An Inventory of Invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow During 2016 and Updates on Previous Surveys Libellula depressa [Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly] Tachina fera [a parasitic fly] Bombus lucorum [White-tailed Bumblebee] Rhagio scolopaceus [a snipe-fly] A Report to Hagge Woods Trust by Andrew Grayson The Author: Andrew Grayson Andrew was born in Scarborough on the 14th of June 1962. 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. Andrew has been a full- time freelance entomological consultant since 2009. His previous profession was in the laundry industry, working 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 also the author, or co-author, of more than 100 papers published in various scientific journals etc. since 1987. His papers include species new to Britain and new to England, plus notes on exceptionally rare species. Andrew is recognised as the national expert on Tabanidae (horseflies etc.) and Oestridae (bot-flies and Forum at Oxford University Museum of Natural History warble-flies etc.). He is the founder and Scheme in 2010. Andrew’s entomological studies have been Organiser of the national Oestridae Study Group, which carried out on a variety of habitats at many localities was established under the auspices of the Dipterists scattered throughout Britain, but the majority of his Forum, of which Andrew was an inaugural member. His professional entomological surveys have been on other current volunteer posts include Recorder for brownfield land, principally in the Humberside and Insects for the Ryedale Natural History Society, and Teesside regions. Andrew carried out a baseline study Recorder for Diptera for the Yorkshire Naturalists’ of invertebrate assemblages at Three Hagges Wood- Union. Andrew has held both these posts for more than meadow [then known as Three Hagges Jubilee Wood] two decades. Andrew has given various talks to between April and September 2014 (Grayson, 2014). organisations concerned with the natural sciences, the This study was repeated during 2015 (Grayson, 2016) most prestigious being a presentation on the World and 2016 (the current report), and will be repeated Oestridae fauna, which was delivered to the Dipterists annually for at least several more years to come. Invertebrates on the Front Cover Libellula depressa [Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly]: this conspicuous dragonfly was first recorded around the Pond (Area 10) on 22nd July 2014 by Dave Chesmore. The 2015 sightings included a female ovipositing in the centre of the Pond (Area 10) on 1st July 2015 by Andrew Grayson, who subsequently found a larva there via pond-dipping on 5th May 2016; indeed, fair numbers of adults were reared successfully from the pond during 2016. The individual in the photograph was an immature female at rest on vegetation at the eastern periphery of the Pond (Area 10) on 2nd June 2016. Tachina fera [a parasitic fly]: this large and conspicuous bristly fly was first recorded on flowers on the margin of the Pond (Area 10) on 7th September 2014. It was subsequently recorded quite widely within the Three Hagges Wood-meadow survey area during 2015. This individual was photographed in the About Thyme Wood (Area 11) on 1st September 2016, and was one of four Tachina fera feeding on the same cluster of flowers. Bombus lucorum [White-tailed Bumblebee]: this common bumblebee was fairly frequent at Three Hagges Wood-meadow from 2014 to 2016. This individual queen was photographed whilst it investigated potentially suitable nest sites on the mown MG5 Meadow survey compartment (Area 9) on 11th April 2016. Rhagio scolopaceus [Down-looker Fly]: this conspicuous and locally-common snipe-fly fly typically rests with its head pointing downwards; hence, its common name. It was recorded in small numbers in the southern half of the meadow/plantation area in each of the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. This individual was photographed on a post in the Bodger’s Den (Area 8a) on 2nd June 2016, and was one of a group of three males resting on the same post. All PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS REPORT WERE TAKEN BY ANDREW GRAYSON DURING 2016 UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE An Inventory of Invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow During 2016 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 10th August 2017 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 1 SUMMARY . 1 THE SURVEY AREA . 1 SURVEY METHODOLOGY . 2 PRINCIPAL SURVEY REQUIREMENTS . 2 SURVEY COMPARTMENTS . 3 SURVEY DATES, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NOTES . 3 TARGET ASSEMBLAGES . 4 SUPPLEMENTARY RECORDING OF INVERTEBRATES . 5 PRESERVATION OF SPECIMENS . 5 INCIDENTAL RECORDING OF PLANTS . 5 RESULTS . 5 INTRODUCTION . 5 SPECIES OF NATIONAL CONSERVATION CONCERN . 6 SPIE [FORMERLY UK BAP PRIORITY SPECIES] . 6 JNCC-LISTED SPECIES . 11 DIPTERA NEW TO VICE-COUNTY 61 . 14 A RUBY-TAILED WASP NEW TO BRITAIN . 14 SUMMARY TABLES OF SURVEY DATA 2016 . 15 COMMENTS . 21 NOTES ON INVERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGES 2016 . 21 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 21 REFERENCES . 22 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: PLANS . 23 APPENDIX 2: SURVEY COMPARTMENTS . 25 APPENDIX 3: FULL INVERTEBRATE LIST 2014 to 2016 . 81 APPENDIX 4: INVERTEBRATE LIST FOR 2016 . 100 APPENDIX 5: DISSECTION OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FOR 2016 . 114 APPENDIX 6: INVERTEBRATES RECORDED FROM HOLLICARRS WOOD IN 2016 . 125 APPENDIX 7: PLANT LIST FOR 2016 . 126 APPENDIX 8: PHOTOGRAPHS OF INVERTEBRATES . 127 APPENDIX 9: PHOTOGRAPHS OF EVENTS ETC. 151 APPENDIX 10: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2016 . 159 APPENDIX 11: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2015 . 196 APPENDIX 12: SPREADSHEET OF INVERTEBRATE DATA FROM THREE HAGGES WOOD-MEADOW 2014 . 222 Appendices 10 to 12 are not paginated [pages 159 to 253] 1 INTRODUCTION SUMMARY This is the author’s third report on the invertebrates of Three Hagges Wood-meadow, which was previously known as Three Hagges Jubilee Wood. The first report (Grayson, 2014) included the results of the inaugural baseline study of invertebrate assemblages which was carried out during 2014. The second report (Grayson 2016) covered the 2015 survey. The main invertebrate monitoring activities at Three Hagges Wood-meadow during 2014 to 2016 have been Andrew Grayson’s monthly surveys. The results of this systematic monitoring of invertebrate assemblages have been greatly supplemented by the work of other enthusiastic visitors to the recording area, including members of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, and Pat and Jim Bone who have made numerous visits to Three Hagges Wood-meadow in order to count butterfly numbers and take photographs of butterflies and other conspicuous invertebrates. Our knowledge of nocturnal moths is principally due to periodic light-trapping carried out by Dave Chesmore and Lin Hawthorne; although, it was unfortunate that Dave Chesmore was unable to carry out any recording during 2016 due to a combination of ill health and inclement weather. On the positive side, our knowledge of the aquatic fauna was greatly improved during 2016 due to the results of pond-dipping carried out by Martin Hammond, Naomi Ewald, Anne Heathcote and Andrew Grayson. The overall list of invertebrates recorded from Three Hagges Wood-meadow currently stands at 748 species, with 480 species being recorded during 2016, including 227 additions or amendments to the combined list for 2014 and 2015. In its first year in operation, the Bee Hotel (Area 1a) [photographs on pages 152 and 156 to 158] proved rather successful in attracting nests of target bee and wasp communities, and attracting their parasites, including the ruby-tailed wasp Chrysis corusca, which has not yet been added to the British list; indeed, it’s discovery here is only the second or third British record (D. Chesmore, pers. comm.). Roughly 20% of the numerous holes and canes etc. in the Bee Hotel (Area 1a) were occupied, or filled-in, by bees and wasps during 2016. The meadow/plantation area (areas 1 to 9) featured a spectacular display of wild flowers during 2014 which was produced by cornfield annuals in the wild flower seed mixes. This abundance of flowers became significantly reduced by 2016. Consequently, 2016 also saw a notable reduction in the numbers of flower-visiting invertebrates such as hoverflies and mining bees on the meadow/plantation area (areas 1 to 9) compared with the 2014 monitoring study. Continuous intensive systematic monitoring of invertebrate assemblages at Three Hagges Wood-meadow is providing much useful data, and would not be possible without funding support kindly provided by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. This funding support is a direct consequence of the considerable work and enthusiasm for the Three Hagges Wood- meadow project shown by Rosalind Forbes Adam [chair of the Hagge Woods Trust] and Lin Hawthorne. THE SURVEY AREA LOCATION The extents of the Three Hagges Wood-meadow survey area, and its survey compartments, are marked on a plan in Appendix 1 [page 24]. On a broad scale, Three Hagges Wood-meadow is roughly situated between York and Selby, in the modern county of North Yorkshire. More specifically, Three Hagges Wood-meadow adjoins the eastern side of the A19 road between the villages of Escrick and Riccall, and is situated in the National Grid 1km square SE6239. The approximate central 1m square of the survey area is SE6267039610. Given alternatively, the approximate central latitudinal and longitudinal geographic co-ordinates of the survey area are 53°50’55.96”N 1°02’56.00”W.