Worcestershire Record No. 19 November 2005 pp. 24-28

RECENT RECORDS OF NOTE  Summer 2005

Small Heath. Coenonympha pamphilus (Satyridae, common)
Two at a ‘set-aside’ field edge on 26.6.2005. Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton. This is a very unusual record for this part of Worcestershire, I cannot be sure if the species has recently arrived here or has always been present.

Brown Argus. Aricia agestis (Lycaenidae, local)
About 10 along ‘set-aside’ field edges on 4.8.2005. Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton. A very high count for this species.

Frosted Orange. Gortyna flavago (Noctuidae, common)
One adult found at rest on Fleabanes on 17.9.2005. Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton. My first record of this locally uncommon species

Sycamore. Acronicta aceris (Noctuidae, local)
One larva found on an Oak trunk on 5.8.2005. Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton. This species is now being recorded fairly regularly in Worcestershire but this is the first time I’ve ever found the distinctive larva.

Broom Moth. Melanchra pisi (Noctuidae, common)
One larva found on Bramble foliage during the ‘Recorders’ field trip at Arrow Valley Country Park, Redditch, on 6.8.2005. My first record of this locally uncommon species.

Pyrausta despicata (Pyralidae, local)
One adult on low vegetation at the sandy ‘Cherry Orchard’ site in Worcester on 3.8.2005. My 1st record.

Sitochroa palealis (Pyralidae, notable B)
One rather worn adult disturbed from low vegetation on 21.8.2005. Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton. My 1st record of this scarce species which can have migratory tendencies. The larval foodplant is wild carrot.

MICRO MOTHS.

Adela croesella (Incurvariidae, local)
About 20 males & females were seen at rest on Nettles or feeding on Cow Parsley flowers at Drakes Broughton Orchard on 4.6.2005. I have never recorded this uncommon species here before so it seems unusual that so many should suddenly appear.

Nemophora cupriacella (Incurvariidae, rare)
The presence of this rare species at three sites in the county is now well documented. One of the sites is Tiddesley Wood from where I have two previous records of single females. On 9.7.2005 I found an incredible eight females at rest on Teasel foliage along the main ride. It is likely that more could easily have been present.

Acupalpus consputus (Carabidae, notable B)
One collected from the bed of a dried-up pool on 5.8.2005. Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton.

Bembidion quadripustulatum (Carabidae, notable B)
One collected from the bed of a dried-up pool on 5.8.2005. Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton.

Gracilia minuta (Cerambycidae, RDB2)
One just happened to land on none other than Mr.Paul Whitehead whilst we were chatting in his Little Comberton garden at dusk on 5.6.2005. Paul is one of the leading Coleopterists in the UK so it was indeed fortuitous to have the identity of such a rarity confirmed on the spot! The beetle was held captive in a tube and placed in a fridge for a few minutes in order that it would be less active when released on to a log stack for photography.

Chrysolina oricalcia (Chrysomelidae, notable B)
About ten were on stems of Cow Parsley at Drakes Broughton Orchard on 10.6.2005.

Longitarsus dorsalis (Chrysomelidae, notable B)
Several on Ragwort foliage at Kemerton lakes on 16.4.2005.

Platycis minuta (Lycidae, notable B)
One captured in-flight alongside Lodge Wood at Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton on 28.8.2005.

Prionychus melanarius (Tenebrionidae, RDB2)
One collected from the trunk of an old Apple tree near Tiddesley Wood on 15.7.2005. Identified by PF Whitehead.

Pantilius tunicatus (Miridae, local)
One found at Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton, on 24.9.2005 is my 1st record for this site.

Aelia acuminata (Pentatomidae, local)
One swept by Gary Farmer during the ‘Recorders’ field trip on 6.8.2005 at Arrow Valley Park, Redditch, is the first time I have seen this species.

Conops strigatus (Conopidae, notable)
One female collected from Ragwort flowers on 2.8.2005. Wyre Forest.

Stratiomys potamida (Stratiomyidae, notable B)
One of two males collected from Hogweed flowers at Deerfold Wood, near Drakes Broughton, on 10.7.2005.

Chalcosyrphus nemorum (Syrphidae, local)
One female collected from the trunk of a fallen Oak on 10.7.2005. Mill Rough, Drakes Broughton.

Chrysotoxum verralli (Syrphidae,local)
Recorded locally on four occasions this year. I have never previously obtained a really good photograph of this elusive species until this male at Drakes Broughton Orchard on 17.7.2005.

Criorhina ranunculi (Syrphidae, scarce)
At least four proved almost impossible to photograph on Blackthorn flowers at Tiddesley Wood on 2.4.2005. Another was equally good at avoiding me whist visiting Sallow blossom at Deerfold Wood, Drakes Broughton, on 10.4.2005.

Volucella inflata (Syrphidae, notable B)
Tiddesley Wood is the place for this but you need to be lucky. After a few years of trying I now have the following nice photograph of one, this is a female visiting Teasel on 23.7.2005.

Xylota tarda (Syrphidae, scarce)
One male collected from Devil’s-bit Scabious foliage at Tiddesley Wood on 2.9.2005. My 1st record of this species.

Haematopota crassicornis (Tabanidae, local)
One male photographed on Grasses during the ‘Recorders’ field-trip to Burley Dene Meadows in the south-west corner of the county on 11.6.2005. This locally uncommon Horsefly is known to be associated with grazing levels such as those we visited.

Icterica westermanni (Tephritidae, notable B)
One collected on 6.8.2005 during the ‘Recorders’ field-trip to Arrow Valley Country Park, Redditch. This species is associated with grasslands in the south & east of the UK, it has been recorded previously from the south midlands. The larval foodplant is Ragwort, from which I captured my specimen.

Hartigia linearis (Cephidae, local)
One female photographed on Fragrant Agrimony at Tiddesley Wood on 5.6.2005. This is the only site where I have found this species to date.

Abia sericea (Cimbicidae, local)
I have long known this scarce Sawfly from Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton. I also do a lot of recording in nearby Tiddesley Wood but I have never seen A.sericea here. I was therefore surprised to find three males at rest on low vegetation along the main ride at Tiddesley on 5.6.2005. A female was found on the larval foodplant, Devil’s-bit Scabious, on 31.7.2005. Whether the species has previously gone unnoticed or has recently arrived at Tiddesley is unclear.

Xiphydria prolongata (Xiphydriidae, local)
One female on Willow logs at Burley Dean Meadows, during the ‘Recorders’ field-trip on 11.6.2005. This is only my 2nd record of this locally scarce species, I photographed a female ovipositing in Salix logs at Tiddesley on 2.7.1999.

Nomada fucata (Anthophoridae, restricted)
I was surprised to collect a female from a small colony at the boundary of a set-aside field at Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton, on 4.8.2005.

Chrysura radians (Chrysididae, rare)
One female collected from the trunk of a large Oak at Caddicroft Farm, Drakes Broughton, on 19.6.2005. My 2nd Worcs record of this rare ‘ruby-tailed’ wasp.

Anthidium manicatum (Megachilinae, widespread)
One male collected from Betony flowers at Mill Meadow, Drakes Broughton on 1.8.2005 is my 1st record for this species.

Coelioxys conoidea (Megachilinae, scarce)
One female collected from sandy ground at Cherry Orchard, Worcester, on 18.6.2005. My 1st record for this species.

Megachile maritima (Megachilinae, widespread)

One male collected from Brambles at Cherry Orchard, Worcester, on 18.6.2005. My 1st record.

Arachnospila wesmaeli (Pompilidae, rare)
One female collected from sandy ground at Cherry Orchard, Worcester, on 18.6.2005. My 1st record for this uncommon ‘spider-hunting’ wasp.

Philanthus triangulum (Sphecidae, widespread)
About twenty of these ‘bee-killer’ wasps were present at Cherry Orchard, Worcester, on 3.8.2005.

Yellow Wagtail. Two juveniles with Pied Wagtails at Drakes Broughton school playing field on 28.8.2005. The first time I have seen this species in this part of the county. They had departed by the following day.

With grateful thanks to Mr.P.F.Whitehead for his expertise and assistance.