Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 2: subfamily Idiocerinae

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) (continued)


SUBFAMILY IDIOCERINAE


Idiocerus herrichi - One came to light at the meadows on 15th September 2019 and one on White Willow there on 15th April 2020.  None at home these years but I've caught one here before (2018).

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th September 2019

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th April 2020

Metidiocerus elegans - One on White Willow at the meadows on 3rd August 2019 was a new leafhopper for me.

Metidiocerus elegans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2019

Metidiocerus rutilans - One in my garden moth trap on 11th September 2020, the first I've caught here.

Metidiocerus rutilans, North Elmham, 11th September 2020

Tremulicerus tremulae - One came to light beneath some Aspen at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020.

Tremulicerus tremulae, Whitwell Street, 3rd September 2020

Tremulicerus vitreus - 2 came to light at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020, a new species of leafhopper for me.

male and female Tremulicerus vitreus, Whitwell Street, 3rd September 2020

Populicerus albicans - One in my garden moth trap on 1st August 2020, the first time I've identified this species.

Populicerus albicans, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Populicerus confusus - One in my garden moth trap on 22nd July 2019 and one on Willow at the meadows on 3rd August 2019.

Populicerus confusus, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

Populicerus confusus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2019

Populicerus laminatus - One in the garden moth trap on 17th July 2019 was another new species for me.

Populicerus laminatus, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Acericerus ribauti - A male to light at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August.  Also a female that was either this species or Acericerus vittifrons in my garden moth trap on 29th September 2019 and  21st December 2020 - would be new for the garden either way.  I didn't keep many notes on the first of the female but the second (my last leafhopper of 2020) was intriguing.  The key I'm using is the old RES one which doesn't include ribauti, and it failed to key out using that which makes me suspect it might be the species not covered by the key.  It seemed closest to vittifrons but the shape of the frontoclypeus was wrong for that species leading me to suspect it was ribauti.  The length was 6.4mm.  Are these identifiable?

Acericerus ribauti, Row Heath, 31st August 2019

possible Acericerus ribauti, North Elmham, 21st December 2020

Next page: more Leafhoppers

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Froghoppers, Planthoppers and Leafhoppers part 1 (Ledrinae and Cicadellinae)

RED-AND-BLACK FROGHOPPERS (CERCOPIDAE)


Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata - Seen at the Cathedral Meadows on 12th and 25th May 2019 and 2nd May 2020.

Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th May 2019

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OTHER FROGHOPPERS (APHROPHORIDAE)


Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni - One on White Willow at the meadows on 8th September 2019 and one caught in the garden moth trap on 31st July 2020.

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2019

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius - Caught in my garden moth trap on 1st and 4th July and 26th August 2019 and on 29th June 2020.  Also to light at the meadows on 3rd September 2019 and 23rd June 2020 and one on Mugwort there on 3rd August.  Also what was probably one at Whitwell Street on 3rd September 2020 but this one escaped before I could confirm it.

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham, 1st July 2019

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Common Froghopper Philaeneus spumarius, North Elmham, 29th June 2020

Neophilaenus lineatus - None locally but one near Carsaig on Mull on 10th June 2019.  I had one at the Cathedral Meadows in 2018.

Neophilaenus lineatus, west of Carsaig, 10th June 2019

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LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE)


SUBFAMILY LEDRINAE


Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita - One in the garden moth trap on 30th July 2020.  None in 2019 but I had 4 here in 2016 and one in 2018.

Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

SUBFAMILY CICADELLINAE


Cicadella viridis - 2 in the moth trap on 25th July 2019 were new for the garden.  A male came to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August, my first of the dark-winged form (is that all males and only males?), and 2 seen at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.

Cicadella viridis, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Cicadella viridis, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Next page: more Leafhoppers

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Heteropteran Bugs

HETEROPTERAN BUGS (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA)

The order Hemiptera is split into sub-orders - in this section I shall just deal with Heteroptera; I'll deal with Auchenorrhyncha (leafhoppers and allies) and Sternorrhyncha (Aphids, Whiteflies, Scale Insects and Psyllids) later.

My interest in bugs was piqued when I caught an unfamiliar and unremarkable-looking bug in my moth trap in Cornwall in October 2014.  Given the site and conditions (on the far SW coast in strong southerly winds) and the species of moths caught (high proportion of migrants) I thought it might be worth trying to find out what the bug was.  I figured out that it was a Damsel Bug (Nabidae), a family with several very common representatives, none of which I had ever previously knowingly seen or identified, but couldn't find a match.  I asked Tristan Bantock who asked me to send it to him and subsequently confirmed that it was Nabis capsiformis, and the first record for Britain!

Since then I've been slowly increasing my efforts with this group and am now at least attempting to identify every bug I come across (mostly in the moth trap, but picking up a few more by a little light sweeeping here and there).  I'm grateful to Tristan not only for the initial introduction but for occasional help via Twitter and for pointing me to some great resources, not least his (and Joe Botting's) hugely impressive British Bugs website which I must now use hundreds of times every year.

The bugs section of this review covers 12 pages - if you want to look through them all then start here and follow the "Next page" links at the bottom of each page to move through.  Alternatively you can use the hyperlinks (orange text) below to jump straight to the families you're interested in.  For many other groups in this wildlife review I've included "nil returns" for species that ought to occur here but I didn't record in 2019-20.  With bugs I haven't yet developed a good enough understanding of the local status of the various species to be able to do this, but I have included mention of all the species that I have personally recorded here and at the meadows in previous years.

I always welcome feedback, especially if any errors have crept in.  Please get in touch if you think anything needs looking at again, or if you can clear up any of the unanswered questions.

• Acanthosomatidae (Keeled Shieldbugs)

early instar Hawthorn Shieldbug

• Coreidae (Squashbugs)

Box Bug

• Cynidae (Borrowing Shieldbugs)

Pied Shieldbug

• Pentatomidae (Typical Shieldbugs)

Small Grass Shieldbug

• Rhopalidae (Rhopalid Bugs)

Stictopleurus punctatonervosus

• Scutelleridae (Tortoise Shieldbugs)

Tortoise Shieldbug

• Anthocoridae (Flower Bugs)

Temnostethus pusillus

• Lygaeidae (Ground Bugs)

European Chinchbug Ischnodemus sabuleti

• Miridae (Plant Bugs):


• Tribes Dicyphini and Deraeocorini
  

Macrolophus rubi

• Tribe Mirini (A-O)
  

Orthops campestris

• Tribe Mirini (P-S)
  

Striped Oak Bug Rhabdomiris striatellus

• Tribes Stenodemini and Halticini
  

Halticus luteicollis

• Tribe Orthotylini
  

Malacocoris chlorizans

• Tribe Phylini (A to O)
  

Macrotylus paykulli - new for me in 2020

• Tribe Phylini (P)
  

Psallus falleni

• Nabidae (Damsel Bugs)

Ant Damsel Bug Himacerus mirmicoides

• Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)

Fly Bug Reduvius personatus

• Corixidae (Water Boatmen)

Paracorixa concinna - new for me in 2020

• Gerridae (Pondskaters)

unidentified Pondskater Gerris sp.

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