Friday, November 1, 2019

Cullaloe LNR, Fife - early "Best of 2019"

With the year running down and time spent on the reserve dwindling in favour of other pursuits I was meditating on what this year's highlights have been. There have been at least two species new to Scotland, some very scarce species in Scotland and numerous welcome new-for-county records. There is, I realise, a preponderance of flies in this list, but what can you do? Flies and fungi are my strongest suits. I swear I do try to see other things!

End of October total: 1140

NEW FOR SCOTLAND
Asaphomyces tubanticus - a laboulbeniomycete fungus (24/01/2019)
This was found on the elytrae of a Catops beetle and was fortunately ID-able with some reading. Just been featured in British Wildlife, though I haven't yet seen it.



Hydrotaea floccosa - a muscid fly (26/05/2019)
Hydrotaea is a cool genus with all kinds of weird and wonderful modifications to the legs. This makes them both interesting (yes, it does) and easy to identify. Only days before I found 2nd-for-Scotland Hydrotaea meteorica on the 20th.



NEW FOR COUNTY
Melangyna quadrimaculata - a hover fly (26/03/2019)
Long awaited first-for-county this Salix lover finally fell at the end of March.



Protophormia terraenovae - a blow fly (11/04/2019)
One of some nice finds at a roadkill badger corpse. Shame about the badger but nice of it to "take one for the team"


Cheilosia nebulosa - a hoverfly (27/04/2019)
Not something I was really expecting but a welcome addition to the county fauna. I've just noticed on NBN that there aren't other Scottish records for this. At this point I have no idea whether that's legit or not! I feel like it isn't, but it's a good record nonetheless



Lauxania cylindricornis - a lauxaniid fly (05/05/2019)
Tim had this before. When I looked it up I was jealous. Seen a few since though.


Hydrotaea meteorica - a muscid fly (20/05/2019)

Rhogogaster punctulata - a sawfly (22/05/2019)
I wanted to look at more sawflies this year. That was with mixed success but this was a nice one for sure



Brachicoma devia - a flesh fly (15/07/2019)

Zabrachia tenella - Pine Black (29/09/2019)
This pine specialist has only been seen in Scotland three times (highlands) - 1906, 1907 and 1938. It's listed as endangered and range is noted as limited to SE England. I guess this changes things a bit. (edit: subsequent conversations revealed two other dipterists in Scotland who have seen this, but recording is sadly, let's say, "patchy" among many experienced dipterists)



Triplax aenea - a beetle (15/10/2019)
A second record for Scotland. Examining the standing trunk of a horse chestnut that had been culled recently after a chunk of it fell off there were plenty of these under the bark. Initially mis-ID'd as Tetratoma fungorum I twigged as soon as I got them under the microscope.



JUST HAPPY TO SEE
Boettgerilla pallens - Worm Slug (03/03/2019)
Common, I'm told, but I'd wanted to see this for ages and I hadn't.


5 comments:

  1. Year not running down for me as still 3 short of 1000. Plus I haven't found any first for Somerset yet, let alone a first for England!

    But seriously, well done on what looks like an excellent 1000 for 1KSQ year for you

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  2. Here's the up-to date map for Cheilosia nebulosa, so not the first for Scotland but an excellent record nonetheless. http://sgbtest.me.uk/hrs/species-details/509/map

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Not working for me but don't know why. Haven't seen working maps on the hovers page for a long time. Maybe I need to sort my login

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    2. Helps if I post the correct link!! http://sgbtest.me.uk/hrs/species-details/57/map try this one.

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  3. I'm not logged in so I'm not sure why the link wouldn't work but this is a test site, might be worth trying a different browser.

    ReplyDelete