Review of 2019 and 2020 - Bugs: Damsel Bugs, Assassin Bugs, Water Boatmen and Pondskaters

DAMSEL BUGS (NABIDAE)


Tree Damsel Bug Himacerus apterus - I found my first on Broom (under Oaks) at the Cathedral Meadows on 7th August 2019 and followed this up with one to light at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August and one in my garden moth trap on 21st September, then another one in the garden on 1st August 2020.

Tree Damsel Bug Himacerus apterus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2019

Tree Damsel Bug Himacerus apterus, North Elmham, 21st September 2019

Tree Damsel Bug Himacerus apterus, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides - Having first seen this species in Cornwall in 2018 I found one resting on a tree trunk at the meadows on 13th February 2019 and one on a wooden gate there on 8th November 2020.

Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th February 2019

Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Field Damsel Bug Nabis ferus - I eventually found this, the commonest (?), or at least one of the commonest, species of damsel bug at the meadows in 2018.  I added it to my garden bug list on 9th August 2019 when I caught one in my moth trap and then had a crop of 4 here between 7th August and 8th September 2020.

Field Damsel Bug Nabis ferus, North Elmham, 9th August 2019

Field Damsel Bug Nabis ferus, North Elmham, 7th September 2020

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ASSASSIN BUGS (REDUVIIDAE)


Empicoris vagabundus - I briefly saw what I am fairly sure was this species in my moth trap on 10th August 2020 but frustratingly managed to lose it before confirming what I was seeing.  Would have been my first. 


Fly Bug Reduvius personatus - Singles in (or on) my moth trap on 1st and 23rd June 2019 and then 2 on 29th June.  None in 2020.  I didn't have any in 2018 but had 2 in 2016 and 4 in 2017.

Fly Bug Reduvius personatus, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

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WATER BOATMEN (CORIXIDAE)

Frustratingly many of the Water Boatmen I find coming to light are females which cannot be identified to species.  I haven't detailed those below.


Callicorixa praeusta - A male to light at the Cathedral Meadows on 30th June 2019, 2 males among several water boatmen to light there on 15th September.  Then in 2020 singles to light there on 18th July and 8th September 2020.

male Callicorixa praeusta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th September 2019

male Callicorixa praeusta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Hesperocorixa sahlbergi - One in my garden moth trap on 31st July 2020, the first time I've recorded this species.

male Hesperocorixa sahlbergi, North Elmham, 31st July 2020 - showing its right paramere

Paracorixa concinna - One to LEDs at Bintree Wood on 24th July 2020, the first time I've identified this species.

male Paracorixa concinna, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Sigara dorsalis - None.  I caught this species at home in 2017.


Sigara falleni - One in the garden moth trap on 17th July 2020.  I caught this species here before in 2017.

male Sigara falleni, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Sigara lateralis - Singles came to light on 23rd June and 8th September 2020, the first time I've recorded this species.

male Sigara lateralis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

male Sigara lateralis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

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PONDSKATERS (GERRIDAE)

Given their habit of staying on the surface of water just out of reach I'm yet to catch a pondskater in order to give it close enough examination to identify to species.  At the meadows Pondskaters seen in the ditch running alongside the railway on 24th April and 19th August 2020.

unidentified Pondskater Gerris sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

Strawberry Tortrix and Fern Smut

I trapped two lifers on the night of Saturday 17th June. The first was clearly an Acleris laterana/comariana agg. but a very early date for laterana, and it was a bit on the small side.  I'd suspected comariana a year ago but the blighter escaped before I could confirm it, so I took great care not to let this one bolt for it!  One of the key differences in the genitalia are the size and arrangement of cornuti in the aedeagus (or in layman's terms, spiky bits in its willy!) but this one didn't have any cornuti (they sometimes leave them behind when mating).  The other features looked good but I wasn't 100% sure so sent a photo to Jon Clifton to check.  He confirmed what I thought - that it was a Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana.

Strawberry Tortrix Acleris comariana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

The second was instantly recognisable as a Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, but sadly it was also the only moth out of over 200 that didn't survive the night.  I started going through the trap at first light but by the time I reached it it was already dead in the bottom of an eggbox.  Still, a new moth for the house even if I am still yet to see one alive.  First recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2010 (Dersingham and Cromer) but there are now lots of records, mainly from the Broads.  Nevertheless despite Dick having recorded over 20 in five years at Dersingham, mine is only the second site in VC28 (west Norfolk) where it has been recorded.

dead Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

One more moth was new for the garden: Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella.

Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella, North Elmham, 17th June

Another excellent moth which I saw for the first time last year was Satyr Pug.  This one was a bit fresher than last year's and perhaps should have been identified, or at least suspected, without dissection.  Sadly for would-be twitchers I didn't get round to looking at it that carefully until it was too late.

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Other new moths for the year were Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Drinker, 2 Lilac Beauties and 2 Rosy Footmen.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, North Elmham, 17th June

Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, North Elmham, 17th June

Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th June

Drinker, North Elmham, 17th June

Lilac Beauty, North Elmham, 17th June

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 17th June

Also recorded were 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 8 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 6 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 5 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Broken-barred Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Orange Footman, Common Footman, 7 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Ingrailed Clay, 4 Double Square-spots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 7 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 5 Middle-barred Minors, 4 Uncertains, Marbled White Spot, 43 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

A good selection of caddisflies included 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Hydropsyche pellucidula,  Limnephilus lunatus, Athripsodes aterrimus, 2 Leptocerus tineiformis (new for the year) and 2 Mystacides longicornis.

Leptocerus tineiformis (male), North Elmham, 17th June

Bugs included Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus (new for the year) and the water boatman Sigara falleni, a lifer for me.

Sigara falleni, North Elmham, 17th June

Beetles consisted of my first Brown Chafer Serica brunnea of the year and another Cantharis cryptica.

Brown Chafer Serica brunnea, North Elmham, 17th June

Mayflies included 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, new for the year.

Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, North Elmham, 17th June