Sunday, November 24, 2013

SP5595ish - Whetstone Update

Finally made a bit of time to get the list up to date and sort out an updated species breakdown - can't believe I haven't posted one since mid-August! Anyway, it's been slow-going over the last couple of months in particular and I've only added a further 90 species (and only six so far in November). Now up to 1134. Additions since the last update are:

Taxon Vernacular Date Added
1045 Lathronympha strigana (micromoth) 18/08/2013
1046 Scrobipalpa costella (micromoth) 18/08/2013
1047 Cyclophora punctaria Maiden's Blush 18/08/2013
1048 Polyommatus icarus Common Blue 19/08/2013
1049 Diarsia rubi Small Square-spot 19/08/2013
1050 Trichiura crataegi Pale Eggar 19/08/2013
1051 Ribautiana tenerrima (leafhopper) 20/08/2013
1052 Phyllonorycter schreberella (micromoth) 20/08/2013
1053 Deraeocoris ruber (bug) 20/08/2013
1054 Pulicaria dysenterica Common Fleabane 20/08/2013
1055 Rhytisma acerinum Sycamore Tar Spot 20/08/2013
1056 Conops quadrifasciatus (fly) 20/08/2013
1057 Dasineura fraxini (gall midge) [larval] 20/08/2013
1058 Xanthia icteritia Sallow 20/08/2013
1059 Taphrina alni Alder Tongue 20/08/2013
1060 Andricus quercuscalicis f. agamic Knopper Gall Wasp [larval] 20/08/2013
1061 Eupontania viminalis Pea Gall Sawfly [larval] 20/08/2013
1062 Platycheirus peltatus (hoverfly) 20/08/2013
1063 Luperina testacea Flounced Rustic 20/08/2013
1064 Plusia festucae Gold Spot 21/08/2013
1065 Batrachedra praeangusta (micromoth) 21/08/2013
1066 Furcula furcula Sallow Kitten 23/08/2013
1067 Atethmia centrago Centre-barred Sallow 23/08/2013
1068 Cameraria ohridella Horse-chestnut Leaf Miner 23/08/2013
1069 Aceria fraxinivorus Cauliflower Gall Mite 24/08/2013
1070 Rhopalus subrufus (bug) 25/08/2013
1071 Eristalis interruptus (hoverfly) 25/08/2013
1072 Pontania proxima Willow Redgall Sawfly [larval] 25/08/2013
1073 Crepis capillaris Smooth Hawk's-beard 25/08/2013
1074 Neuroterus numismalis f. agamic Silk-button Gall Wasp [ovum] 25/08/2013
1075 Dasineura urticae (gall midge) [larval] 25/08/2013
1076 Diplolepis nervosa Sputnik Gall Wasp [larval] 25/08/2013
1077 Diplolepis rosae Bedeguar Gall Wasp [larval] 25/08/2013
1078 Phragmidium mucronatum Rose Rust 25/08/2013
1079 Avena fatua Wild-oat 25/08/2013
1080 Lapsana communis Nipplewort 25/08/2013
1081 Persicaria maculosa Redshank 25/08/2013
1082 Tinea trinotella (micromoth) 25/08/2013
1083 Dichrorampha acuminatana (micromoth) 25/08/2013
1084 Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral 26/08/2013
1085 Aeshna cyanea Southern Hawker 26/08/2013
1086 Cacoecimorpha pronubana Carnation Tortrix 26/08/2013
1087 Stigmella aurella (micromoth) [larval] 26/08/2013
1088 Eupithecia tripunctaria White-spotted Pug 26/08/2013
1089 Ephestia parasitella unicolorella (micromoth) 26/08/2013
1090 Eudonia angustea (micromoth) 29/08/2013
1091 Prays fraxinella Ash Bud Moth 02/09/2013
1092 Epinotia ramella (micromoth) 02/09/2013
1093 Phyllonorycter strigulatella (micromoth) 02/09/2013
1094 Dromius quadrimaculatus (beetle) 04/09/2013
1095 Barynotus obscurus (beetle) 05/09/2013
1096 Dolichovespula sylvestris Tree Wasp 07/09/2013
1097 Omphaloscelis lunosa Lunar Underwing 10/09/2013
1098 Stenodema calcarata (bug) 12/09/2013
1099 Lygus rugulipennis (bug) 12/09/2013
1100 Thera britannica Spruce Carpet 28/09/2013
1101 Lithophane leautieri hesperica Blair's Shoulder-knot 28/09/2013
1102 Agrochola lota Red-line Quaker 28/09/2013
1103 Agrochola lychnidis Beaded Chestnut 28/09/2013
1104 Hydraecia micacea Rosy Rustic 28/09/2013
1105 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 28/09/2013
1106 Thera juniperata Juniper Carpet 28/09/2013
1107 Xanthia aurago Barred Sallow 28/09/2013
1108 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 29/09/2013
1109 Tipula confusa (fly) 04/10/2013
1110 Nomophila noctuella Rush Veneer 04/10/2013
1111 Acleris sparsana (micromoth) 04/10/2013
1112 Lithophane hepatica Pale Pinion 04/10/2013
1113 Rhodometra sacraria Vestal 04/10/2013
1114 Conistra ligula Dark Chestnut 04/10/2013
1115 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 04/10/2013
1116 Macrolepiota rhacodes Shaggy Parasol 05/10/2013
1117 Acleris rhombana Rhomboid Tortrix 05/10/2013
1118 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 08/10/2013
1119 Agrochola circellaris Brick 08/10/2013
1120 Tipula pagana (fly) 25/10/2013
1121 Ectoedemia occultella (micromoth) [larval] 26/10/2013
1122 Hebeloma sacchariolens Sweet Poisonpie 26/10/2013
1123 Coprinus micaceus Glistening Ink-cap 26/10/2013
1124 Phyllonorycter tristrigella (micromoth) [larval] 26/10/2013
1125 Phyllonorycter froelichiella (micromoth) [larval] 26/10/2013
1126 Bolbitius titubans Yellow Fieldcap 26/10/2013
1127 Psathyrella multipedata Clustered Brittlestem 26/10/2013
1128 Coprinus comatus Shaggy Ink-cap 26/10/2013
1129 Stropharia aeruginosa Verdigris Agaric 03/11/2013
1130 Calocera cornea Small Stagshorn 03/11/2013
1131 Xylaria hypoxylon Candlesnuff 03/11/2013
1132 Rutstroemia firma Brown Cup 03/11/2013
1133 Scutellinia scutellata Common Eyelash 03/11/2013
1134 Poecilocampa populi December Moth 16/11/2013

As you can see, most of the additions are moths, a few galls in August and a few fungi lately.

Bedeguar Gall / Robin's Pincushion caused by Diplolepis rosae - a gall wasp

Knopper Gall caused by Andricus quercuscalicis - a gall wasp

Of course you need to disect the galls to find the life within. Whilst I have a microscope, I can't get photos through it and my macro photography skills are beyond the smallest gall inhabitants. I picked up a cheapo USB microscope from Amazon and whilst the photo resolution is not great you can at least get something of an image. Here's a few examples:

Spangle Gall on oak caused by Neuroterus quercusbaccarum - a gall wasp, agamic form

Neuroterus quercusbaccarum larva

Silk Button Gall on oak caused by Neuroterus numismalis - a gall wasp, agamic form

Neuroterus numismalis ovum!

These galls were massively abundant on my local oaks this year, though I'd already recorded N. quercusbaccarum as the sexual form in June.


Also found a couple more gall sawflies:

Pea Gall Sawfly Eupontania viminalis

Willow Redgall Sawfly Pontania proxima

Here's the breakdown, which continues to show that it's just as well that I wasn't reliant on plants to bump my total up!


Alder Tongue Taphrina alni

 
Tree Wasp

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Update from TM0025
I’ve just hit the target figure, and what a relief it is. Maybe just a few weeks into the challenge I realised that completing it was probably beyond me (or rather beyond the person with the knowledge that I had at that time). But I have learned so much this year, about forms of life that I barely knew existed, about their relationships, about identifying them (I was reunited with dichotomous keys after a separation of over 30 years!). At the beginning of this year, I was an unhappy lawyer who watched birds; now I am someone very different, someone full of enthusiasm for every aspect of our wildlife, someone who wants to participate in its study, and someone who is trying to find work in conservation. I hope that I will get somewhere with that! The conversion is not so much a damascene conversion as one comparable to when the late John Peel realised the limitations of the Grateful Dead and found instead the diversity and vigour of the likes of The Undertones, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division! I’ve joined the Colchester Natural History Society, The Amateur Entomologists’ Society and the Essex Field Club (not a hunting organisation!). Life is good, isn’t it! (Excuse the play on words!)
For those interested, here is a pie chart showing the relative proportions of the different groups that make up the 1000.
Furthermore, 3.6% were found as occupiers of galls or leaf-mines. They included the larvae of various lepidoptera, diptera, hymenoptera, hemiptera and arachnids, and also a fungal gall (ergot).
Here is the remaining list; note that it begins with a slight adjustment from the previous numbering, because of some duplications and formatting problems in previous lists.
Birds
870. Stock dove, Colomba oenas


Bees, wasps
871. German wasp, Vespula germanica

872. Median wasp. Dolichovespula media

Hoverflies
873. Chrysogaster solstitialis
874. Didea fasciata (identified by yellow club-halteres!)
875. Eristalis tenax
876. Heringia heringi (predatory larvae, found in galls of Pemphigus spyrothecae on poplar leaf stems)
 

877. Mallota cimbiciformis
878. Melanostoma mellinum

Caddisflies
879. Anabolia nervosa
880. Limnephilus affinis
881. Limnephilus marmoratus

Other flies
882. Chlorops pumilionis
883. Greenomyia mongolica (a fungus-gnat)   

884. Hairy poplar sawfly, Trichiocampus viminalis (larvae)
885. Holly-leaf gall-fly, Phytomyza ilicis (occupied leaf-mine in Ilex)
886. Minettia longipennis
887. Pear slug sawfly, Caliroa cerasi (larva on pear tree)     
888. Phylidorea ferruginea
889. Tachina fera
890. Twin-spot centurion, Sargus bipunctatus            


Beetles
891. Arhapolus ferus
892. Dried-bean beetle, Acanthoscelides obtectus
893. Longitarsus dorsalis (a flea-beetle)
894. 22-spot ladybird, Psyllobora 22-punctata
895. Pterostichus nigrita
896. Sitona hispidulus
897. White-marked spider-beetle, Ptinus fur


Bugs
898. Ant damselbug, Himacerus mirmicoides
899. Anthocoris limbatus (a little unexpected in Essex)  

900. Common damselbug, Nabis rugosus
901. Corizus hyoscyami                      
902. Dicyphus errans
903. Dicyphus pallicornis
904. Grey damselbug, Himacerus major
905. Lygus pratensis
906. Neolygus viridis
907. Nysius senecionis
908. Pinalitus cervinus
909. Scolopostethus thomsoni                            
910. Small flower bug, Orius vicinus

Psocids
911. Caecilius flavidus
912. Trichopsocus clarus
913. Valenzuela flavidus

Leafhoppers
914. Agallia venosa
915. Alebra wahlbergi
916. Aphrophora salicina (a froghopper)
917. Arthaldeus pascuellus
918. Balclutha punctata
919. Cicadula quadrinotata
920. Empoasca decipiens
921. Empoasca vitis
922. Eupteryx aurata
923. Eupteryx florida
924. Eupteryx urticae
925. Stenocranus minutus (a planthopper)
926. Zygina flammigera

Lacewings
927. Chrysoperla lucasina

Aphids
928. Large nettle aphid, Microlophium carnosum

Moths
929. Acleris sparsana
930. Apple-leaf miner, Lyonetia clerkella (occupied leaf-mine in Sorbus and Malus)
931. Black rustic, Aporophyla nigra
932. Chrysoesthia drurella (occupied leaf-mine in Atriplex)
933. Dark sword-grass, Agrostis ipsilon
934. Feathered thorn, Colotois pennaria
935. Grey pine carpet, Thera obeliscata
936. Merveille du jour, Dichonia aprilina
937. November moth, Epirrita dilutata
938. Parornix carpinella (occupied leaf mine in Carpinus)
939. Phyllocnistis saligna (occupied leaf-mine in Salix)
940. Phyllonorycter messaniella
941. Phyllonorycter platani (occupied leaf-mine in Platanus)
942. Red-green carpet, Chloroclysta siterata
943. Red-line quaker, Agrochola lota
944. Stigmella assimilella (occupied leaf-mine in Populus)
945. Stigmella aurella (occupied leaf-mine in Rubus and Geranium)
946. Stigmella oxyacanthella (occupied leaf-mine in Crataegus)
947. The Herald, Scoliopteryx libatrix
948. Treble-bar, Aplocera plagiata

Spiders
949. Anelosimus vittatus
950. Clubiona diversa
951. Clubiona terrestris
952. Theridion tinctum
953. Xysticus ulmi
954. Zygiella x-notata

Harvestmen
955. Paroligolophus agrestis

Springtails
956. Dicyrtomina ornata
957. Entomobrya intermedia

Worms
958. Brandling worm, Eisenia fetida
959. Compost worm, Eisenia veneta
960. Lob worm, Lumbricus terrestris
961. Redhead worm, Lumbricus rubellus

Plants
962. Bicoloured bryum, Bryum dichotomum
963. Bird’s-claw beard-moss, Barbula unguiculata
964. Common pincushion (moss), Dicranoweisia cirrata
965. Creeping feather-moss, Amblystegium serpens
966. Dog screw-moss, Tortula canescens
967. Dusky beard-moss, Didymodon luridus
968. False beard-moss, Didymodon fallax
969. Fool’s-parsley, Aethusa cynapium
970. Green yoke-moss, Zygodon viridissimus
971. Lesser bird’s-claw beard-moss, Barbula convoluta
972. Matted feather-moss, Brachythecium populeum
973. Redshank (moss), Ceratodon purpureus
974. Silver-moss, Bryum argenteum
975. Whitish feather-moss, Brachythecium albicans

Algae
976. Coelastrum microporum
977. Gonium pectorale

Lichens
978. Buellia canescens
979. Lecanora dispersa
980. Lecidella elaeochroma          

981. Lepraria incana
982. Ochrolechia parella
983. Xanthoria polycarpa

Fungi
984. Beech tar-crust, Biscogniauxia nummularia
985. Bleeding oak crust, Stereum gausapatum
986. Bleeding broadleaf crust, Stereum rugosum
987. Coral spot, Nectria cinnabarina
988. Ganoderma adspersum (a heart-rot fungus)
989. Honey fungus, Armillaria mellea
990. King Alfred’s cakes, Daldinia concentrica  

991. Lemon disco, Bisporella citrina
992. Nectria peziza
993. Oak mildew, Erysiphe alphitoides
994. Oak pin, Cudoniella acicularis
995. Peeling oysterling, Crepidotus mollis
996. Shaggy parasol, Macrolepiota rhacodes
997. Snapping bonnet, Mycena vitilis
998. Tawny milkcap, Lactarius fulvissimus
999. Trechispora mollusca
1000. Velvet shank, Flammulina velutipes