Tribe ORTHOTYLINI
Black-kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus - None. Having caught this species on no fewer than 8 occasions between July and October 2018 it was a surprise not to catch a single one in 2019 or 2020.
Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus - None. One came to light at the meadows in 2018.
Heterocordylus tibialis - A new species for me but I ended up seeing lots of them by sweeping the Broom at the Cathedral Meadows in 2019. Initially early instar nymphs were found on 27th March and I was grateful to Tristan Bantock for help identifying them, but in the end all (or at least most) instars and adults were found. They developed over 2-3 months and were last seen as adults on 6th June. The Broom was severely cut back by the railway company that winter and I only recorded one on the remants in 2020, an adult on 1st June.
nymph of Heterocordylus tibialis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th March 2019
nymph of Heterocordylus tibialis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th April 2019
nymph of Heterocordylus tibialis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th May 2019
nymph of Heterocordylus tibialis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019
Heterocordylus tibialis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019
Heterotoma planicornis - Another new bug for me. I'd been looking for these after James Emerson mentioned that there were a few around on nettles but although I ended up finding 2 in 2019 one was in my garden moth trap on 25th July and the other was beaten from Oak (albeit just above some nettles) at the meadows on 3rd August. One there on 20th July 2020 was also on the wrong plant, on Yarrow.
Heterotoma planicornis, North Elmham, 25th July 2019
Heterotoma planicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th July 2020
Malacocoris chlorizans - This beautiful delicate bug which I caught for the first time in 2018 turned up in my garden moth trap 3 times in 2019, on 11th, 16th and 29th August and again 3 times in 2020, on 19th August and 8th and 22nd September.
Malacocoris chlorizans, North Elmham, 11th August 2019
Malacocoris chlorizans, North Elmham, 14th August 2020
Orthotylus adenocarpi - None. I identified this species on the Broom at the meadows in 2018.
Orthotylus concolor - One that identified fairly straightforwardly to this speices was swept from Broom at the meadows on 12th August 2019 but 2 bugs at home on 5th August 2019 and 14th August 2020 were more problematic and although concolor seemed to be where I was heading I'm not at all convinced this is correct. The first of these 2 was 4.1mm long, the erect hairs were black and the prone ones white but I wasn't quite sure about the length of the rostrum - not convincingly beyond the second coxae (maybe just because it wasn't lying flat?), and the fourth segment of the antennae was missing on both sides (by the time I processed it - looks like it still had one of them when I photographed it). It was a male so the left clasper should have nailed it but that didn't look quite right either, though not far off and, I think, a better match than to the alternative options. Unless further advice/experience gives me reason to change my mind I won't be recording that one as confirmed, although I suspect it was concolor. This next one I suspect wasn't concolor in the end but I'm not sure what it was. This one didn't seem to have any pale scales but otherwise seemed spot on for concolor - until I looked at its left clasper which looked completely unlike any of the Orthotylus. But I couldn't get past it being Orthotylus (e.g. the pre-tarsal arolia looked right) so I'm not sure what happened here - for all its pro-points I can't see that this one could have been concolor. I'm not sure how useful membrane colour is in identifying these but if it's consistent within species then this last one appeared to have a paler membrane that the other 2. I clearly need more experience with this genus...
Orthotylus concolor,
North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th August 2019
possible Orthotylus concolor,
North Elmham, 5th August 2019, showing the rostrum in the second photo and
different orientations of the same clasper in the last two photos
unidentified Orthotylus sp.,
North Elmham, 14th August 2020, showing the rostrum in the second photo and what I thought when I isolated it was the left clasper (but maybe isn't?)
Orthotylus flavosparsus - One in my garden moth trap on 26th July 2019 then 3 in the garden between 30th July and 14th August 2020 - the first landing next to me in the daytime and the other 2 coming to light.
Orthotylus flavosparsus,
North Elmham, 26th July 2019
Orthotylus flavosparsus,
North Elmham, 30th July 2020
Orthotylus flavosparsus,
North Elmham, 14th August 2020
Orthotylus marginalis - None. I caught what I believed to be this species here in 2018 although it was a female and the literature advises to check male genitalia to be sure of the ID, so perhaps not one I should consider as confirmed to occur here.
Orthotylus nassatus - Caught in the garden moth trap on 1st August and 15th September 2020, the first ones I've identified. The dark line on the underside of the first antennal segment makes this a relatively easy species to identify although this character is very overlookable if you're not looking for it.
Orthotylus nassatus,
North Elmham, 1st August 2020
Orthotylus nassatus,
North Elmham, 15th September 2020
Orthotylus ochrotrichus - One at the Cathedral Meadows on 29th June 2019, the first time I have identified this species. Then I caught 2 in my garden moth trap, a male on 24th July and a female on 4th August. None in 2020.
Orthotylus ochrotrichus,
North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019
Orthotylus ochrotrichus,
North Elmham, 24th July 2019 - showing left clasper
Orthotylus tenellus - One in my garden moth trap on 23rd June 2019 and 4 here in 2020 between 7th June and 14th July plus one at the meadows on 13th June. Whereas most of the other Orthotylus species are really difficult to separate from one another, the confusion species for this one (for me at least) is in a completely different tribe: what used to be Phylus palliceps (which I see is now considered to be a form of Phylus melanocephalus). Typical examples of 'Phylus palliceps' are more orange than tenellus ever gets but others are more green and these I sometimes find quite difficult to separate from orangey examples of Orthotylus tenellus.
Orthotylus tenellus,
North Elmham, 23rd June 2019
Orthotylus tenellus,
North Elmham, 7th June 2020
Orthotylus tenellus,
North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020
Orthotylus tenellus,
North Elmham, 20th June 2020
Orthotylus tenellus,
North Elmham, 4th July 2020
Orthotylus virescens - One in my garden moth trap on 24th July 2019, another new one for me. I initially overlooked this species as I thought the rostrum was too long but then hit a dead end. Re-checking the rostrum I realised that it had a thin projection emanating from its tip (a tongue?) which I'd assumed was part of it, but looking at photos of other Orthotylus showing their rostrums I can't see this projection so I'm assuming I shouldn't include it when considering the length of the rostrum. Another one swept from Broom at the meadows on 20th July 2020.
Orthotylus virescens,
North Elmham, 24th July 2019
Orthotylus virescens,
North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th July 2020
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