Sunday, September 30, 2018

Horsey - September update

Still adding fairly steadily, partly some current stuff and partly going through some tubes. A few autumn moths included a Delicate, perhaps the best of the autumn, but in a very poor migrant year.

Delicate - in the garden
Now over 1900 for the square, and the garden will exceed 1500 very shortly, currently on 1493.

Horsey Corner TG4523 Mar 2018 TG4523 Apr 2018 TG4523 May 2018 TG4523 Jun 2018 TG4523 Jul 2018 TG4523 Aug 2018 TG4523 Sep 2018
               
Algae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fungi/Lichens 19 22 22 23 24 29 44
Bryophytes 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Vascular Plants 102 120 160 175 204 206 208
Cnidarians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Molluscs 7 8 9 9 9 9 9
Annelid Worms 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arachnids 38 50 62 62 68 70 77
Myriapods 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Crustaceans 3 3 3 3 4 4 4
Springtails 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Insects: Odonata 0 0 6 12 14 16 16
Insects: Orthopteroids 0 1 4 5 10 10 10
Insects: Hemipteroids 21 38 59 69 95 109 113
Insects: Hymenoptera 9 31 56 83 115 129 132
Insects: Coleoptera 87 119 203 229 255 264 272
Insects: Diptera 60 111 203 245 295 317 346
Insects: Butterflies 0 6 12 16 21 23 23
Insects: Moths 24 43 153 257 423 456 475
Insects: RSO 3 4 13 16 18 20 23
Fish 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
Reptiles 0 0 1 1 2 2 2
Amphibia 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
Birds 74 92 104 104 112 112 115
Mammals 10 12 14 14 15 15 15
Other Animals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Echinoderms 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
               
Total 473 676 1101 1340 1702 1809 1902
New species for month   203 425 239 362 107 93

Here's the latest:

1851 Coleophora alticolella Lepidoptera:moths Common Rush Case-bearer
1852 Erysiphe sordida Fungi Powdery mildew on Greater Plantain
1853 Chenopodium rubrum Vascular Plants Red Goosefoot
1854 Nysius thymi Hemipteroids Lygaeidae
1855 Dicranopalpus ramosus Arachnids Harvestman
1856 Mellinus arvensis Hymenoptera Crabronidae
1857 Curtonotus aulicus Coleoptera Carabidae
1858 Sarcophaga crassimargo Diptera Sarcophagidae
1859 Rhaphium appendiculatum Diptera Dolichopodidae
1860 Golovinomyces cichoracearum Fungi Powdery mildew on Groundsel
1861 Melanotus castanipes Coleoptera Elateridae
1862 Aporophyla nigra Lepidoptera:moths Black Rustic
1863 Agrochola lychnidis Lepidoptera:moths Beaded Chestnut
1864 Gallinula chloropus Birds Moorhen
1865 Longitarsus luridus Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
1866 Meiosimyza decipiens Diptera Lauxaniidae
1867 Agrochola macilenta Lepidoptera:moths Yellow-line Quaker
1868 Heterocerus fenestratus Coleoptera Heteroceridae
1869 Polietes lardarius Diptera Muscidae
1870 Coenosia pumila Diptera Muscidae
1871 Hypsopygia costalis Lepidoptera:moths Gold Triangle
1872 Mythimna vitellina Lepidoptera:moths The Delicate
1873 Chloroclysta siterata Lepidoptera:moths Red-green Carpet
1874 Ribautiana tenerrima Hemipteroids Cicadellidae
1875 Blepharidopterus angulatus Hemipteroids Miridae - Black-kneed Capsid
1876 Steneotarsonemus phragmitidis Arachnids Gall mite on Phragmites
1877 Dichochrysa ventralis RSO Lacewing
1878 Cunctochrysa albolineata RSO Lacewing
1879 Sapromyza halidayi Diptera Lauxanidae
1880 Dictyna uncinata Arachnids Dictynidae
1881 Tiso vagans Arachnids Linyphiidae
1882 Anelosimus vittatus Arachnids Theridiidae (Selimus vittatus)
1883 Anas acuta Birds Pintail
1884 Helina impuncta Diptera Muscidae
1885 Empis trigramma Diptera Empididae
1886 Geomyza subnigra Diptera Opomyzidae
1887 Medetera truncorum Diptera Dolichopodidae
1888 Opomyza germinationis Diptera Opomyzidae
1889 Clubiona stagnatilis Arachnids Clubionidae
1890 Nabis lineatus Hemipteroids Reed Damsel Bug
1891 Hadroplontus litura Coleoptera Weevil
1892 Hydrotaea ignava Diptera Muscidae
1893 Nycteola revayana Lepidoptera:moths Oak Nycteoline
1894 Xanthia togata Lepidoptera:moths Pink-barred Sallow
1895 Symphoricarpos albus Vascular Plants Snowberry
1896 Colletes hederae Hymenoptera Colletes: Ivy Bee
1897 Tephritis neesii Diptera Tephritidae
1898 Hypera zoilus Coleoptera Curculionidae
1899 Euphylidorea lineola Diptera Cranefly
1900 Cephalops vittipes Diptera Pipunculidae
1901 Pipiza noctiluca Diptera Syrphidae
1902 Drosophila phalerata Diptera Drosophilidae

Friday, September 28, 2018

Dalgety Bay - ticking along

A chill in the air today and leaves really starting to turn. Feels like the pace has slowed up a bit but still ticking along and probably with enough time on it there's loads to be had. A bit of litter sieving turned up only things that were already listed but a new Flat-footed fly (Platytpezidae) for the county will be on the list once the key arrives. i.e. it's not one of the one that's already on the list!


Glistening inkcap

Soft-spined Puffball

Numbers:
1310 * diptera Amauromyza labiatarum An agromyzid fly
1311 * diptera Contarinia tiliarum A gall midge
1312 * diptera Rhypholophus haemorrhoidalis A crane fly
1313 lep-moth Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn
1314 lep-moth Idaea seriata Small Dusty Wave
1315 * coleoptera Cafius fucicola A rove beetle
1316 diptera Ramonda spathulata Tachinidae
1317 * hemiptera Dicyphus epilobii A mirid bug
1318 lep-moth Herminia tarsipennalis The  Fan-foot
1319 hemiptera Dicyphus stachydis A mirid bug
1320 fungus Coprinellus micaceus Glistening Inkcap
1321 fungus Lycoperdon molle Soft-Spined Puffball

Monday, September 24, 2018

Dalgety Bay - Get in!

1309 * lep-butterfly Pararge aegeria Speckled Wood


Only 2 Fife records, one of which is from this wood. Been looking for the damn thing all year!

Dalgety Bay - Psyllid bang!

In the end it didn't have much to do with psyllids but the title was stuck in my head. After a second failed attempt on the Aepus I managed at the third time of asking - on the 2nd attempt pooted one only to find the pooter open and empty when I returned home! I haven't actually figured out which of the below is a lifer yet, but there are some for sure.

It's all been going so fast recently that I'll just ride the wave and see whether I feel up to a final assault on the 1407. It feels like I probably should. I'm way, way ahead of where I thought I'd be by end of September and there's still a week to go! 

A.marinus

Boletina basalis

Numbers:
1294 fungus Nectria cinnabarina Coral Spot
1295 fungus Galerina clavata A mushroom
1296 diptera Iteomyia capreae Gall on Sallows
1297 hemiptera Pontamia peduncula Gall on Sallows
1298 diptera Pericoma fuliginosa A moth fly
1299 diptera Medetera petrophila A long-legged fly
1300 hemiptera Psyllopsis fraxini A psyllid on ash
1301 hemiptera Allygus mixtus A leaf hopper
1302 insect-other Valenzuela flavidus A bark-louse
1303 insect-other Ectopsocus petersi A bark-louse
1304 moss Dicranum scoparium A moss
1305 diptera Dasineura urticae A fly
1306 coleoptera Aepus marinus A ground beetle
1307 annelid Hediste diversicolr Estuary Ragworm
1308 diptera Boletina basalis A fungus gnat

Friday, September 21, 2018

Dalgety Bay - Harvest Thanksgiving

Yesterday remarkably saw the square's 11th harvestman species of the year with the new-for-county Opilio canestrinii. I saw some hint last night that other Opilios may not welcome its appearance but I'll need to read up on that today.


Bugs keep on buggin' so my Hemiptera total is getting dangerously close to entering the bottom end of the PSL hemiptera charts. Parent Bug and Birch Shieldbug both fell into my net from birch yesterday with a bit of persuasion - both species apparently with only one county record before. That's surprising, but I bet I can add both from next year's square (NT1887 - the square where it all began).

It's a schoolboy truth that to maximise your results you should cover all the habitats with all the methods and I've been very lax on beating, relying heavily on active searching and maybe a bit of sweeping at low level. On the plus side that means a switch of tactic has lead to instant gains. .

So the new target is to creep into all-time 3rd place during the next 10 days.

(Edit! I forgot that yesterday I saw a rock that looked promising for Aepus and I found one. Sadly I caught the one example on the end of my finger and the wind took it. Fife has both species, so I'll have to go back and check the same area of rocks)

Numbers:
1282 * hemiptera Psallus betuleti A mirid bug
1283 * hemiptera Ribautiana ulmi A leaf hopper
1284 fungus Melanoleuca polioleuca A mushroom
1285 * coleoptera Salpingus planirostris A beetle
1286 * insect-other Nineta flava A lacewing
1287 fungus Lactarius tabidus Birch Milkcap
1288 fungus Clitopilus prunulus The Miller
1289 * hemiptera Elasmostethus intersinctus Birch Shieldbug
1290 * hemiptera Elasmucha grisea Parent Bug
1291 harvestman Oligolophus hansenii A harvestman
1292 * harvestman Opilio canestrinii A harvestman
1293 hemiptera Psylla ulmi A psyllid on alder

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Skye - lifer from the toilet seat!

About a week ago I was sat on the loo, studying a Pholcus phalangioides in its web (as you do...) when I noticed something small and golden shuffling slowly back and forth where the skirting meets the lino. Having no pot or tube to hand, I flushed the loo and forgot all about it. This happened several times over the next week. Today, however, I had a tube on me....

The hell is THAT????
By eye I couldn't tell if it was a giant, slow-moving springtail, a huge booklouse or a bug. With a handlens I was surprised to discover it was actually a beetle, though a freaky one for sure! 

A short while later I was pretty happy I'd found the Golden Spider Beetle Niptus hololeucus, something I've never even heard of before. I pinged the above image to beetle guru Mark Telfer who came back with, "Gripped!!! Don't clean that toilet until I can get to Skye next year!" Unfortunately the house is being pretty much bashed down and rebuilt this coming winter, so I've stuck the tubed beetle in a jiffy bag and will post it off to him tomorrow. Not that he'll tick it, but he can add it to his immense collection of carded beetles. 

Can't believe I've gripped off the Mighty Telf with a beetle I spotted whilst taking a dump! Makes me happy :) 

In other news, I mowed over a Wood Mouse two days ago. It survived intact, luckily I had the blade set at 1.5inches height! It's taken most of the year, but finally Wood Mouse is on the list. Better yet, today I ambled down to the beach, spied my first Grey Seal of the year followed mere minutes later by my first Otter in the square this year! Fantastic stuff. A female Teal swimming about with Mallards was yet another vertebrate yeartick. Chuck in a few leafminers and fungi and the tally has bumped up to a rather pleasing 1180 species. I actually could make 1200 by month end after all! 

Ectoedemia minimella on Downy Birch
Phyllonorycter oxycanthae on Hawthorn
Bohemannia pulverosella on Apple - new to Skye!
Otter. U-huh it is!
Tomorrow I'm meeting the bosses to chat about annual leave. I should have been southbound days ago, but it looks like I'm stuck here at least until the weekend. Ho hum.


Dalgety Bay - The Unremarkable, Remarkable Day ...

... in which I swept and beat a few things for half an hour at lunchtime and stuck out a moth trap.

Result? 5 lifers, three new for county, and probably my most hemipteran day ever.

Moths did their part with one pristine Angle Shades swept from grass being a surprise but Pine Carpet, Streak and Garden Rose Tortrix all new for the year.

Goes to show - you can just never tell.

Swept Angle Shades

Kleidocerys resedae (3rd Scottish NBN)

Parapiesma on Oraches

Neolygus viridis

Pantilius tunicatus

Numbers:
1261 lep-moth Phlogophora meticulosa Angle Shades
1262 * hemiptera Neolygus viridis A mirid bug (NFC)
1263 * hemiptera Pantilius tunicatus A mirid bug (NFC)
1264 * hemiptera Kleidocerys resedae Birch Catkin Bug (NFC)
1265 hemiptera Notostira elongata A mirid bug
1266 hemiptera Parapiesma quadratum Orache lacebug
1267 * insect-other Micromus variegatus A brown lacewing
1268 coleoptera Tasgius melanarius A rove beetle
1269 lep-moth Pennithera fermata Pine Carpet
1270 * lep-moth Acleris variegana Garden Rose Tortrix
1271 lep-moth Chesias legatella Streak

Monday, September 17, 2018

Dalgety Bay - beating around the bush

With a chill in the air and Pinkfeet streaming in en masse there's a definite feel of change about. I've been trying to build up my spider list with some success (leaf litter efforts and pitfalling to commence soon) but a good side outcome has been some movement on my beetle list - square and life. Two "ladybirds" in one sweep and a couple of nice weevils. Also managed to take my harvestman list to 9 for the year, which is nearly double last year's sad total of 5. Two of them were new to me, apparently, though I'm not sure I believe that. More likely I forgot to note them.

The Anthonomus is a species I aded to the county list at a bioblitz a couple of years back, so this is the second county record. Pretty weevil.

I'm hoping to sneak up on 1300 by month end, but in reality anything above about 1275 would do. The way things went at the tail end of last week, though, I probably should be more optimistic. And I definitely, definitely should do more sweeping and beating.

(edit: I take it back on blackwalli - maybe I should have kept the voucher! NBN distribution)

Leiobunum blackwalli

Anthonomus pedicularius

Coccidula rufa and Rhyzobius litura
Numbers:
1249 diptera Sphaerophoria scripta A hover fly
1250 fungus Postia subcaesia A fungus
1251 * hemiptera Aphrodes bicinctus Girdled Leafhopper
1252 diptera Opomyza germinationis Opomyzidae
1253 harvestman Mitopus morio A harvestman
1254 coleoptera Anthonomus pedicularius A weevil
1255 lep-moth Arctia caja Garden Tiger
1256 diptera Bibio clavipes A bibionid fly
1257 * harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli A harvestman
1258 * coleoptera Coccidula rufa A ladybird
1259 * coleoptera Rhyzobius litura A ladybird
1260 gall mite Phyllocoptes goniothorax Hawthorn Leaf Curl

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Dalgety Bay - Am I weevil (reprise)

Been an interesting few days at the tail end of summer (head end of autumn?) as I picked up the sweep net and went off in search of spiders. I had intended to add five more spiders to the list - job done. I'll now try to add another five because it turned out to be too straightforward. While I was at it though I have netted a fair few beetles including Curculio betulae, which has been sufficient to animate the BBC today (link). Some are still in pots and haven't been listed yet. Devil's Coach Horse was the beetle that finally equalled last year's tally. I'm looking like I will break the big six-oh. Impressive stuff, dontcha think? Or about one day in Tim's garden in January. But I'll take it.

Oh! Oh!! And a dragonfly! What was that about, eh? I'm still recovering from that.

Curculio betulae - one of the year's highlights

Erigones dentipalips and arctica showsng size difference

Erigone arctica palp

Lyonetia clerkella

Lyonetia clerkella
Numbers:
1235 coleoptera Ocypus olens Devil's Coach-horse
1236 hymenoptera Andricus quercuscalicis Knopper Gall causer
1237 diptera Phaonia pallida Muscidae
1238 slime mould Ceratiomyxa fruticosa A slime mould
1239 spider Araneus quadratus A spider
1240 * spider Gnathonarium dentatum A Linyphiid spider
1241 fungus Exidiopsis effusa A corticioid fungus
1242 * harvestman Oligolophus tridens A harvestman
1243 * lep-moth Rhizedra lutosa Large Wainscot
1244 * coleoptera Tachyporus obtusus A rove beetle
1245 odonata Sympetrum striolatum Common Darter
1246 * spider Erigone arctica A Linyphiid spider
1247 * coleoptera Curculio betulae A weevil
1248 * lep-moth Lyonetia clerkella A micro moth