condition and Platycheirus ambiguus 6 * was feeding on a thistle head ( Platycheirus angustatus 3 * * * * Browns Wood (SP519963) is located in dissectum) no further than a couple of metres Platycheirus clypeatus 1 * * * * Aylestone Meadows northwest of Leicestershire and was planted by away. It seemed unaware of us and we Platycheirus granditarsus 4 * * * * * Sheepy Fields the Forestry Commission in 2002 on land watched it for some time. Excited by this Platycheirus peltatus 4 * * Quorn owned by a Mr Brown. This wood has already record we hoped to see more but alas we did turned into a very good area for birds, not. Platycheirus tarsalis 3 * butterflies and other insects probably due to, in Lea Meadows NR, my opinion, to the close proximity of a mature We continued to walk around the wood and Rhingia campestris 2 * * * * Watermead CP wood, hedgerows and five ponds. recorded the moths yellow shell Rhingia rostrata 6 *

(Camptogramma bilineata) and silver Y Scaeva pyrastri 2 New Lount We visited this wood on the morning of the 3rd (Autographa gamma). Our last lepidopteran Sericomyia silentis 8 * August 2008. The weather was good with record of the morning was the essex skipper Sphaerophoria 3 * * * Mkt Bosworth warm sunshine. Our first record of the morning (Thymelicus lineola). During the morning we was the larvae of the cinnabar moth (Tyria also recorded, in good numbers, the blue tailed Sphaerophoria interrupta 8 * * jacobaeae) on the many stands of ragwort damselfly (Ischnura elegans) and common Sphaerophoria scripta 2 * * * New Lount (Senceo jacobea). The next two species darter (Sympetrum striolatum). recorded were the ringlet (Aphantopus Mountsorrel, New Lount, Syritta pipiens 1 * * * * * * Stonesby Quarry hyperantus) and speckled wood (Parage Not a bad mornings recording capped by the Stonesby Quarry, aegeria), both of these butterflies were seen in dark green fritillary, only the second I have Loughborough, New good numbers all over the wood. The large Lount, Twycross, recorded in Leicestershire since I began Syrphus ribesii 1 * * * * * * * * * Hinckley white (Pieris brassicae), small white (Pieris recording; the other record was at south Syrphus torvus 3 * * * * Stoneywell rapae, green veined white (Pieris napi), Misterton in the 1970s. meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) and small Syrphus vitripennis 2 * * * * Loughborough skipper (Thymelticus sylvestris) were seen in We have conducted a fair amount of recording Volucella bombylans 4 * * * good numbers whilst only the occasional in some of these new Forestry Commission Volucella inanis X * * individual was seen of the Peacock (Ianachis plantations which has been very rewarding. Volucella pellucens 1 * * * * * * * Priory Water io). Volucella zonaria X * Braunstone Frith Harry Ball Xylota segnis 2 * * *

Helophilus pendulus, Ulverscroft NR 28th April 20

Stephen Woodward & Helen Ikin ______

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Craneflies in Leicestershire - a Brief thin acid soil and a few unpolluted streams Over-view such as Linford Brook. There on the stream A CHECK-LIST OF LEICESTERSHIRE CRANEFLIES margins can be found Pedicia littoralis, Compiled by John Kramer The Victoria County History of Leicestershire verralli and Molophius niger. of 1908, lists just nine species of craneflies in Sphagnum moss occurs very locally in the the list of Diptera published there, and this was area and Prionocera turcica has been TIPULIDAE Cheilotrichia imbuta Euphylidorea aperta due to the activity of W.A Vice. One hundred recorded at a few sites here. We have just one Ctenophora pectinicornis Empeda cinerascens Euphylidorea dispar years later we can list 134 species, and so, record of the much rarer P. subserricornis, Dictenidia bimaculata Crypteria limnophiloides Euphylidorea lineola despite the dearth of resident dipterists, some taken near Groby by Derek Whiteley in August Prionocera subserricornis Ellipteroides lateralis schranki progress has been made. 1989, who also recorded croccata Prionocera turcica Erioconopa trivialis Neolimnomyia adjuncta Leicestershire is a relatively uniform nearby, in June of the same year. Other local Nephrotoma appendiculata divisa Neolimnomyia nemoralis environment as regards the biotopes found Charnwood species include Tipula flavolineata, Nephrotoma cornicina Erioptera flavata Neolimnomyia batava there. There are no mountains, or large areas Crypteria limnophiloides, Ormosia Nephrotoma crocata Erioptera fuscipennis Neolimnomyia filata of moorland or bog. There is no coastline, and pseudosimilis, and Euphylidorea lineola. Nephrotoma flavescens Erioptera fusculenta fuscula no limestone valley with calcareous seepages. Tipula staegeri occurs in the Charnwood Nephrotoma flavipalpis Erioptera griseipennis Paradelphomyia nielseni With a lower diversity of biotopes there is less woodlands in the Autumn, but Tipula signata Nephrotoma guestfalica Erioptera lutea Paradelphomyia senilis species diversity, and even waterfalls are in has yet to be recorded. Nephrotoma quadrifaria Erioptera squalida Phylidorea ferruginea short supply, and so, therefore, is Tipula fulvipennis Erioptera verralli Phylidorea fulvonervosa didyma. In this region good indicators are as follows: Tipula luna Gnophomyia viridipennis Pilaria discicollis Old wet pasture - Tipula pruinosa; Erioptera Tipula maxima Gonempeda flava Pilaria fuscipennis Most of the soils are heavy clays and so there squalida; Marshland - Pedicia rivosa, Tipula Tipula vittata Gonomyia recta Pilaria scutellata are marshes, wet pasture and some wet maxima; Old woodland - Dictenidia Tipula unca Gonomyia simplex Pseudolimnophila lucorum woodland. bimaculata, Ctenophora pectinicornis Wet Tipula flavolineata Ilisia maculata Pseudolimnophila sepium Of course wet pasture grades into marshland, Woodland - Rhipidia uniseriata, Tipula cava Ilisia occoecata or into lake, pond or canal margins and some Atypophthalmus inustus; Tipula fascipennis appendiculatus marshland species are also found in wet Tipula lunata Molophilus bifidus Achyrolimonia woodland. Flowing water habitats such as Another local European species which should Tipula selene Molophilus bihamatus decemmaculata rivers, brooks and streams, flow through be mentioned, with just one record, is Tipula vernalis Molophilus cinereifrons Antocha vitripennis woodland and pasture and occasionally form nigropunctata ssp masoni, which, unusually, Tipula submarmorata Molophilus corniger Atypopthalmus inustus flood meadows. turned up in a spring-fed spinney in the north Tipula varipennis Molophilus griseus west of the county, to where perhaps, it had Tipula confusa Molophilus medius Dicranomyia autumnalis Most of the species that have been recorded in been blown. Its Leicestershire breeding site Tipula pagana Molophilus niger Dicranomyia chorea VC 55, are, not surprisingly, to be found in has yet to be discovered. Tipula rufina Molophilus obscurus Dicranomyia didyma marshland wet woodland. The marshland There remains plenty of work to be done within Tipula staegeri Molophilus ochraceus Dicranomyia lucida community consists of about forty species and VC55. There are a few other biotopes to Tipula oleracea Molophilus pleuralis Dicranomyia mitis includes Ilysia occoecata, Molophilus pleuralis, explore, such as the disused sand/gravel Tipula paludosa Molophilus serpentiger Dicranomyia modesta and Thaumastoptera calceata. Trimicra pilipes quarries. Also only a single record has been Tipula scripta Molophilus undulatus Dicranomyia morio has been recorded by Alan Stubbs in 1991 made of some of the rarer species, and so Tipula couckei Ormosia hederae Dicranomyia fusca from the edge of a flood slack, but, since this further confirmatory records would be Tipula lateralis Ormosia lineata Helius flavus habitat is vulnerable, it remains to be seen reassuring. There are undoubtedly more Tipula pruinosa Ormosia nodulosa Helius pallirostris whether it has survived the recent drought British species to be discovered in Ormosia pseudosimilis Limonia flavipes summers. Leicestershire and I have appended the CYLINDROTOMIDAE Rhypholophus bifurcatus Limonia macrostigma current Leicestershire Checklist to encourage Cylindrotoma distinctissima Rhypholophus Limonia nigropunctata There are about the same number of woodland its rapid enlargement! haemorrhoidalis Limonia nigropunctata species to be found, with 58 species being the PEDICIIDAE Rhypholophus varius masoni record. These include Nephrotoma If anyone wants to help with the national Dicranota bimaculata Symplecta stictica Limonia nubeculosa guestfallica, Tipula selene, Euphylidorea cranefly recording scheme Paradicranota pavida Symplecta hybrida Limonia phragmitidis dispar and Rhipidia uniseriata. (www.search.nbn.net ) they can contact me at Pedicia littoralis Trimicra pilipes Limonia trivittata Another rarity was Erioptera veralli from a [email protected] and I can provide Pedicia rivosa Lipsothrix nervosa stream margin in Launde Park Wood draft keys, help with identification and a Tricyphona immaculata LIMNOPHILINAE Lipsothrix remota printable e.record card. Ula mollissima Austrolimnophila ochracea Metalimnobia bifasciata One of the most interesting areas in the county Ula sylvatica Eloeophila maculata Neolimonia dumetorum is the Charnwood Forest area in the north of John Kramer Eloeophila submarmorata Rhipidia maculata Leicestershire. The igneous rock produces a LIMONIIDAE Eloeophila verralli Rhipidia uniseriata Epiphragma ocellare Thaumastoptera calceata

Ref: Chandler, P. (Ed) (1998) Checklist of Insects of the British Isles. Part 1: Diptera. Roy. Ent. Soc. London. ______

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