RECORDER’S REPORT FOR ENTOMOLOGY 2001

The Reading Naturalist No. 54 Published by the Reading and District Natural History Society 2002 Price to Non Members £2.50 RECORDER’S REPORT FOR ENTOMOLOGY 2001 David G. Notton Curator of Natural History, Reading Museum and Archive Service The order of families and nomenclature used is that given in the standard Royal Entomological Society checklists supplemented by Bradley and Fletcher (1979). Records presented are selected and edited for brevity: full details of all records submitted are available for examination on application to the Recorder at the address above. It is encouraged that voucher specimens are retained or deposited with the Museum for critical species. ODONATA - Dragonflies & Damselflies Pterostichus angustatus (Carabidae) A ground beetle. On bonfire site in conifer plantation, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU935727, 13 May 00, (TDH). Notable. Aeshna mixta (Aeshnidae) Migrant hawker dragonfly. In garden, Great Knollys Street, Reading, 4 Aug. 01 (DN). LEPIDOPTERA - Butterflies and Moths Zygaena filipendulae (Zygaenidae) Six-spot burnet. A small colony breeding on a lawn left to grow long with many herbs, total of 24 moths seen this year, Emmer Green, 9 July 01 (JHFN). An example of what can be achieved in a suburban garden with sensitive management. Synanthedon vespiformis (Sesiidae) Yellow-legged clearwing. Emmer Green, 30 July 01 (JHFN). Deilephila elpenor H a r p a l u s schaubergerianus (Carabidae) A ground beetle. Under flints on calcareous grassland near Streatley, SU592799, 1 May 00 (TDH). Notable. Elephant hawk larva Dromius quadrisignatus (Carabidae) A ground beetle. Under fungoid bark of dead standing oak in a meadow near Miles’s Green, near Bucklebury, SU548699, 3 Dec. 00 (TDH). pRDB1. Plegaderus dissectus (Histeridae). In nest of the brown tree ant, Lasius brunneus, in rotten section of beech tree, beech woodland, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU937720, 20 May 00 (TDH). Notable. Stenus argus (Staphylinidae) A rove beetle. On underside of log in damp meadow, Ot Moor, near Beckley, SP579142, 26 Oct. 00 (TDH). Notable. Yponomeuta cagnagella webs on Spindle Xantholinus angularis (Staphylinidae) a rove beetle. Bred from rotten white wood of beech tree which contained nest of Lasius brunneus, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU937720, 25 Nov. 00 (TDH). Notable A. Yponomeuta cagnagella (Yponomeutidae). Larval webs on Spindle, Euonymus europaeus, on roadside, Compton Downs, SU50768072, 22 June 01 (MWS). The webs were noticed by passing drivers and featured in the local paper (Newbury Weekly News). Lomechusa emarginata (Staphylinidae) a rove beetle. In nest of the wood ant Formica fusca under bark or conifer log, in beech wood clearing, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU938719, 20 May 00 (TDH). Notable A. Deilephila elpenor (Sphingidae) Elephant hawk moth. 2001 was an exceptional year for this moth, 5 of the conspicuous caterpillars of this moth were reported/submitted to the Museum from the Reading district, one of the green form, most in association with garden fuchsias (DN). Oxypoda recondita (Staphylinidae) a rove beetle. Sieving red rotten wood from inside oak log in conifer plantation containing mature oak, COLEOPTERA - Beetles 29 Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU937724, 30 Aug. 00 (TDH). Notable B. Metoecus paradoxus (Rhipiphoridae). Found dead in chimney space below an active wasp nest, Great Knollys Street, Reading, Oct. 01 (DN). A curious looking beetle with reduced wing cases which is a parasite of the grubs of social wasps. Batrisodes delaporti (Pselaphidae). In nest of Lasius brunneus in beech tree, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU937720, 20 May 00 (TDH). RDB1. Arhopalus rusticus (Cerambycidae) A longhorn beetle. Under bark of beech tree in an area recently cleared of conifers, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU938721, 16 June 00 (TDH). Notable B. Gnorimus variabilis (Scarabaeidae) Variable Chafer. Reared from wood mulch of dead standing beech, High Standinghill Woods, Windsor Forest, SU 936742, Reared 1 Aug. 00 from mulch collected 23 Oct. 1999 (TDH). RDB1. Superficially similar in appearance to the commoner Rose Chafer. Phymatodes alni (Cerambycidae) A longhorn beetle. Beaten from broom in parkland, Windsor Forest, SU949730, 20 May 00 (TDH). Notable B. Macronychus quadrituberculatus (Elmidae). On submerged logs in stream, Holy Brook near Calcot, SU666714, 29 June 00 (TDH). RDB3. Cryptocephalus querceti (Chrysomelidae) A leaf beetle. Beaten from shrubby outgrowths on bole of oak in parkland, Windsor Forest, SU951732, 23 June 00 (TDH). RDB2. Hylis olexai (Eucnemidae). One dead specimen found on moss on fallen alder, woodland, Baynes Reserve, SU512653, 16 Sept. 00 (TDH). RDB3. Anthribus resinosus (Anthribidae). Resting on oak log in deciduous woodland, near Child's Court Farm, near Ashampstead, SU567753, 2 Apr. 00 (TDH). Notable B. Malthodes crassicornis (Cantharidae) A soldier beetle. Reared from white rotten wood of beech log from beech and oak woodland, High Standinghill Woods, Windsor Forest, SU937742, reared 14 May 00, from wood collected 23 Oct. 1999 (TDH). RDB3. Brachytarsus nebulosus (Anthribidae). Beaten from oak in parkland, Windsor Forest, SU949730, 20 May 00 (TDH). Notable B. Apion filirostre (Apionidae) A weevil. Swept from disused limestone quarry, near Ardley, near Bicester, SP537274, 25 July 00 (TDH). Notable B. Platycis minutus (Lycidae). From sieving white rotten wood of dead standing oak tree, in conifer plantation, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU937725, 30 Aug. 00 (TDH). Notable B. Dryophthorus corticalis (Curculionidae) A weevil. Reared from red rotten wood, probably oak, removed from inside dead standing tree, High Standinghill Woods, Windsor Forest, SU935742, reared 2 May 00, from wood collected 13 Nov. 99 (TDH). RDB1. Epuraea guttata (Nitidulidae). Beaten from oak tree at edge of oak woodland, Windsor Forest, SU950731, 23 June 00 (TDH). Notable B. Amphotis marginata (Nitidulidae). In nest of Lasius fuliginosus in recently cut stump of beech on roadside verge near Whiteknights, Reading, SU734713, 2 Sept. 00 (TDH). pRDBk. Hydronomus alismatis (Curculionidae) A weevil. In grass tussock at edge of pond in damp meadow, Ot Moor, near Beckley, SP579142, 26 Oct. 00 (TDH). Notable B. Cryptophagus labialis (Cryptophagidae). Reared from wood mulch of dead beech, from beech and oak woodland, High Standing Hill Woods, Windsor Forest, SU936742, reared 28 Oct. 00, from mulch collected 9 Oct. 1999 (TDH). Notable B. Ceutorhynchus moelleri (Curculionidae) A weevil. By evening sweeping of chalk downland near Gatehampton Manor, near Goring, SU621793, 23 July 00 (TDH). pRDBk. Cicones variegata (Colydiidae). Under bark of beech tree, Cranbourne Chase, Windsor Forest, SU938720, 16 June 00 (TDH). Notable A. Scaphidema metallicum (Tenebrionidae) A darkling beetle. Resting on fence post in scrub, Hitchcopse Pit, near Tubney, SU451996, 27 May 00 (TDH). Notable B. 30 Hymenoptera Andricus quercuscalicis (Cynipidae) Knopper gall wasp. Baughurst SU580621, Aug.-Sept. 01. One oak tree in the garden of No. 8 Wellington Crescent has produced a good crop of acorns this Andricus year, a second tree a much quercuscalicis smaller number. The Knopper gall second tree is partly shaded by the other for most of the day. From the middle of August acorns with knopper galls began falling from both trees and continued until 11 Sept. 01. I estimate that at least 90% of the acorns have these galls and very few, if any, acorns are fully developed. I have not seen as many of these galls in the 21 years that I have lived here, though smaller numbers have appeared in years when there have been acorn crops (KHG). Volucella inanis a hoverfly Numerous mature larvae found in chimney space below an active wasp nest, Great Knollys Street, Reading, Oct. 01, identification confirmed by rearing to adult (DN). Volucella zonaria Hornet hoverfly Volucella zonaria (Syrphidae) Hornet hoverfly. Near Postgraduate Research Institute for Sedimentology, University of Reading, 17 Aug. 01 (DN). This species is currently increasing its range and this is apparently the first Berkshire record. Vespa crabro Hornet. Vespa crabro (Vespidae) Hornet. Whitchurch-onThames. 27 May 01, coll. Mrs Witcher (DN). Phytomyza hellebori (Agromyzidae) Hellebore Leafmining fly. On Stinking Hellebore, Helleborus foetidus, in garden in Thatcham, 5 Jan. 02 (MWS). (See the article on page 19) Diptera Volucella inanis (Syrphidae) A hoverfly. At flowers of Creeping Thistle, entrance to Bomb Dump, Greenham Common, SU502651, 15 July 01 (MWS) Harris Gardens, University of Reading, SU736716, 6 Aug. 01 (MWS). Thanks are due to Hugh Carter for comparing lists of Coleoptera against the Museum database and assessing the status of the species and to the following members for their submissions: (DN) David Notton, (JHFN) John Notton, (KHG) Ken Grinstead, (MWS) Malcolm Storey and (TDH) Tom Harrison. 31