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

-----------------------------------

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

-----------------------------------

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

-----------------------------------

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

Small Yellow Underwings, a variety of beetles and a new ant

A visit to Burnham Overy on Friday 25th was primarily for birds but needless to say I kept an eye out for other things too.  The weather wasn't ideal for lepidoptera (3 Wall Browns were the only butterflies I saw) but there were a few moths on the wing.  At least 40 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella were most numerous but there were also Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus and 4 Cinnabars.  Curiously James Lowen reported 100++ Diamond-back Moths but I didn't see a single one!  Did they arrive in the afternoon maybe, after I had gone?  There clearly was an arrival of Diamond-backs that day as I saw some later on, but not at Burnham Overy.

This waxfly proved to be a male Coniopteryx tineiformis.

Coniopteryx tineiformis (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 25th May

Southern Marsh Orchid, Burnham Overy, 25th May

Later on I went for a wander round the Cathedral Meadows and this proved to be much more productive from an invert perspective.  No more butterflies (single Orange-tip and Small Tortoiseshell) but a good variety of moths: Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, 4 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 94 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 5 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Sharp-winged Drill Dichrorampha acuminatana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and 3 Small Yellow Underwings.

Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were at least 15 Green Drake mayflies Ephemera danica engaged in their dancing display flight.

Green Drake Ephemera danica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Dragonflies consisted of Azure Damselfly and my first Banded Demoiselle of the year.

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There was another Coniopterix tineiformis and this Scorpion Fly was my first Panorpa communis for the site.

Panorpa communis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

This Gorse Shieldbug was the only bug I found.

Gorse Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

There were quite a few species of beetle including two I hadn't previously identified: Plum Longhorn Beetle Tetrops praeustus and the weevil Trichosirocalus troglodytes.

Plum Longhorn Beetle Tetrops praeustus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Trichosirocalus troglodytes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Other beetles included 2 Athous haemorrhoidalis, Cantharis nigricans, Cantharis rustica,  Byturus ochraceus, 24-spot Ladybird and 5 Phyllobius pomaceus.

Athous haemorrhoidalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Cantharis rustica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Nettle Weevils Phyllobius pomaceus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I imagined this red ant would be another Myrmica rubra but it turned to be Myrmica ruginodis, apparently also very common but the first one I've identified.

Myrmica ruginodis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

I attempted to identify a few sawflies, all in the genus Tenthredo.  The first is Tenthredo temula, the second is Tenthredo livida and the last is probably Tenthredo arctuata but there are several similar species and it didn't quite key out right using one of the two keys I tried.  I've caught two more subsequently and think I know where I went wrong - certainly the later ones and probably this one also were arcuata.  Thanks to Andy Musgrove for help with these.

Tenthredo temula, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Tenthredo livida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

probable Tenthredo arcuata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May

Finally I think these fungi are old Jelly Ears...

Jelly Ear, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May