Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire

I reckon we must have reached 1,000 by now, collectively between all the 1k'ers. Difficult to work out our joint total without pooling all our records into a single database but that's my guess.

Since my last update on 4th May, the only recording I've done in the square has been in my garden. But I've added 51 species including 4 ticks, putting my total on 369. This is what I love about this challenge - discovering new wildlife right on my doorstep!

You've got to wonder whether it's really necessary to look at a whole 1km square in order to find 1,000 species. Jennifer Owen identified 2,673 species from her suburban garden in Leicester, though it took her 30 years to do so. She could probably have got nearer 6,000 with more effort on invertebrates: only 442 beetles (1,000 should be possible) and a paltry 145 flies (again 1,000 should be possible). 282 macro-moths - could do better?

My recent highlights:
Philonthus jurgans, a rove-beetle. A male (dissected) from the compost heap. Tick.
Melampsora euphorbiae rust on Petty Spurge. ID from bioimages. Tick.
Heterothops praevius, a rove-beetle. A male found in one of my gardening boots at the end of the day just as I was about to put it back on. Tick. This is a species of rodent nests and badger setts and it is tempting to suggest that it sniffed out my old boot and dived in, thinking it had found a burrow.
Amblyptilia acanthadactyla Beautiful Plume. Spotted at rest on a Honeysuckle leaf (while searching for leaf-miners!). Tick. Hedge Woundwort grows just below the Honeysuckle.

Beautiful Plume
Two more plants:
Alchemilla glabra, self-sown on the drive.
Wall Lettuce.

Several new moths in the trap from two sessions:
Waved Umber
Herald
Common Plume
Double-striped Pug
Brindled Pug
Swallow Prominent
V-Pug
Yellow-barred Brindle
Red Twin-spot Carpet - not dissected
Scalloped Hazel
Powdered Quaker

Swallow Prominent


One new butterfly:
Orange-tip

A distinctive fly:
Bibio marci St Mark's Fly

I thought I might be able to identify a 'greenbottle' but failed. Chris Raper reckons it's probably a Lucilia (Calliphoridae). I'd also considered Gymnocheta viridis (Tachinidae) but that would be more bristly and less fat-bodied apparently. Neomyia (Muscidae) were also considered. I only have photos, no specimen.

A couple of bugs:
Anthocoris nemorum
Heterogaster urticae


A distinctive spider:
Harpactea hombergi

A snail:
Cochlicopa lubrica

The last of the true bumblebees:
Bombus hortorum. Should be able to add 1 or 2 cuckoo Bombus (former members of Psithyrus) as well.

I can't face typing out a list of all the new beetles but here's my beetle list for the square to date:


Family Species (scientific name) Species (English name) Conservation Status
Carabidae Leistus spinibarbis
None
Carabidae Notiophilus biguttatus
None
Carabidae Loricera pilicornis
None
Carabidae Trechus quadristriatus
None
Carabidae Bembidion biguttatum
None
Carabidae Bembidion lunulatum
None
Carabidae Pterostichus madidus
None
Carabidae Amara aenea
None
Carabidae Amara convexior
None
Carabidae Amara familiaris
None
Carabidae Harpalus affinis
None
Carabidae Badister bullatus
None
Carabidae Demetrias atricapillus
None
Carabidae Syntomus foveatus
None
Helophoridae Helophorus brevipalpis
None
Hydrophilidae Sphaeridium marginatum
None
Hydrophilidae Cercyon haemorrhoidalis
None
Hydrophilidae Cercyon obsoletus
Nationally Scarce
Hydrophilidae Cercyon quisquilius
None
Hydrophilidae Cercyon analis
None
Hydrophilidae Cryptopleurum minutum
None
Histeridae Carcinops pumilio
None
Histeridae Margarinotus merdarius
None
Ptiliidae Ptenidium pusillum
None
Leiodidae Leiodes rufipennis
None
Staphylinidae Scydmaenus rufus
RDB2
Silphidae Nicrophorus humator
None
Staphylinidae Proteinus ovalis
None
Staphylinidae Euplectus kirbii
Nationally Scarce
Staphylinidae Tachyporus chrysomelinus
None
Staphylinidae Tachyporus dispar
None
Staphylinidae Tachyporus hypnorum
None
Staphylinidae Tachyporus nitidulus
None
Staphylinidae Tachyporus obtusus
None
Staphylinidae Tachinus rufipes
None
Staphylinidae Tachinus subterraneus
None
Staphylinidae Alaobia trinotata
None
Staphylinidae Philhygra volans
None
Staphylinidae Mocyta fungi
None
Staphylinidae Atheta crassicornis
None
Staphylinidae Atheta harwoodi
None
Staphylinidae Mycetota laticollis
None
Staphylinidae Dimetrota atramentaria
None
Staphylinidae Chaetida longicornis
None
Staphylinidae Acrotona aterrima
None
Staphylinidae Acrotona parvula
None
Staphylinidae Aleochara lanuginosa
None
Staphylinidae Rugilus orbiculatus
None
Staphylinidae Sunius melanocephalus
Nationally Scarce
Staphylinidae Lobrathium multipunctum
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus albipes
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus cognatus
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus concinnus
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus jurgans
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus marginatus
None
Staphylinidae Philonthus tenuicornis
None
Staphylinidae Bisnius fimetarius
None
Staphylinidae Heterothops praevius
None
Staphylinidae Quedius mesomelinus
None
Staphylinidae Quedius curtipennis
None
Staphylinidae Gyrohypnus fracticornis
None
Staphylinidae Xantholinus linearis
None
Staphylinidae Xantholinus longiventris
None
Trogidae Trox scaber
None
Byrrhidae Byrrhus pilula Pill Beetle None
Elateridae Agriotes obscurus
None
Monotomidae Monotoma bicolor
None
Cryptophagidae Atomaria lewisi
None
Cryptophagidae Atomaria nitidula
None
Coccinellidae Propylea quattuordecimpunctata 14-spot Ladybird None
Coccinellidae Coccinella septempunctata 7-spot Ladybird None
Corylophidae Sericoderus brevicornis
None
Latridiidae Dienerella vincenti
None
Latridiidae Latridius minutus
None
Latridiidae Cartodere nodifer
None
Latridiidae Cortinicara gibbosa
None
Anthicidae Anthicus antherinus
None
Scraptiidae Anaspis maculata
None
Chrysomelidae Chaetocnema concinna
None
Apionidae Protapion fulvipes White Clover Seed Weevil None
Curculionidae Otiorhynchus sulcatus Vine Weevil None
Curculionidae Hypera postica Clover Leaf Weevil None
Curculionidae Trichosirocalus troglodytes
None

Euplectus kirbii and Dieneralla vincenti in my compost heap were both surprises. They are saproxylic species, more likely to be found by looking at dead wood habitats in ancient parklands and woodlands. I can only think that I've introduced them to the garden with material that I've brought home from fieldwork.

3 comments:

  1. I was just thinking about the overall 1k-ers list last night and came to the conclusion that it would be a mammoth task to try and compile. I'm also sure we must be collectively over 1000 by now though.

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  2. I've also wondered about compiling an overall list. Tempting, but I really don't have time to do it at present - could do at the end of the year. Unless anyone out there would like to volunteer to take this on?

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  3. One good thing about a combined list is we could see what stupid easy things we've all forgotten to write down despite the fact that everyone else has recorded them. I finally got Domestic Apple today...

    ReplyDelete