Promoting the study and conservation of invertebrates in North West England
Promoting the study and conservation of invertebrates in North West England
Invertebrate Notes August 2024
byLeanna Dixon
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.
Chromatomyia scolopendri (Agromyzidae), Marbury Country Park, VC58, 20/08/2024, C. Hynes
Most records seem to be from Wales and South-West England, very few records for the North-West
Aulagromyza tremulae (Agromyzidae), Anderton, VC58, 11/08/2024, C. Hynes
Nationally Scarce B. Only a handful of records in the North-West
Note from Phil Brighton
Records added to iRecord from the beginning of June until mid-August covered 468 Diptera taxa in VC58 (Cheshire), 461 in VC59 (South Lancashire) and 303 in VC60 (West Lancashire). There were 13 new species in VC58, 10 in VC59 and 16 in VC60. Of these, the following 10 were new to the region, mainly from the feeding signs and pre-adult stages in the leaf-miner and gall midge families.
Neuratelia nigricornis (Mycetophilidae), Loftshaw Moss, VC60, 21/06/2024, P. Brighton
This is one of just two British species in its genus, and fairly easy to identify from the wing vein pattern and male genitalia using the old fungus gnat key by Hutson et al. (Free download from the RES website www.royensoc.co.uk/publications)
The larvae are said to develop in moss, which was certainly present in this nice bog in the Forest of Bowland, visited during the Dipterists Forum field meeting based at Lancaster University. We can expect more new VC60 species as more results from the week gradually appear on iRecord.
The Cecidomyiidae is the largest family of British and Irish Diptera with 658 species. They are known as the gall midges, as most species form galls on specific plants from which they can often be identified to species.
Contarinia nicolayi develops in flowers on hogweed, which swell and remain closed, often with several affected in an umbel as seen here.
Jaapiella bryoniae (Cecidiomyiidae), Chester, VC58, 16/06/2024, M. Jones
As its name suggests, this gall midge attacks white bryony, distorting the young shoots and leaves into an irregular mass.
Although the key to British galls describes this as locally common from Durham southwards, there are only 6 iRecord records and 2 NBN Atlas records nationally.
The British Plant Gall Society has records held in Mapmate and is in the process of transferring them to a new Recording Scheme: see www.britishplantgallsociety.org
Dasineura serotina (Cecidiomyiidae), Garstang, VC60, 17/07/2024, B. Hedley
This gall midge causes deformation of the leaves in St John’s-worts, Hypericum perforatum in this case. There are 10 iRecord records. The galls are very similar to those of D. hyperici which has not been recorded in the region and has only 2 iRecord records.
Demeijerea rufipes (Chironomidae), Daresbury, VC58, 11/05/2024, P. Molloy
Chironomid midges en masse are a familiar sight, particularly over open water in spring, when they attract returning swallow and martins. They form our second largest Diptera family with 630 known species in Britain and Ireland: identification to species is a highly specialised skill, usually requiring slide preparation of the male genitalia. But this species, our only one in the genus, is an exception, albeit still with only 50 records or so on the NBN Atlas, mainly in England.
The larvae of this genus are obligatory miners of freshwater sponges.
On 3rd August the species was also recorded from Woolston Eyes on a Tanyptera Project Recording Day.
Charlie Barnes
Choerades marginatus (Asilidae) Alexandra Park, Crosby, VC59, 02/07/2024, P. Kinsella
This robber-fly is well recorded to the south of a Humber-Severn line (768 on iRecord), but this record represents a big jump. Of course flying insects can get a long way in a strong wind or can be hitch-hikers, but time alone will tell whether this is an one-off for VC59. The species ranges from 9 to 12mm in length and is noted for preying on fairly small and often tough items, possibly a heteropteran bug or a weevil in this case.
Liriomyza valerianae (Agromyzidae), Northwich, VC58, 04/07/2024, C. Hynes
This leaf-miner has been recorded from members of the Valerianaceae family and also Eupatorium (hemp agrimony). In this case it was Common Valerian. It is listed as “nationally scarce A” on Barry Warrington’s comprehensive website www.agromyzidae.co.uk. It has been recorded in 23 vice-counties spanning Britain up to the middle of Scotland.
Ophiomyia aquilegiana (Agromyzidae), Hartford, VC58, 17/06/2024, C. Hynes
This species is provisionally RDB2, and has been found in about 20 vice-counties in a swathe across the middle of the country from Glamorgan to East Yorkshire. The target plants are Aquilegias and meadow-rues (Thalictrum) with the larvae forming an external stem mine up to 50cm long.
Phytomyza krygeri (Agromyzidae), Northwich, VC58, 17/06/2024, C. Hynes
The larvae of this species live in the seeds of Aquilegia which they consume before forming the characteristic puparium. Although rated as “nationally scarce B”, it has been recorded in numerous vice-counties from Devon up to Northern Scotland. It was also recorded by Matthew Ames at Maw Green near Crewe on 20 July.
Phytomyza varipes (Agromyzidae), Northwich, VC58, 29/06/2024, C. Hynes
Like the last species this is a seed-eater, this time in yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus). Again, the puparia are found in the empty flower heads. This is classed as “nationally scarce A”, being recorded from 40 or more vice-counties and also from Ireland.
Hemiptera (True Bugs)
Stichopleurus punctatonervosus(Rhopalidae), Woolston Eyes, VC58, 03/08/2024, P. Brighton
A plant bug that has spread across the country from the south-east in recent years. The first Cheshire record was from 2023, near Chester.
