Volume 6 Issue 1 April 2015 Welcome to the eleventh issue of some exciting new Scottish Invertebrate News! Scottish finds, this issue features articles on the We hope you’re all enjoying 2015 Violet oil beetle, conservation so far and looking forward to an project Pearls in Peril and a exciting year ahead full of number of articles on new habitat discoveries and exciting events. projects that will benefit a number With the field season opening up, of Scottish species. it’s a wonderful time to explore Look out for volunteering and new areas, habitats and find some event opportunities on the events fascinating species. As well as page! The discovery of new species in Scotland is always Being small and belonging to a difficult genus, it of interest but it often begs the question of why it might be expected that it has simply been has not been found here before. overlooked but fortunately for me, However, when the species is small and as its name suggests, it is fairly and fairly obscure there is always the ‘distinctive’. Upon checking current possibility that nobody has looked for scientific literature, I found that it it or been able to identify it. has been mainly recorded from the I have been using flight interception south of England but in more recent traps in Ayrshire for a couple of years times it has been found in north and found a number of interesting Wales (1998 and 2003), Northern and scarce beetles, particularly those Ireland (2007) and Cumbria (2012). which depend on old trees and dead This record from Ayrshire would wood. One of these, found at Barlosh therefore appear to fit with a Moss SSSI in East Ayrshire, is northward spread and perhaps this Epuraea distincta, a small beetle, could be due to a warming climate. around 3mm in length, belonging to However, it is only through ongoing the family Nitidulidae and which has recording and the submission and previously not been recorded in Epuraea ditincta © Bruce publication of results that the picture Scotland. There is little information on Philip will become clearer. Epuraea its habits but the larvae of related species appear to distincta may be small but perhaps it has something important to say. live in the tunnels of wood boring beetles such as Scolytidae. Bruce Philip www.buglife.org.uk Tel: 01786 447 504 @buzz_dont_tweet Photo credits: Narrow-headed ant © Gus Jones, Flame shells © Calum Duncan, Great yellow bumblebee © Martin Scott (RSPB), Musselburugh’s buzzing lagoons Levenhall Links, Musselburgh is to be host to the RSPB In the spring and summer of 2014, Blue Leaf ‘Scotland’s BIG Nature Festival’ Nature was commissioned to carry out a this year, due to take place from biodiversity survey at Musselburgh Lagoons. The the 23rd – 24th of May. To find out more, see the surveyor made a total of five visits to the site events section at the end of the newsletter! between April and July to carry out a Breeding Bird Survey and to record the site’s invertebrates. Caroline Moreland Musselburgh Lagoons were used for the disposal Ayrshire longhorn discovery of Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) from nearby Cockenzie Power Station, which closed last year. Areas of the lagoons, particularly those with PFA- based soils exposed or near the surface, also had an exceptional invertebrate assemblage. Some interesting new species for East Lothian and Scotland were discovered during the survey including the Vestal cuckoo-bee (Bombus vestalis) and Striped slender robberfly (Leptogaster cylindrica), which are both new species for Scotland. The Vestal cuckoo-bee is widespread across the Midlands and south of England is comparatively rare in the north of England and has Red longhorn (Stictoleptura rubra) ©Steven Falk never been observed in Scotland before. This During 2013 and 2014, Buglife carried out a series cuckoo bumblebee is a parasite of the Buff-tailed of invertebrate surveys at Garnock West, a large bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and females can be coastal brownfield site in the Ardeer Peninsula, observed in April searching the ground for nests near Stevenston in Ayrshire. On the 17th July whilst males can be spotted towards the end of 2014, a male Red longhorn (Stictoleptura rubra) summer. The Striped slender robberfly, which was captured while sweeping heather in an open feeds on aphids, small flies and spiders, can area of dune heathland surrounded by mature usually be found in tall grassland. plantation. This uncommon longhorn beetle, with no previous records in Scotland, has a distinctly south-eastern distribution in the UK, but has been spreading north and west in recent years. The species is associated with coniferous woods, especially commercial plantations. The larvae develop in the wood of various conifers over 2-3 years before emerging as adults. Adults visit flowers such as thistles and brambles. The female has a red thorax and wing cases (elytra), which Striped slender robberfly (Leptogaster cylindrica) gives the species its name, while the male has a ©Steven Falk black thorax, sandy-brown elytra. The legs of both sexes are distinctive, with black femurs and paler East Lothian added 11 new species to their list tibia and tarsi. including a micro moth, seven species of true flies and three species of solitary bees. Additionally, 14 The identity of the specimen was verified by Martin species of butterfly, 32 hoverfly species, five Rejezek, the Longhorn (Ceramybicidae) Recording bumblebee species, six solitary bee species, four Scheme organiser, and appears to be the first social and solitary wasp species, two Ichneumons Scottish record of this species. and a sawfly species were recorded Scott Shanks at the site. A Flea-ful Fortuitous Find The Snow flea, a relative of scorpion flies, is most active Whilst on a camping trip in March at Comrie Croft - between October and April and and doing a quick survey of the mossy woodland habitat predates on other small - a Snow flea (Boreus invertebrates. It can be hyemalis) jumped onto my found in winter hopping hand. Having never been across snow and amongst recorded on this site or in mosses although is largely this area before it was a under recorded – partially fortuitous find! The individual due to the fact it is most in question was an adult active when entomologists female, identifiable by its are least active! long ovipositor which she Snow flea (Boreus hyemalis) © Gilles San Martin uses to lay eggs. Snow (Wikimedia commons) The Highland Biological fleas can jump heights of up Recording Group (HBRG) to 5cm. This is quite a feat considering the snow have currently set a Winter Challenge until April flea is, on average, 5mm in length – this is the asking for any records of the Snow flea. If you are equivalent of a British human female, of average also lucky enough to spot one, please follow this height (167.6 cm), jumping on top of a 5-storey link to find out how to submit your records. building. Gabrielle Flinn, Buglife The Ardeer Peninsular Pollinator Paradise surveys. These included 2 species of beetles, 6 During 2013 and 2014 Buglife and the Ardeer flies, 2 butterflies, 24 moths and 34 species of FRIENDS local wildlife group undertook a series of bees and wasps. A number of species that were invertebrate and habitat surveys at Garnock West, previously unknown in Scotland were also a large costal brownfield site at the north of the recorded during the surveys. These included the Ardeer Peninsula near Stevenston in Ayrshire. This uncommon Red longhorn beetle (Stictoleptura fantastic site is a complex rubra) (see page 2), the Hairy mosaic of high-quality -footed flower-bee wildflower-rich grassland, (Anthophora plumipes), fixed dunes, dune which is widely found in heathland, woodland, pine gardens and flower-rich plantation, scrub, carr and habitats in England and several large pools and Wales; and the Maritime associated wet areas. leafcutter bee (Megachile Several brownfield sites are maritime), which is scattered throughout the associated with coastal sand area with hard-standings of dunes in England. A Red- concrete and brick and the A Red-thighed epeolus bee (Epeolus cruciger) thighed epeolus bee remains of buildings, paths © Steven Falk (Epeolus cruciger) recorded and man-made ponds. at the site is the only confirmed Scottish record of Over 550 species of invertebrates were recorded this species. An older Scottish record collected in during visits to the site, including 163 species of 1899 at Irvine Moor is too damaged to confirm the moths and butterflies, 97 species of flies, 75 species. This is an important site for biodiversity species of beetles and 112 species of ants, bees and supports one of the richest assemblages of and wasps. The quality and diversity of habitats solitary bees and wasps in Scotland. The diversity present at Garnock West and the rest of the Ardeer and abundance of pollinating insects at Garnock Peninsula would suggest that many other species West was impressive, and their presence will await discovery. A significant number of Nationally undoubtedly benefit surrounding gardens, Rare and Scarce species were allotments and agriculture. recorded during the Garnock West Scott Shanks Expanding ranges — the invasive tale of objectively quantify it. However recently published the New Zealand flatworm continues research from Northern Ireland has shown that while some earthworm species may still persist in It is now 50 years since the New Zealand flatworm reasonable numbers other species such as the (Arthurdendyus triangulatus) was first officially Lob worm (Lumbricus terrestris) are permanently recorded in Scotland, found in the Edinburgh depressed and do not recover even after a number Botanic gardens. For about the first 30 years it of years. Lob worms and other anecic species was considered a non-native alien species which feed on the soil surface and therefore are a major was just a curiosity but then it was reported to be source of food for some mammals and birds and responsible for the decline of native species of there is evidence that flatworm infestations have earthworms and hence may have serious contributed to the eradication of moles from some implications for both agricultural production fields.