Snow Flea Boreus hyemalis - None. I've never seen a Snow Flea and they aren't often recorded in Norfolk. Not sure there's a very high chance of finding one here but you never know...
Panorpa cognata - None. I've never seen this species but there are a few widespread records from Norfolk so hopefully I'll bump into one before long.
Panorpa communis - Just 2 confirmed records of this species in 2019 and 2 in 2020, all from the Cathedral Meadows: a male on 21st June and a female on 29th June 2019 and 2 males on 3rd June 2020. In addition a female on 3rd August 2019 was considered perhaps to be this species based on its wing pattern, but it did not allow capture to confirm.
female Panorpa communis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019
male Panorpa communis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June 2020
Panorpa germanica - 4 recorded at the meadows between 30th April and 25th May 2019 (the last to light) and one on Mull on 9th June. Then in the autumn a small example to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August and another at the meadows on 3rd September. In 2020 only recorded at the meadows where 4 between 9th and 27th May and 3 between 12th August and 8th September. Quite a bit of variation in the wing pattern and a few showing distinctly yellow-tinged wings (especially but not exclusively involving the later individuals in August/September).
male Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019
male Panorpa germanica, Druimsornaig Cemetery, Mull, 9th June 2019
male Panorpa germanica, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019 (showing genital capsule in second photo)
female Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd September 2019 (showing genital plate in second photo)
male Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th May 2020 (showing genital capsule in second photo)
female Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2020
female Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020
male Panorpa germanica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020
I don't yet have enough data to draw any firm conclusions about flight periods, but tentatively it seems that both species have two generations and that germanica has a longer gap between them, the first one being earlier than communis and the second later. But I need a bit more data before being remotely confident about this.
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ALDERFLIES (MEGALOPTERA)
Sialis lutaria - As far as I know this is the only species of Alderfly that has been confirmed to occur in Norfolk although the other 2 species have been reported in the past (and subsequently considered unacceptable). In any case it is the only species of Alderfly that I've seen so far. I'd only identified one to species level before but found 4 individuals (all males) at the Cathedral Meadows in 2019. Singles on 8th, 21st and 30th April were all found on Broom growing next to a dyke and I think the fourth on 15th May was in the same area. Then in 2020 there were at least 3 Alderflies on the bridge over the dyke by the railway there on 24th April, one of which I potted off the metal railings and confirmed was as a male lutaria.
Sialis lutaria, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st April 2019
Sialis lutaria, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020
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SNAKEFLIES (RAPHIDIOPTERA)
I am not normally including orders in this review that I haven't recorded, but as for other Neuroptera and related orders I have included (or will be including) "nil returns" for species that I think have a reasonable chance of turning up round here, it seems fitting to at least mention the Snakeflies. I've never seen any species of Snakefly and therefore won't cover them here in detail, but suffice to say for now that there are, I think, 4 species on the Norfolk list and judging from a recent Twitter conversation with Andy M and others it sounds like there's a strong possibility of finding at least one or two of them before too long. I hope so anyway!
