Review of 2019 and 2020 - Bugs: Keeled, Burrowing and Typical Shieldbugs and Squashbugs

KEELED SHIELDBUGS (ACANTHOSOMATIDAE)


Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale - One at the Meadows on 21st May 2019 and one at home on 26th July (an early instar found on my car).  The early instar was quite a different-looking beast to the adults I am more used to seeing.  4 adults in 20202, at Hills and Holes on 21st May, at Whitwell Street on 3rd September and in the garden moth trap on 8th and 15th September.

Hawthorn Shieldbug (early instar), North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Hawthorn Shieldbug, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Birch Shieldbug Elasmostethus interstinctus - At least 30 caught in my garden moth trap over 14 dates between 24th June and 9th September 2019 (not counted one night, max 5 on 29th June).  Also 6 at Swanton Novers on 27th August.  Fewer in 2020 when 15 between 5th and 25th August.

Birch Shieldbug, North Elmham, 25th August 2020

Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea - At least 6 on eggs on Downy Birch at the meadows on 6th June 2019 and one on 15th.  Sadly the birches have been chopped down now.  2 in the garden moth trap on 31st July 2020, my first here since 2017, and one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September.

Parent Bug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

Parent Bugs, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

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SQUASHBUGS (COREIDAE)


Dock Bug Coreus marginatus - 24 seen on 10 dates at the Cathedral Meadows in 2019 inlcuding one late instar nymph.  The majority were on Dock between 20th April and 25th August when there was a peak of 9 on 12th May, but there was one on Ivy on 12th October and one came to light on 1st November.  Also 3 on blackberries at Lyng Easthaugh on 15th September.  Fewer in 2020 with just 7 at the meadows between 2nd May and 11th September (including another late instar nymph) but in 2020 I recorded my first garden records with one on Mint on 10th April and one on Honeysuckle on 12th April.  Continuing the non-Dock theme I also found 8 on Fat Hen at the allotments on 6th September.

Dock Bug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

Dock Bug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020

Dock Bug nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Box Bug Gonocerus acuteangulatus - My first example of this species was at the meadows (strictly speaking just a few inches outside of the recording area, in Church Lane), on 14th September 2019.  It was on Ivy but with Hawthorn and Plums in the immediate vicinity.  I found another along the same lane, this time inside the recording area, on 29th September 2020.

Box Bug, North Elmham (Church Lane), 14th September 2019

Box Bug, North Elmham (Church Lane), 29th September 2020

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BURROWING SHIELDBUGS (CYDNIDAE)


Bordered Shieldbug Legnotus limbosus - Another new species for me, came to light at the meadows on 31st May 2019.

Bordered Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas bicolor - After a frustrating brief view of what was almost certainly one at the meadows on 25th March 2020 (I was looking for the species at the time, but it disappeared into the White Dead Nettle as I clapped eyes on it) I got a proper look at one in a different part of the meadows on 24th April (seen again in the same area in April 2021).

Pied Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

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TYPICAL SHIELDBUGS (PENTATOMIDAE)


Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug Aelia acuminata - One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020 was my first example of this distinctive species.

Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum - Recorded at the meadows on 3 dates between 20th April and 25th May 2019 (including 6 on the latter date) and on 6 dates between 25th April and 19th August.  Also recorded in my garden for the first time with one on a dead Buddleia flowerhead on 24th August 2019 and another on 27th.

Hairy Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Brassica Shieldbug Eurydema oleracea - A new species for me with 6 (3 mating pairs) on Wintercress at the meadows on 25th May 2019.  Then 10 at Frost's Common on 21st May 2020, again on Wintercress and agin including several mating pairs.

Brassica Shieldbugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Brassica Shieldbugs, Frost's Common, 21st May 2020

Woundwort Shieldbug Eysarcoris venustissimus - 3 on Mullein at the meadows on 21st June 2019.  There is Hedge Woundwort growing nearby (and Marsh Woundwort even closer but I'm not sure they go on that).

Woundwort Shieldbugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Small Grass Shieldbug Neottiglossa pusilla - I had the good fortune of meeting Steve Lane while looking for dragonflies at Winterton on 19th August 2019 and he showed me one of these that he had swept; a new species for me.

Small Grass Shieldbug, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Common Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina - Adults in my garden on 19th April and 24th November 2019 and 17th May 2020, 2 of which came to light.  A total of 10 found at the meadows including 7 nymphs: on 11th and 30th September 2019 and between 20th July and 16th September 2020.  These were found during the daytime on a variety of plants including White Willow, Ash (among keys), Currant, Pedunculate Oak, Dog Rose, Hazel and Great Mullein.

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham, 19th April 2019

Common Green Shieldbug nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2019

Common Green Shieldbug nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th July 2020

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

Common Green Shieldbug nymphs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September 2020

Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes - I still know these by the name given in my old Michael Chinery guide to insects  (Forest Bug) but Red-legged Shieldbug seems to be the more popular name for them nowadays (and is probably more appropriate) so I'll use that here.  Totals of 48 came to my garden moth trap over 16 dates between 23rd July and 12th September 2019 and 58 over 20 dates between 24th July and 8th September 2020.  Peak counts were 11 both years (3rd September 2019 and 14th August 2020).  Much smaller numbers seen at the meadows (mostly adults to light but also a couple of nymphs by torchlight and beating).  Also recorded at Swanton Novers where 100 came to light on 27th August 2019, Row Heath (West Runton) and Whitwell Street.

early instar Red-legged Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th October 2019

mid instar Red-legged Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2020

Red-legged Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus - A final instar swept from Broom at the meadows on 7th August 2019.  It was taken home to check the ID and moulted to adult on 11th August.

final instar Gorse Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2019

the same Gorse Shieldbug, teneral after moulting to adult, 11th August 2019

the same Gorse Shieldbug a day later, 12th August 2019

Next page: Rhopalidae

Cydia servillana, 3rd for Norfolk

After the previous day's productive wander round the Cathedral Meadows I returned a little later in the evening on Saturday 19th May, and it was very worthwhile.  The clear highlight was a new moth for me, and a rare one at that, Sallow-shoot Piercer Cydia servillana.  This "Nationally Scarce" species has ony twice been recorded in Norfolk, at Dersingham in 2011 and Aldeby in 2017, so opposite ends of the county with mine now being right in the middle.  It was quite a distinctive-looking moth with beautiful pale blue reflections at the base and tips of the wings.

Sallow-shoot Piercer Cydia servillana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I netted 3 moths that at first I thought were Dichrorampha species, most likely Dichrorampha plumbana like the one I'd seen the day before, but they all proved to be Pea Moths Cydia nigricana.  I've only seen one of these before and had the same experience of thinking it was Dichrorampha at first.  Maybe I will learn for next time...

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

There were quite a few Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella netted and among them a single Skin Moth Monopis laevigella.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

Other moths included Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 8 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 5 Green Carpets and Small Yellow Underwing.

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

What at first I thought were going to be hoverflies turned out to be Face Flies Musca autumnalis.  I'm sure I must have seen these before but these were the first ones I've photographed and confirmed.  (Uptdate August 2019 - I probably have seen Face Flies before but these weren't they... I now think they were in fact Tachina fera.)

 Tachina fera, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I eventually managed to name this beetle, a new one for me, Choleva agilis.  [2023 edit - clearly this was not Choleva agilis and I have no idea why I thought it was! (it was my early days of beetle identification...)  It's an Anaspis, frontalis probably.]

(not) Choleva agilis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

This soldier beetle Cantharis nigricans was with it.

Cantharis nigricans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

A Shieldbug nymph turned out to be "just" a Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug).  An early/mid instar I think.

Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug) early-mid instar nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I have found keying out Andrena bees harder this year than I remember them being last year.  This one confused me at first but I eventually identified it as Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea.  I couldn't see the ridges on the frons from above but on tilting the insect a bit they became visible.  A Buff-tailed Bumblebee was the only other bee I identified.

Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

At home I found a Common Clothes Moth Tinola bisselliella, new for the year.

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, North Elmham, 19th May

The only moths new for the year in the trap that night were these 2 Buff-tips - high up on my list of favourite moths.

Buff-tips, North Elmham, 19th May

Otherwise it was a pretty poor showing with just Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Green Carpet, Common Pug, Scalloped Hazel, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3 Flame Shoulders, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks and a Cockchafer.

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 19th May

A Mottled Pug was new for the year the following night but there wasn't much else: 3 Common Pugs, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent (so worn I had to gen det it to identify it), 3 White Ermines, 3 Muslin Moths, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Hebrew Character and Spectacle.

Mottled Pug, North Elmham, 20th May