Shropshire Entomology – October 2011 (No.4) A bi-annual newsletter focussing upon the study of insects and other invertebrates in the county of Shropshire (V.C. 40) October 2011 (Vol. 4) Editor: Pete Boardman [email protected] ~ Welcome ~ Welcome to the 4th edition of the Shropshire Entomology newsletter. I think it is fair to say that we’ve had an exciting year of entomological discovery within Shropshire, with the Invertebrate Challenge training courses throwing up some fabulous finds, and it has been brilliant to be able to work with so many committed and interesting people. I’m also pleased to include details of the Shropshire Entomology Weekend (in conjunction with Preston Montford Field Centre , The Shropshire Invertebrates Group, The Invertebrate Challenge, and the BENHS) with booking details. This is a great opportunity to get together with fellow entomologists in the late winter when there is little going on outside in the way of insect activity. Many thanks once more to everyone who has contributed to this edition. The deadline for submission of content for Vol. 5 is Friday 16th March 2012. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone you feel might be interested in it. Note – past newsletters are now available for download as PDF’s from www.invertebrate-challenge.org.uk/newsletters- and-resources.aspx ~ Contents ~ The stag’s lesser cousin : Simon Yates The chocolate tipula isn’t edible: Pete Boardman Solitary wasps part 2 and social wasps: Ian Cheeseborough The cranefly Molophilus niger Goetghebuer, 1920 new to Shropshire : Pete Boardman Some coleopteran finds of note, Shropshire 2011: Caroline Uff A duo of reed beetles new to Shropshire, and a second record of another: Pete Boardman, Caroline Uff & Nigel Jones ‚Websites I have loved!‛: Godfrey Blunt A bug paradise back at the ranch : Pete Boardman & Ian Cheeseborough Shropshire’s new jewel: Ian Cheeseborough Insects from a Shrewsbury window sill (including the wasp’s nest beetle Metoecus paradoxus (Linnaeus, 1761) at its first Shropshire location): Pete Boardman Micro-moths update: Godfrey Blunt Unusual mite behaviour on a Sexton beetle host: Jim Shaw Shieldbugs in the Wyre Forest, a few recent records: Brett Westwood The absence of the rusty red click beetle Elater ferrugineus Linnaeus, 1758 from Shropshire : Pete Boardman An astonishing hoverfly find in Shropshire: Nigel Jones The planthopper Issus coleoptratus (Fabricius, 1781) in Shropshire: Pete Boardman Notes from the Sixth International Symposium on the Syrphidae (Hoverflies), Glasgow August 2011: Nigel Jones Announcement: The Shropshire Entomology Weekend – February 18th & 19th 2012: Pete Boardman Obituary – ‚Beetleman‛: Caroline Uff The County Recorder Network 1 Dates for your diary Shropshire Entomology – October 2011 (No.4) The stag’s lesser cousin between the head and abdomen. The long black antennae are ‘kinked’ half way along and finish in a club. The larvae feed on rotting timber, I recently participated in one of the five ‘Beetle’ especially ash, beech and apple. days organised for the Invertebrate Challenge It will be interesting to find out if any other project. These days have taken us to various sightings are made within Shropshire. places throughout Shropshire and have been expertly run by Pete Boardman and Don Simon Yates Stenhouse. The beetle group met on a cool day in July at the (Ed. The current distribution of this species in Craven Arms Discovery Centre. Although the Shropshire taken from the SEDN invertebrate focus of the day was to gather data on the database lists records from Chetwynd Park near abundance of soldier beetles (Cantharidae) on Newport, Preston Montford, Attingham Park, the site, the experience gained on the previous Castlefields (Shrewsbury) and a recent record meetings enabled the group, with some from the centre of Ludlow.) confidence, to ‘go it alone’. We therefore had the opportunity to search for beetles from a number If you have come across this beetle on your of different families in a number of different travels – please pass on the details to pete@field- habitats. studies-council.org. Under one of the many logs that were turned over I found this amazing beetle, which turned The chocolate tipula isn’t edible! out to be the first record of this beetle at this site. The chocolate tipula Nigrotipula nigra (Linnaeus, 1758) isn’t edible. Well that is not strictly true as I suppose it is, but it probably doesn’t taste very nice, unless you are a starling or have Pica syndrome. That aside, I was really chuffed to receive a specimen of this uncommon fly from Ian Cheeseborough who took it from wet grassland at Cole Mere Country Park on 26th June 2011. The fly is principally associated with wet fen and is much more common to the south and the east of the United Kingdom. In Shropshire, it has previously been recorded from Morton Pool in 1993, interestingly on 23rd June, Dorcus parellelopipedus (Simon Yates) suggesting that the flight period may be quite limited. Although fairly common and widespread in the southern half of the UK, the uniformly blackish References; lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parellelopipedus) is a Boardman, P (2007) A provisional account and atlas small cousin of the better known stag beetle of the craneflies of Shropshire. Pete Boardman (Lucanus cervus). From the family Lucanidae and averaging between 18 and 32mm in length this species has a broad pronotum with a brown joint Pete Boardman 2 Shropshire Entomology – October 2011 (No.4) Solitary Wasps Part 2 and Social Pomilidae – spider-hunting wasps Wasps Very Rare; Anoplius caviventris Scarce; Priocnemis susterai, Auplopus This article covers the two remaining Super- carbonarius, Anoplius concinuus, and families in the British wasp world, namely the Arachnospila minutula Chrysidoidea and Vespoidea. The British wasps are classified from Superfamily (3) through Family (9) to Sub-family (22) then genera (78) and finally species. (Baldock, 2010). The above classification does not include the families Dryinidae, Embolemidae and Bethylidae. Chrysidoidea – 1 family – 3 sub-families - 11 genus Vespoidea – 6 families – 11 sub-families – 33 genus The 60 species of these two super-families found in Shropshire are represented by 27 genera. When added to the 63 species in the super- family Apoidea one can see that the total is 123. The previous article (see Shropshire Entomology Vol. 3) stated that Shropshire had 121 species, but I had over-looked one species and we have this season added a new Chrysid, Pseudomalus violaceus (see elsewhere in this newsletter – Ed.). Chrysis viridula (Nigel Jones) Species recorded in Shropshire of national importance are given below; Genus nesters Ground nesters Aerial General Chrysididae – ruby-tailed or jewel information wasps Cleptes (1) Parasitic on the Rare; Chrysura radians larvae of the Scarce; Cleptes semiauratus, Omalus aeneus, currant-sawfly O.puncticollis, Pseudomalus violaceus, (Nematus ribesii) Chrysis viridula, Omalus (2) The 2 species are # very difficult to tell Sapygidae apart. Parasitic on several genera of Scarce; Monosapyga clavicornis stem and dead wood 3 Shropshire Entomology – October 2011 (No.4) nesting wasps – Sapyga (1) A cleptoparasite of # Psenelus, Pemphredon various Osmia and Passaloecus species. Pseudomalus Parasitic on several Priocnemis (7) Red and black # # (2) genera of stem and spider-hunting wood nesting wasps. A species – including particularly difficult Rhopalum, genus to identify. Trypoxylon, Dipogon (2) Black spider-hunting # Pemphredon and wasps usually Passaloecus encountered on tree Hedychridium # A parasite of trunks and walls. (1) Tachysphex Auplopus (1) Black wasp found # pompiliformis, a around open ground nesting woodland and areas wasp which collects where individual grasshopper trees are present nymphs as prey. Agenioideus # Nests are found in Chrysis (6) # # All of the recorded (1) cavities, jumping Chrysis are parasites spiders (Salticidae) of Eumenid wasp as are the prey shown later. Pompilus (1) # A grey looking Chrysura (1) Recorded as a species associated # parasite of the with sandy habitats. solitary bee, Osmia Hunts a variety of leaiana. spider families Trichrysis (1) # A parasite of stem Episyron (1) # A readily and wood nesting identifiable spider- wasps in the genera hunting wasp – Pemphredon and associated with Trypoxylon. Possibly sandy habitats. some small bees Mainly collects orb- nesting in the same web spiders situations. (Araneidae) Tiphia (1) # Parasitic on Anoplius (4) # # Black or black and scarabaeid beetle red wasps. Nest in a larvae. T. minuta is a variety of situations. small black wasp. Spiders from a Myrmosa (1) # A parasite of ground variety of families nesting bees and are taken as prey wasps. Female is Arachnospila # Black and red wasps flightless. (4) found mainly in Monosapyga A wasp feeding on sandy habitats. A # (1) pollen! A wide variety of cleptoparasite on spiders are taken. Chelostoma and Evagetes (1) # A cleptoparasite. Its Osmia hosts are only suggested but are 4 Shropshire Entomology – October 2011 (No.4) thought to consist of ground nesting species of spider- hunting wasp. Ancistrocerus Yellow and black # (7) wasps usually nesting in stems and dead wood. Moth and beetle larvae are taken as prey Gymnomerus Nests are filled with # (1) weevil larvae (Hypera) and found Sapyga quinquepunctata (Nigel Jones) in plant stems Odynerus (1) # Nests of the (The figures in brackets correspond to the Shropshire species, number of species present within each genus O. spinipes are according to our records for Shropshire). usually found in vertical banks. Prey References: consists of weevil larvae (Hypera) Baldock, D.W. (2010). The Wasps of Surrey, Symmorphus Both Shropshire # (2) species are stem- Surrey Wildlife Atlas Project. nesters and hunt for BWARS Newsletter Autumn 2007 specific beetle larvae BWARS Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording around willow and Society. Members’ Handbook poplars as well as figwort in the case of Ian Cheeseborough S. gracilis. Vespa (1) Hornet. # Dolichovespula Usually found The Nationally scarce cranefly (4) # nesting above Molophilus niger Goetghebuer, 1920 ground in a variety of situations.