Led by local conservationist and science educator Jono Forgham, Birchanger Wood’s bug hunt on 22nd June recorded over 100 invertebrates. Adults and children were deployed around the wood to find bugs of various sizes in the trees and under logs. Most were identified on site, but others required further study through a magnifier or microscope. The biggest challenge came in the hoverfly category where leg colour, facial hair and size may determine each to specific species.
English names given where they have them, otherwise just the family group.
Those that were identified successfully were:
Lepidoptera
Micro Moths:
Hedya pruniana
Udea olivalis
Butterflies: Nymphalids
Vanessa atalanta: Red Admiral
Parage aegeria: Speckled Wood x3
Maniola jurtina: Meadow Brown (on A120 verge)
Butterflies: Lycaenidae
Celastrina argiolus: Holly Blue.
Arthropoda: Arachnida
Araneae: True spiders
Diaea dorsata….Green crab spider
Amaurobius similis……….(one of the lace web spider sp)
Xysticus lanio…..(one of the crab spider sp)
Eratigena duellica….(house spider sp from woodpile)
Enoplognatha ovata…. Common candy striped spider x4
Opillones
Harvestman sp
Hemiptera: Bugs
Pentatomidae: Typical shieldbugs
Troilus luridus: Bronze shieldbug
Dolycoris baccarum: Hairy shieldbug
Coreidae: Leatherbugs
Coreus marginatus: Dock Bug
Miridae: Plant or Capsid bugs.
Rhabdomris striatellus: (one of the capsid bugs)
Mirius striatus: (one of the capsid bugs)
Coleoptera: Beetles
Carabidae: Ground beetles
Cychrus caraboides: Snail hunter
Pterostichus madidus: Black clock x3
Pterostichus melanaurius: (ground beetle sp)
Pterostichus niger: (ground beetle sp) x2
Notiophilus biguttatus: (ground beetle sp)
Carabus violaceus: Violet ground beetle x 3
Carbus problematicus: (ground beetle sp)
Stomis pumicatus: (ground beetle sp) x 5
Elateridae: Click beetles
Dalopius marginatus: (click beetle sp)
Staphylinidae: Rove beetles
Ocypus olens: Devil’s coach-horse
Philonthus decorus: (rove beetle sp)
Cerambycidae: Longhorn beetles
Clytus arietis: Wasp beetle
Mecoptera: Scorpion Flies
Panorpidae
Panorpa germanica
Diptera: True flies
Syrphidae: Hoverflies
Syrphus ribessi x20
Syrphus torvus
Episyrphus balteatus: Marmalade fly x20
Conopidae: Thick-headed flies
Conops ceraeformis
Hymenoptera: Ants, bees and wasps
Ichmeumonidae: Ichneumon wasps
Ichneumon deliratorius
Vespidae: Social, Potter and Mason wasps
Vespula germani: German wasp
Bombus: Bumble bees
Bombus hypnorum: Tree bumble bee
Apis: Honey bee
Apis mellifera: Western honey bee
Birchanger Wood 