A selection of notable records reported to Tanyptera. Includes older, but newly recognized regional vice county records (dates blue). ‘The region’ = VC58, 59, 60 + Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester. All photos are copyright of the recorder unless stated otherwise.

Beetles (Coleoptera)

Aromia moschata (Cerambycidae), Ravenmeols, VC59, 30/06/2025, P. Smith

• Adult feeding on Hogweed pollen
• Previously only 13 records for Sefton Coast before 2023, with 2 during 2023, with 1,020 published UK records showing a widespread distribution (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• The larvae tend to develop in wood (dead or living) Willows, and can take several years to emerge as adults. Adults can be seen from May to September at various flowers in wetland habitats with mature Willows. When disturbed, the adults can stridulate and produce a mouse-like squeak, and also a musky odor (hence the common name, Musk Beetle) (flickr.com, Steven Falk).
• Cerambycidae, the Longhorn Beetles, are distinctive because of their long antennae. This species is distinctive for British Longhorns because of their larger size (35mm), greenish reflections, and pronotum with several small protrusions.

Athous campyloides (Elateridae), Southport, VC59, 16/06/2025, D. Stenhouse

• Male adult in garden.
• Potentially 1st VC59 record, and considered Nationally Scarce. 196 other published UK records showing a mainly southern distribution (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• Not much has been discovered about this species because of its scarcity, but other Athous species are associated with woodland and hedgerows where the larvae feed on the roots of various grasses, and the adults visit flowers (naturespot.org.uk).
• Other Athous species appear to be darker overall, especially in the pronotum, but close inspection and potentially dissection may be required.

Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera)

Antispila metallella (Heliozelidae), Ashtons Flash, Northwich, VC58, 19/06/2025, C. Hynes

• Leaf mine on Common Dogwood.
• Likely second VC58 record, only previous record in 1976. 130 other published UK records showing a scattered widespread distribution from South of England to Midlands with some in Wales (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• Also known as the Shining Dogwood Cutter, this species spends its larval stage (from July to August) as a leaf miner in Common Dogwood where it eats a short gallery close to the edge of a leaf, later forming a blotch. Then when nearly fully-grown, the larva cuts a small section from the leaf which it uses to fall to ground and use as a case to pupate on the ground. Adults emerge in Spring until early Summer (Sterling & Parsons, 2023).
• As larvae, Antispila metallella is most similar to A. petryi. A. petryi has a smaller excised leaf section than A. metallella (4-5mm compared to 5.5-7mm) (Sterling & Parsons, 2023). As adults, A. metallella is more orange compared to the black colouration of A. petryi.

Bees, Wasps, Ants, & Sawflies (Hymenoptera)

Eremotylus marginatus (Ichneumonidae), National Trust Site Office, Formby, VC59, 29/05/2025 (27/06/2025), R. Walker

• Male came to MV light trap
• 1st VC59 record. Potentially an increasing species, with no records further north than Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire until recently (pers. comm. w/ Dr. Gavin Broad, 2025). Only two records at nbnatlas.org, but this is likely due to under-recording/underreporting due to difficulty with identifying parasitoid wasps.
• A specimen has been reared by Dr. Mark Shaw from Sprawler moth larvae (Shaw, 2025) – which itself is very rare in VC59 and 60 (Smart & Palmer, 2024), so it could indicate the use of other hosts at Formby.
• The subfamily, Ophioninae, is generally distinctive in terms of Ichneumonids due to unique wing venation, generally testaceous colouration, and laterally compressed abdomens. This species can be distinguished from other Ophioninae species by the darker colouration and the possession of a tooth on the underside of the thorax (pers. comm. w/ Tony Hunter)

Andricus grossulariae f. sexual (Cynipidae), Marbury Country Park, Northwich, VC58, 06/06/2025, C. Hynes

• Possibly 3rd (for the sexual form) or 4th (for the species) record (totals of 12 and 81 records respectively), with a widespread but scattered distribution across the UK. This species was only first reported in Britain in 2000 (in Berkshire), and is spreading (nbnatlas.org.uk). The sexual galls are probably just as common, but overlooked as they are more inconspicuous than the agamic galls.
• Also known as the Acorn Cup Gall, this abnormal plant growth is caused by the larvae of a wasp that live within and feed on Turkey Oak. In Spring, sexual galls are caused on the catkins, and in Summer and Autumn agamic galls can be found on buds, acorns, or catkins (naturespot.org.uk)
• When on acorns or catkins, the agamic galls are distinctive; they grow as a star-like green mass with radiating appendages, but on the buds they could be confused with Andricus quercuscalicis which are similar in appearance. The sexual galls first form as sharply-pointed pea-like growths green in colour, and eventually turn bright red (naturespot.org.uk)

Arge melanochra (Argidae), Anderton, VC59, 16/06/2025, C. Hynes

• Possibly 1st VC58 record, with only 143 other published UK records showing a somewhat widespread distribution in a band from Norfolk to Dorset (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• The larvae of this sawfly (also known as the Hawthorn or Narrow-barred Fusehorn) feed singly on Hawthorn foliage, and adults can be found visiting flowers of umbellifers in June and July (flickr.com, Steven Falk)
• The Arge genus is relatively distinctive with most species being some combination of black and orange. A. melanochra is one of two Arge species with an orange abdomen and yellow costa on the forewing. The similar A. cyanocrocea also shares these characteristics, but has entirely black hind femora (yellow to orange in A. melanochra) (flickr.com, Steven Falk).

True Bugs (Hemiptera)

Conostethus griseus (Miridae), Heswall, The Wirral, VC59, 06/06/2025, P. Brighton

• Swept from Sea Purslane.
• Possibly 2nd VC59 record, with only 43 other published UK records showing a strictly coastal, but scattered, distribution (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• This Mirid is a saltmarsh specialist, feeding on saltmarsh grasses such as Puccinellia maritima.
• Conostethus griseus is very similar to another species in the genus, C. brevis, which occurs on the east coasts of Scotland and northern England. They are thought to be differentiated based on head width, body length, and antennal length – but whether they are actually separate species is doubtful (britishbugs.org.uk).

True Flies (Diptera)

Neria cibaria (Micropezidae), Alt Bridge, Formby, VC59, 08/06/2025, P. Smith

• Less than 10 other VC59 records, with a widespread UK distribution (nbnatlas.org.uk).
• This species can be found in woodland and other well-vegetated areas, where the adults feed on small insects such as aphids (naturespot.org.uk)
• The Micropezidae are distinctive flies due to their disproportionately long legs. Neria cibaria can be identified based on its all-orange frons, dusted thorax, and arista with a dark base (naturespot.org.uk)

iRecord top 10 species May 2025

References